HAIR WASHES The solid and semisolid bases com monly found in toilet preparations are naturally to a great degree ab sent from those given here. The base of these washes is usually soft water, rose water, eau de cologne, or some form of spirits in which the remedial agencies and perfumes are held in solution. Preparations containing al cohol and other spirits should be used with caution, as by evaporation they tend to dry the scalp and also to deprive the hair of its natural oil, which gives normally a perfect luster.
Such substances as castile soap, ammonia, sal soda, salts of tartar, borax, and the like are often added for their cleansing properties. The principal remedial agents recom mended are such substances as can tharides, arnica, camphor, sulphur, iron sulphate, and the like, and va rious vegetable infusions. These are employed for certain specific prop erties beneficial to the scalp. As in other similar toilet preparations, rose, elder-flower, orange-flower, rosemary, and other waters may be used, ac cording to taste, and the same may be said of the various perfumes.
Nothing, perhaps, is better to cleanse the hair than diluted am monia water-1 part of aqua am monia to 10 parts of water. The hair and scalp should afterwards be well rinsed with clear warm water.
Or pour 1 pint of boiling water on a handful of rosemary leaves, and add tablespoonful of carbonate of ammonia. Cork tightly and let stand over night, shake well, and strain through cheese cloth. Preserve in a tightly stoppered bottle.
Or mix 2 ounces of sal soda and 1 ounce of cream of tartar. Dilute
with soft water to any desired con sistency.
Or dissolve 1 tablespoonful of aqua ammonia and 1 teaspoonful of borax in 1 quart of soft water. Wash the hair thoroughly and rub dry with a towel.
Or dissolve 20 grains of salts of tartar in 1 pint of soft water, and add 1 ounces of glycerin.
Or dissolve ounce of camphor and 1 ounce of borax in powdered form in 1 quart of boiling water. Put in a tightly stoppered bottle and let stand over night. Shake well before using.
Or dissolve 1 dram of pearlash in 1 pint of alcohol; dilute with 2 quarts of soft water.
Or boil 1 ounce of sassafras wood and 1 quart of soft water or diluted water, and add 1 pint of alcohol and 1 pint of pearlash.
Care, however, should be taken not to use these preparations too fre quently. Once or twice a month is often enough to wash the hair in this manner unless it is unusually oily, and it should be borne in mind that the use of hair washes, by depriving the hair of its natural oil, has a tendency to make it harsh and dry, and hence tends to split it. After the use of washes of this sort a little vaseline, hair oil, or pomatum may be rubbed into the hair to replace the natural oil.
for fifteen or twenty minutes to make a strong infusion. Next strain, add such solids as castile soap (in shavings), borax, sal soda, and the like while the liquor is warm enough to dissolve them, and reserve the per fumes until it becomes cool.