Rose-Water
Preferable to the distilled for a perfume, or for culinary purposes. Attar of rose, twelve drops; rub it up with half an ounce of white sugar and two drachms carbonate magnesia; then add gradually one quart of water and two ounces of proof spirit, and filter through paper.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
To Keep The Hair In Crimp
Ladies are annoyed by the tendency of their hair to come out of crimp or curl while boating, or horse-back riding. Apply the following bandoline before putting the hair in papers or irons : A quarter of an ounce of gum-tragacanth, one pint of rose-water, five drops of glycerine ; mix and let stand over night. If the tragacanth is not dissolved, let it be for a half a day longer ; if too thick add more rose-water, and let it be for some hours. When it is a smooth solution, nearly as thin as glycerine, it is fit to use. This is excellent for making the hair curl. Moisten a lock of hair with it, not too wet, and brush round a warm curling-iron, or put up in papillotes. If the curl comes out harsh and stifle, brush it round a cold iron or curling-stick.”
Source: The Housekeeper’s Friend: A Practical Cookbook
A Shiny Nose
Add a little alcohol to the water in which you wash your face. Keep on hand a bottle containing: Boracic acid, one dram; rosewater, four ounces; mix. Apply the lotion as often as necessary.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
Cosmetic Gloves for the Hands
Yolks of two fresh eggs; sweet almond oil, two teapsoonfuls; rosewater, one ounce; tincture of benzoin, thirty-six grains. Beat the yolks with the oil, and add successively the rosewater and the tincture. Put inside the gloves, which you keep upon your hands till morning.
Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts
To get away the Signs of the Small Pox
Quench some Lime in white Rosewater, then shake it very well, and use it at your pleasure; when you at any time have washed with it, anoint your face with Pomatum, made with Spermaceti and oyl of sweet Almonds.
Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley
Cold Cream
Take of the oil of almonds two ounces, of spermaceti half an ounce, and white wax half an ounce. Put them in a close vessel, and set the vessel in a skillet of boiling water. When melted, beat the ingredients with rosewater until cold. Keep it in a tight box, or wide-mouthed bottle, corked up close.
Source: The American Housewife
Lip Salve
Dissolve a small lump of white sugar in a table-spoonful of rosewater, (common water will do, but is not as good.) Mix it with a couple of large spoonsful of sweet oil, a piece of spermaceti, of the size of half a butternut. Simmer the whole well together eight or ten minutes, then turn it into a small box.
Source: The American Housewife
To make the very best Surfet-water
Take one Gallon of the best French Spirits, and a Pint of Damask-Rose-water, half a Pint of Poppy water, one pound of white Sugar Candy bruised, then take one pound and half of Raisins in the Sun stoned, half a pound of Dates stoned and sliced, then take one Ounce of Mace, one Ounce of Cloves, one Ounce of Cinamon, one Ounce of Aniseeds rubbed clean from the dust, then take a quarter of an Ounce of Licoras clean scraped and sliced, and all the Spices grosly beaten, let all these steep in the Spirits four days; then take a quarter of a peck of Red Poppy Leaves fresh gathered, and the black part cut off, and put them in, and when it hath stood four or five days, strain it, and put it into your Glass, then put in your Sugar-Candy finely beaten, twelve peniworth of Ambergreece, six peniworth of Musk, keep it close, and shake it now and then, and when you use it, you may put some kind of Syrrup to it, what you please.
Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley