SECRETS OF BEAUTY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5333, 10 August 1895, Page 3

SECRETS OF BEAUTY.

WRINKLES MAY BE OBLITERATED EASILY. [BY DIANE DE MOB.NY.] (American Paper.) There aro wrinkles and wrinkles. The wrinkles of the meditative man or woman of the thinking world are not distasteful, because we may read the history of a life devoted to humanity, or science, or art, in their folds. The wrinkles and furrows of old age toll their own sweet or dismal story, and as we pass life's midway and turn our faces towards its boundaries, we have carved our inmost thoughts, whether wo will or no, good or bad, upon our face?. Wrinkled in young or middle-aged women are unnatural and to be deplored, and may be entirely obliterated or co lightened as to be scarcely perceptible. They are the result either of ill health, which has robbed the skin of its elasticity, or of bad habits of involuntarily contracting the muscles of the face in frowning, studying, &c, and, must I say it, frequently of a bad temper and a fretful, irritable nature. They may also be the result o£ grief, and be very pitiful to see, especially in the young, or they may be the little crisa-cross lino 3 around the eyo.s, produced by laughter and by that sense of humour which ia inherent in many, and not disagreeable, but on the contrary very suggestive of the spirit of fun which no truly hardened sinner ever possessed. The general treatment for wrinkles which have been induced by illness and care and anxiety, is great cleanliness, nutritious food, out-of-door exercise, agreeable occupation of the mind and the cultivation of an equable temper and a happy spirit. Whatever tends to promote the general health and to increase the deposit of fat in the ekin tissues of the face tends to obliterate lines and wrinkles and to increase the firmness and beauty of the skin. Attention to the diet is of the utmost importance, and massage, if not adminis- ! tered too heroically, is of great benefit. The skia is kept smooth and firm by its padding of fat, and with the lO3S of flesh and the softening of the muscles from whatever cause, the skin loses its support and falls into folds and furrows. For these premature wrinkles I advise washing the face frequently with a good, pure aoap and wirm water, and the following lotion applied after the face has bsen rinsed thoroughly co that every particle of aoap is removed and carefully dried :— White wine 1 pint Powdered alum 4 grammes Rose water ... ... ... 50 grammes Dissolve thoroughly and filter. This mixture is endorsed by very high authority as most efficacious in restoring the ekin to its original firmness. Apply as often as required. Massages properly administered and applied, in conjunction with an unguent which I give the formula for, will positively remove premature wrinkle&. A number of mechanical appliances have j been manufactured ' for the removal of , wrinkles ; the most successful of these is a glass cup with rubber bulb, the treatment being similar to that used in ordinary cupping. If used with discretion this method is advantageous, as it brings the blood to the surface, and starts it to circulating where often the skin appears almost dead and bloodless. The difficulty is that an amateur is usually too enthusiastic, and in. using the appliance bruises the tender flesh so that large black and blue marks result, and frequently the whole face will present a very battered and dissipated look after a first horns treatment with the cup. A better method for treating such wriakles is in gentle but frequent massage after the free übq of the following unguent : — Cocoanutoil ... 12 ounces Lanoline ... ... ... 4 ounces White wax 4 ounces Tincture benzoin 30 drops Melt the cocoanut oil, lanoline and wax together ; stir until could, then add the benzoin. This is a very penetrating ungusnfc and excdllont for building up skin tissues. It may b 9 used continuously for three or four months until the Bkin is restored to health and firmness, bub I do not advise its perpetual usage because lanoline has a tendency to darken the skin if used constantly, just, indeed, as glycerine haa. When you give yourself facial maßsage rub always in the opposite direction from that formud by the wrinkles. Kneading and pinching the flesh gently should form a part of this treatment, which you should perform with regularity for at least five minutes three times a day. It is a fatal mistake to rub the face when it is not perfectly clean, as you are apt to create a local irritation, and are sure to rub dust into the pores of the skin. Electricity is a great skin stimulant, and, properly applied, is a most effective aid in the treatment of wrinkles. Use a galvanic battery, and never more than three or fonr colls for the face, which is covered with a nexwork of nerves and extremely sensitive. Electricity is good; the electric brush or sponge are equally suited for the application, but electricity should not be abused. Regarding surgical treatment for the removal of wrinkles, I have but a word to say, " Don't." Personally I cannot think a woman's face will ever, look quite natural after a surgical operation, which consists of a horizontal incision made through the skin of her forehead near the scalp, with a second incision below it in the form of an ellipse — in other words, a tuck taken in the Iskin and the fold cut out, leaving a raw edge which must heal, and the skin minus the fold stretched over the forehead. The mere fact of the possibility of bloodpoisoning should deter a woman from such folly. "Skin tighteners," as they are called in England, are usually very strong astringent lotions designed to contract and tighten the loosened cuticle. I never advise their use, as the result of such treatment inevitably toughens and thickens the skin and rains its texture. You must recollect | that the skin tissues need building up, feeding and stimulating, not drying, which will ia time make the patient appear as withered as a shrunken apple. A hundred years ago the fashionable women of that time endeavoured to smooth out wrinkles by court-plaetjr etrips. Indeed, I have recently seen the same method recommended. It cannot poßsibly do any harm to those who wish to experiment. The process consists of stretching the akin over the wrinkle until itia smooth and retaining it in this condition by nairow strips of court plaster. Apply the plaster before retiring and allow it to remain on all night. The wrinkles or lines which appear under the chin 3 of mo9t women who are at all inclined to embonpoint usually mark the shady side of tho forties. They may be in many oases entirely removed, and in every case much lightened by the use of dumbbells, massage and the ointment here suggested. I know really of nothing bo effective for hardening the mu&clea of flabby, wrinkled throats, necks and arms. Lst those of my readers who are natural!^ dismayed and disheartened to see the flaccid flesh under the jaw and the softening of the under part of their beautiful arms take heart of grace. Let them stand before a mirror while practising tho first four movements with the dumbbells nnd watch the enforced play* of the musclflJ of the thront and arms. Thia exerciso, 'f persisted ia and taken regularly, cannot fail to harden ihe mnsclee, which have grown soft and relaxed, and as they Bupporb the flesh and the flesh the ekin the result will be the

building up of the whole structure and the disappearance totilly of that " flabby " (I repeat the term, offensive though it be) appearance which is particularly dreaded and deplored by all women. Those of my readers who were begged to exercise with the bells for five minutes, three times each day, practising only the first fonr movements, should now increase the time to ten minutes, three times daily, and include the second four movements. In Paris many skin specialists recommend spraying "the face and throat with hot water just before the maßsage treatment. It is an agreeable operation to many and moßt irritating to others. There Uno objection to the spray for those who like it. It is said tkat the strongest natures present the smoothest brows. I have no t found it so. Human nature ia malleable material, and the man or woman who can go through this world of oure without a trace of. the control of either tears or smiles is the being whose spirit has kept near the earti and never known the heights and depths of humanity's joys and Borrows. ■ ,