Ideal beauty in Victorian times
The ideal was to show social status by genteel appearance. This look included a very white or pale skin; hence the many recipes to remove freckles, to bleach skin or cover the skin with white powder. Some beauty products were dangerous, and even were known to be dangerous at the time, such as white lead, which can cause infertility or even death.

Prior to and during most of the 1800s, women made their cosmetics or had them made. It wasn't until the 1900s did the cosmetic industry expanded into everyday life. In the early 1900s, Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden opened rival salons. For women of color, Madam Walker, who started her business with hair products, provided cosmetic products and became a millionaire in the process. In the 1800s, women orally passed down recipes for cosmetics side by side with recipes on how to preserve linen, or get rust out of garments.

Fragrances
Many of the essential oils derived from plants are too strong to be used by themselves for fragrances; they are usually cut by alcohol or other oil so they can be used on the skin. The types of oils used include, lard, vegetable oil, cocoa butter, or nut oils, such as coconut or almond oils. The recipes are below.

Cologne Cologne alcohol, 1 pt.; oils of English lavender and bergamot, each 1 2 drs.; oil of rosemary, 2 dr.; oil of cinnamon, 2 drops; essence of lemon, 1 2 drs.; mix. (Dr. Chase's recipe)

To Perfume Linen
Rose leaves dried in the shade, cloves, beat them together, and to a powder, and mace scraped: mix them together and put the composition into little bags. (Family Receipt Book, 1819)

Lavender Water
Put two pounds of lavender pips into two quarts of water, put them into a cold still, and make a slow fire under it; distill it off slowly; and put it into a pot till you have distilled all your water; then clean your still well out, put your lavender water into it, low fire under it; distil it off slowly again; put it into bottles and cork it well. (Family Recipe Book, 1819)

Toiletries for the Skin

Pimples or skin diseases, Valuable Remedy for.
l Glycerin (English or Price's), 100 grs. (Grains); corrosive sublimate, 5 grs. Directions: Rub the corrosive sublimate in a little of the glycerin; then mix all and apply morning and evening. (Dr. Chase's book)

Freckles, Remedy for.
The following remedy is said to have been found efficacious in Europe. Finely powdered sulphophenate of zinc (line of the newer remedies) 1 part; oil of lemon, 1 part; pure alcohol, 5 parts; collodion, 45 parts; drops, grs, or drs. (drams) As you please, may be used. Directions: mix well, then apply to the freckles, twice daily, until the change is affected. (Dr. Chase's remedy) [Note: the Victorian ideal beauty had no freckles, but a pale skin]

Sunburn, to Remove.
Water, 1 pt.; pulverized borax, 1 oz.; Directions: put in a bottle and shake before using. Wet the parts, blackened by exposure to the sun, twice daily.
(Dr. Chase's book)

Astringent
Rose Vinegar
Steep petals in white wine vinegar for 2 weeks in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Cook with rose vinegar or use as an astringent wash for the face body.
Hair products

Hair dye Black Berrys Best
a) Pyrogalic acid, 1 dr., distilled, pure rain water, 6 oz.
B) Nitrate of silver, crystals, 2 drs.; strong qua ammonia, 1 oz.; gum arabic, dissolved in a little water, 1 dr.; mix all
c) Directions: First apply No 1. And let it dry; then No. II. And let dry. And if by carelessness there are any spots on the face, take them off with No. I of the brown. Alcohol will take them off, but not as nicely as the sulphuret of the next day. (Chase)

Hair dye, Brown or a lighter shade.
I. Sulphuret of potash, 1 oz.;
Distilled or pure rain water, 2 pt.
II. Use the No. II of the Black, in other words, the dys are the same. Directions Apply No. I. The sulphuret and let it dry; then apply No II of the Black until you get a little darker shade than you desire; then reapply the No. I, sulphuret, which leaves the desired shade by making it a little lighter than it was. (Chase) Remarks: with care in this you can make the beard of hair a very light brown or quite a dark one; for if you get it darker than you wish, wash right off with the luster below. These dyes and the 1st luster below are from my friend C.S. Eley, a practical barber, and are very reliable; but it needs care and a little experience to work well with hair dyes. (Chase's book: pg. 634)

Hair Oil, or Dressing very fine
Castor oil and cologne alcohol, each 2 pint; oil of lemon grass, 1 dr.; oil of bergamot, 2 dr.; mix. (Chase)

Hair Dressing Striking in its perfume.
Castor oil, 1 pt. cologne alcohol, 2 pt.; oil of lavender (English is claimed to be the best), 2 drs; oil of bergamot, 3 drs.; oil of citronella, 4 drs.; mix. (Chase's pg. 634)

Hair dressing that Turns Gray Hair to a Dark Shade, without Lead
Cheap and Very Nice. Glycerin and rose-water, equal parts, say 1 or 2 ozs. each. Work well into the roots of the hair at each morning's dressing. (Chase's pg. 634)

Hair and Hand Dressing Home made perfume Very Fine
Put rose petals (leaves of the flowers) or geranium leaves, or the flowers or leaves of any other perfume plants (the mignonette and heliotrope would be fine), that you desire into a bottle, pressing the bottle pretty full, then put in glycerin, all the bottle will hold; cork; or if a glass-stopped bottle all the better. In 3 or 4 weeks the aroma (perfume)(will all be extracted by the glycerin, when it may be stained or not as you choose. Alcohol will do the same, but it is not equal to the glycerin.

Rose Water Mouthwash
Mix equal parts of rosewater and tincture of myrrh (Commiphora mol mol) for an alternative to OTC mass-marketed "green stuff." (Chase)