Getting the Most From the Shampoo

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 678, 1 June 1929, Page 7 (Supplement)

Getting the Most From the Shampoo

Secrets of Charm

Scrupulously clean hair and scalp give one a feeling of well-being and loveliness that even an unbecoming coiffure can’t spoil.

On the other hand, no matter 'how much the arrangement of the hair enhances one's appearance, its beauty is lost if it is allowed to become oily or dull. There is really no excuse for any woman permitting her hair to reach such an unlovely stage, even when physical health, busy business life, or bad weather prevents one from having an honest-to-goodness soap and water shampoo. It is for just such situations that the dry shampoos have been perfected. Therefore, whether a dry shampoo preparation or the regulation sham* poo is used, the results are the same. Consequently before worrying about how to achieve the most flattering coiffure, be sure that your hair is healthy and clean so that it more easily falls into its new mode of dress. Today I shall tell you of some powders that may be used between the regular soap aud water cleansings. Of course, there are several prepared pre- j parations on the market for this purpose, but no matter how hard we try to avoid if, we frequently find we | have exhausted our supply. It is then that a reliable home-made remedy . saves the day. Before using any of the powders de- j cribed later, the hair must be thor- j oughlv brushed and the scalp well massaged. Of course, we all know lhat brushing the hair well means at least fitt'y strokes with the brush. To massage the scalp, place the flu„ers low on the nape of the neck and . rotate them so that the scalp moves ■ with the action of the lingers. Do 3iot allow the fingers to slip over the scalp. Then move the fingers forward and rotate. Continue moving the fingers |

, and rotating them until the entire | scalp has been massaged. The brushing usually takes about two minutes and the massage about live minutes. Now examine the scalp closely to see ii any trace of dandruff is visible. If so, a fine-tooth comb should be used to loosen the accumulation from the scalp so that by brushing the hair again the flakes of dandruff will be removed from the hair. Equal parts corn meal and almond meal make an excellent proportion and the amount necessary for one shampoo should be about two teaspoonfuls of each powder. Stir these ingredients together and rub the mixture lightly through the hair and over the scalp for two or three minutes. Be sure that the powders are evenly distributed so that every trace of oil and dust may be absorbed by the powder. Then brush the hair again until it is entirely free from powder, at which time it will appear clean and glossy. Because of the light colour of the powder, girls with dark hair will find it necessary to brush their hair more thoroughly than those with light hair, so that no tell-tale traces of powder remain in the tresses to dim their clean, bright lustre. Sufficient brushing, however, will do the trick. Even though a marcel, or finger wave, has been put into the hair a few days before, this method of shampooing will not interfere with the coiffure. so comb the hair into place after brushing out the shampoo powder and you will readily see the full benefits of such a simple and easy cleansing medium. Orris root, which has been successfully used for years, is another powder

for cleansing the liair and scalp. Brush the hair and massage the scalj; as outlined above and then use the orris root in the same way as almond meal and corn meal. Then, too, almond meal or corn meal may he used with orris root, or any of these may be used separately, I simply mention the different powders so that you may have a choice. The white of egg-shampoo is also listed among the successful dry. shampoos since it is used without water and requires no rinsing. After brushing and combing the hair and massaging the scalp, the wellbeaten white of an egg should be brushed over the hair. A tooth-brush is excellent for applying this shampoo, since it enables one to touch the scalp as well as the ends of the hair, thus every hair is saturated with the albumen. Allow the egge to dry naturally, then remove it by brushing. If a waved effect is desired, the waves must be placed in the hair as soon as it is sufficiently saturated with egg. Pin the waves into place and allow them to dry. The egg is then removed by brushing. When all egg has been removed, push fhe waves up with the hands so that they fall into place. You will be amazed at the clean, silky appearance of the hair. Incidentally and very important the waves last much longer with this method than when water is used for setting. In the days of long tresses when it was an all day task to shampoo the hair, women found the dry shampoo powders extremely useful. Just why they are not used more often in the present day is hard to say, as the true beauty of bobbed-hair depends more upon the actual health and cleanliness of the hair than upon its arrangement, thus more frequent shampoos must be taken.

I am sure you will find these few suggestions useful. However, I suggest that you use soap and water alternately with the powders, rather than depend upon the dry shampoos entirely for keeping the hair clean. This method of shampoo is particularly convenient if an unexpected invitation is about to be declined because the hair is in an unkempt state. Then, too, it is a veritable boon in cases of illness if one desires to keep the hair and scalp dry.

THINGS YOU MAY LIKE TO KNOW By“HOUSEKEEPER” “Shine on Clothing'’ To remove “shine” from clothing, mix one tablespoonful of laundry blue with half a cupful of water. Apply the solution with a soft cloth, press in the usual way, and the shine will vanish. To Preserve the Table Covering The American cloth on the kitchen table will not crack and break so easily, and will last much longer, if you place heavy brown paper underneath. Cleaning Painted Walls To clean painted walls, dip a sponge in kerosene oil, and wash a small space at a time. Then take a clean cloth and wash off the oil with cold water. The walls will then look as if they had I?een newly painted. I have tried this and it works well. This is Very Simple When cleaning varnished woodwork, put a little furniture polish in the water, instead of using soap. Another good plan is to save the tealeaves, pour water over them and use this liquid instead of soap and water. To Save Washing Cake Tins Keep all papers in which bread etc., is wrapped, grease them lightly and use them to line pans for cakes, letting the lining come well above the sides. You save grease, and the pan remains quite clean when the cake is removed.

SET THE FURNITURE ON STANDS Furniture designers in the time of William and Mary were wiser than those of the Victorian era, for they raised their walnut cabinets and chests upon stands, so that not only were the pieces displayed to the best advantage, but they were well out of the way of brush and 'broom. We are now returning to this style, and the modern cabinet-worker is making stands of anything from one foot to three in height for fhe pieces that will lend themselves to the idea. Even sideboards are included, and very delightful are some examples iof brass-studded hide-covered oak. 1 raised upon S shaped stretchers to ! a height convenient for the carving of a joint. Display cabinets for collections of silver, glass or china, are often of painted wood, in contrast to their stands, which may be of ebony or gilt wood. The contrasting stand is valuable from the point of view of effect and is capable of a. number of variations. A red lacquer chest for instance, looks admirable upon a red and black stand, while one of stainwood is thrown into good relief by a stand of sage green hue. At the dinner table, little stands of Sheffield plate, or its modern substitute, are being used for tumblers. Not alone do they add to the appearance of a polished table, but they keep its surface free from scratches. Coasters for bottles and syphons are in fashion again after having been in eclipse for some considerable time, | and big prices are asked for the Geori gian specimens with their fine rei poussee designs of grapes and vine- | leaves, garlands and scrolls. Old Victorian stands of papier- ! mache decorated with roses, are also [ much in demand for the same pur- ! pose.

THE SELFISH SEX WHICH IS IT? Is one sex more selfish than the I other, and, if so, which is it ? ! In order to arrive at a just finding on this important question, it is necessary to approach it in a judicial frame of mind. In the first place, sex consciousness must be laid aside. You must forget for the time being that you are either a man or a woman with an axe to grind, but merely the arbiter between two parties, in neither of which you have any personal interest. In the past, Man—with a capital M —was lord of the earth, and it woman. rEsented the treatment meted out to her, it took no soothsayer to foretell | the coming of something unpleasant j her way. There were no courts with | a sympathetic magistrate to take her I part. She had the misfortune to be born into the sex condemned to perpetual servitude, and she had to put up with the consequences. That man's methods of training the women-folk in the way they should go were by no means gentle, even in comparatively recent times, is shown by the doggerel. | A woman, a dog and a walnut tree. ! The more you beat them the better they be. ! Of course, history provides ex- ! amples of women who could hold their j own with any man, and upon whom it i would have been most imprudent to ’ attempt the laying-on of the rod. The beautiful Assyrian Queen Semirantis is said to have impaled alive hundreds of men who failed to do her bidding as speedily as she desired, and amiable old Socrates makes no mention of ever having smacked his wife Xanthippe, the woman who has gone down to history as the champion nagger of all time.

From this it will be seen that in the j past man was undoubtedly the selfish one, but the woman did not get a chance of showing whether she was 1 or not. But bygones being bygones, and woman having gained the right to ; start off on the scratch mark with i men in the scramble for supremacy, there is an excellent opportunity of ; observing how each comports himself or herself toward the other. We must not be too hard on the men if they do resent the intrusion of 1 women into spheres of life, which, for j countless ages, have been close preserves for the male, and in which the ! presence of a woman, even a few years ago, would have been looked upon as little short of sacrilege. The j hand that once rocked the cradle is now engaged In rocking man down from the high pedestal on which he | had set himself. No wonder that he j has got the wind up! It is no laugh 1 ing matter to have one's cherished rights suddenly snatched from one, ' and to be told that one is not uearly such an important personage as one had imagined. The other day I heard a woman describe men golfers as the most selfish creatures in the world, because very few clubs permitted associates to play at week-ends.

“Mark my words,” she said, menacingly, “men are putting a rod in pickle for their own backs. What do you think, Tom—that’s my husband—had the hide to try and put over me yesterday? He actually had the cheek to say that I had plenty of time during the week to play golf, with three regular bridge afternoons, and dinners to get ready for him in the evening. Absurd, isn’t it? “He talks about being tired after work. He does not know what work is. Let him try my job. We women are fools not to go into business ourselves, and let the men have a turn at the housework. It’s coming to that, anyhow, and the sooner the better.”

As women are certainly out after I men’s jobs, obviously to the detriment of the latter, they may fairly be charged with selfishness in this re- ! spect. But men can hold their own in the matter of looking after themselves. • One of the most objectionable forms of selfishness practised by meu who have money to burn is purchasing preference over their less fortunate neighbours by means of the lavish tip. And women who do not know the ropes are the chief offenders by this iniquitous practice. SOME HELPFUL HINTS When washing taint use a partlyworn, very soft loofah and soapy water. The loofah penetrates into the corners where a brush cannot, and does not injure even the most delicate enamel. Travelling trinket caskets and “hus-1 sifs” should both be lined with chamois. Jewellery, needles, etc., thus ! protected will not tarnish. Varnished wallpapers should be j washed with warm, soapy water, and i then wiped as dry as possible. When j quite dry polish with a little furni- j ture cream, and rub down with a soft i cloth. Brass that has been allowed to get j so dirty that the application of polish is not sufficient should first be rubbed over with a raw lemon. This will re-1 move the outside dirt, and the brass j may then be polished in the ordinary ' way. Stains caused by hot dishes being j put ou the table can be instantly re- 1 moved by applying a little spirit of j camphor. Do not rub it in, but apply j very lightly with a clean soft rag: then use a soft duster to polish. All bamboo furniture is best cleaned j with salt and water. Scrub with the j salted water, then dry the furniture in 1 the open.