The Art of Perfumery Part 26

BENZOIN POMADE AND OIL.

Benzoic acid is perfectly soluble in hot grease. Half an ounce of benzoic acid being dissolved in half a pint of hot olive or almond oil, deposits on cooling beautiful acicular crystals, similar to the crystals that effloresce from vanilla beans; a portion of the acid, however, remains dissolved in the oil at the ordinary temperature, and imparts to it the peculiar aroma of benzoin; upon this idea is based the principle of perfuming grease with gum benzoin by the direct process, that is, by macerating powdered gum benzoin in melted suet or lard for a few hours, at a temperature of about 80 C. to 90 C. Nearly all the gum-resins give up their odoriferous principle to fatty bodies, when treated in the same way; this fact becoming generally known, will probably give rise to the preparation of some new remedial ointments, such as _Unguentum myrrhae_, _Unguentum a.s.safoetida_, and the like.

TONQUIN POMADE, and TONQUIN OIL, are prepared by macerating the ground Tonquin beans in either melted fat or warm oil, from twelve to twenty-eight hours, in the proportion of

Tonquin beans, 1/2 lb.

Fat or oil, 4 lbs.

Strain through fine muslin; when cold, the grease will have a fine odor of the beans.

VANILLA OIL AND POMADE.

Vanilla pods, 1/4 lb.

Fat or oil, 4 lbs.

Macerate at a temperature of 25 C. for three or four days; finally strain.

These pomatums and oils, together with the French pomades and huiles already described, const.i.tute the foundation of the preparations of all the best hair greases sold by perfumers. Inferior scented pomatums and oils are prepared by perfuming lard, suet, wax, oil, &c., with various ottos; the results, however, in many instances more expensive than the foregoing, are actually inferior in their odor or bouquet--for grease, however slightly perfumed by maceration or enfleurage with flowers, is far more agreeable to the olfactory nerve than when scented by ottos.

The undermentioned greases have obtained great popularity, mainly because their perfume is lasting and flowery.

POMADE CALLED BEAR'S GREASE.

The most popular and "original" bears' grease is made thus:--

Huile de rose, } " fleur d'orange, } " acacia, } of each, 1/2 lb.

" tubereuse and jasmin,} Almond oil, 10 lbs.

Lard, 12 lbs.

Acacia pomade, 2 lbs.

Otto of bergamot, 4 oz.

" cloves, 2 oz.

Melt the solid greases and oils together by a water-bath, then add the ottos.

Bears' grease thus prepared is just hard enough to "set" in the pots at a summer heat. In very warm weather, or if required for exportation to the East or West Indies, it is necessary to use in part French pomatums instead of oils, or more lard and less almond oil.

CIRCa.s.sIAN CREAM.

Purified lard, 1 lb.

Benzoin suet, 1 lb.

French rose pomatum, 1/2 lb.

Almond oil, colored with alkanet, 2 lbs.

Otto of rose, 1/4 oz.

BALSAM OF FLOWERS.

French rose pomatum, 12 oz.

" violet pomatum, 12 oz.

Almond oil, 2 lbs.

Otto of bergamot, 1/4 oz.

CRYSTALLIZED OIL. (_First quality_).

Huile de rose, 1 lb.

" tubereuse, 1 lb.

" fleur d'orange, 1/2 lb.

Spermaceti, 8 oz.

CRYSTALLIZED OIL. (_Second quality_.)

Almond, 2-1/2 lbs.

Spermaceti, 1/2 lb.

Otto of lemon, 3 oz.

Melt the spermaceti in a vessel heated by a water-bath, then add the oils; continue the heat until all flocks disappear; let the jars into which it is poured be warm; cool as slowly as possible, to insure good crystals; if cooled rapidly, the ma.s.s congeals without the appearance of crystals. This preparation has a very nice appearance, and so far sells well; but its continued use for anointing the hair renders the head scurfy; indeed, the crystals of sperm may be combed out of the hair in flakes after it has been used a week or two.

CASTOR OIL POMATUM.

Tubereuse pomatum, 1 lb.

Castor oil, 1/2 lb.

Almond oil, 1/2 lb.

Otto of bergamot, 1 oz.

BALSAM OF NEROLI.

French rose pomatum, 1/2 lb.

" jasmine pomatum, 1/2 lb.

Almond oil, 3/4 lb.

Otto of neroli, 1 drachm.

MARROW CREAM.

Purified lard, 1 lb.

Almond oil, 1 lb.

Palm oil, 1 oz.

Otto of cloves, 1/2 drachm.

" bergamot, 1/2 oz.

" lemon, 1-1/2 oz.

MARROW POMATUM.

Purified lard, 4 lbs.

" suet, 2 lbs.

Otto of lemon, 1 oz.

" bergamot, 1/2 oz.

" cloves, 3 drachms.

Melt the greases, then beat them up with a whisk or flat wooden spatula for half an hour or more; as the grease cools, minute vesicles of air are inclosed by the pomatum, which not only increase the bulk of the mixtures, but impart a peculiar mechanical aggregation, rendering the pomatum light and spongy; in this state it is obvious that it fills out more profitably than otherwise.