HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 2, Issue 6, 1 December 1923, Page 50

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Do You Make the Best of Your Hands!

The old masters in painting gave prominence to the hands in their portraits; they studied them carefully, regarding them as being indicative of character. They were right; for what is more beautiful or more betraying than a hand? A woman with beautiful hands is one of Nature’s favoured children, and if she knows how to use them, and how to take care of them, they become one of her greatest assets. But beautiful hands are rare, and still rarer is it to find a woman who knows how to use her hands. So many hands are dumb, lifeless things. Some are full of meaning; by unconscious gestures, by the way they are folded when motionless, can they express the thoughts. . The language of the hands is usually a natural gift of expression, but it can be acquired. Before learning to use the hands gracefully it is necessary to keep them in good order. The next step is to practise carrying them properly when sitting or walking. Too much movement is as bad as too little. Some women make pretty gestures with their hands when talking; others over-emphasise their conversation by movements which are exaggerated.

Paste-lined Gloves

Many women who were famous in the days of our grandmothers for their lovely hands believed in wearing gloves on every possible occasion, especially when the gloves were lined with a paste for softening and whitening the skin. Take a pair of loose-fitting washleather gloves, smear the inside thickly with cream, and slip them on. Wear these every night for a week, and there will be a most marvellous improvement in the hands.

For Day and Night Wear

The more often these paste-lined gloves are worn the softer and whiter the hands will become, and so, if possible, they should be slipped on during moments of leisure in the daytime as well as at night-time. When the gloves are removed the hands should be gently massaged for a short while, then washed in warm water, & small quantity of oatmeal being used in place of soap.

Take Care of Your Eyes

It is wise to take great care of the eyes, especially during the months of cold winds.

An excellent practice is to use an eyebath night and morning, containing a dessertspoonful of quite fresh milk, rendered tepid by adding a few drops of warm water. The process only occupies a minute or two, but its soothing effects are great, as well as brightening the eyes and improving the eyelashes. When motoring in winter time always tie a close-meshed silk veil over your face as a protection for your eyes from the rush of wind, if you do not want to wear goggles. A pad of cotton wool soaked in warm milk and laid across eyes inflamed and irritated by the cold will relieve the worst of the trouble.