Cora Tanner’s Cold Cream

Shave 2 ounces of white wax and 40 grains of spermaceti into 7 ounces of oil of almonds. Melt together over gentle fire. When quite dissolved, add 5 ounces of best rose water, and beat till cold with egg beater.

Source: Flint Hills Cook Book

For Chapped Hands

Prepare:

1 oz white wax
1 oz spermacetti [sic]
2 oz almond oil
3/4 oz powdered camphor

Melt all except the camphor together in a jar standing in a saucepan of boiling water, and when dissolved beat the powdered camphor into the mixture and put in small jars for use upon the hands night and morning.

Source: Household Management, E. Stoddard Eckford & M.S. Fitzgerald

To Prevent Gray Hair

When the hair begins to change color, the use of the following pomade has a beneficial effect in preventing the disease extending, and has the character of even restoring the color of the hair in many instances: Lard, 4 ounces: spermaceti, 4 drachms: oxide of bismuth, 4 drachms. Melt the lard and spermaceti together, and when getting cold stir in the bismuth; to this can be added any kind of perfume, according to choice. It should be used whenever the hair requires dressing. It must not be imagined that any good effect speedily results; it is, in general, a long time taking place, the change being very gradual.

Source: Our Knowledge Box, ed. G. Blackie

Camphor Balls

For rubbing on the hands, to prevent chaps, etc.– Melt three drachms of spermaceti, four drachms of white wax, and one ounce of almond oil; stir in three drachms of powdered camphor. Pour the compound into small gallipots, so as to form small hemispherical cakes. They may be colored with alkanet, if preferred.

Source: Our Knowledge Box, ed. G. Blackie

Cold Cream

Melt one ounce oil of almonds, half ounce spermaceti, one drachm white wax, and then add two ounces of rose-water, and stir it constantly until cold.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

Lip-Salve

Melt one ounce white wax, one ounce sweet oil, one drachm spermaceti, and throw in a piece of alkanet root to color it, and when cooling, perfume it with oil rose, and then pour it into small white jars or boxes.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

Cold Cream

Melt together two ounces of oil of almonds, and one drachm each of white wax and spermaceti ; while warm add two ounces of rose-water, and orange flower water half an ounce. Nothing better than this will be found in the range of toilet salves.”

Source: The Housekeeper’s Friend: A Practical Cookbook

Camphor Ice

Melt together over a water bath white wax and spermaceti each one ounce, camphor two ounces, sweet almond oil, one pound, then triturate until the mixture has become homogeneous, and allow one pound of rose-water to flow in slowly during the operation. Excellent for chapped lips or hands.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

A Cure for a Hard Dry Cough

Take of each one table-spoonful — spermaceti grated, honey, and peppermint water; mix all together with the yolks of two eggs in a gallipot. A tea-spoonful to be taken on the tongue, and allowed to be swallowed slowly as it dissolves.

Source: A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, C.E. Francatelli

To Take Away the Signs of the Small Pox

Take some Spercma-ceti, and twice so much Virgins Wax, melt them together and spread it upon Kids Leather, in the shape of Mask, then lay it upon the Face, and keep it on night and day, it is a very fine Remedy.

Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley