Opening the text

The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants: With Instructions for the Manufacture of Perfumes for the Handkerchief, Scented Powders, Odorous Vinegars, Dentifrices, Pomatums, Cosmetics, Perfumed Soap, Etc., to which is Added an Appendix on Preparing Artificial Fruit-Essences, Etc.Piesse, G. W. Septimus (George William Septimus)

History

The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants: With Instructions for the Manufacture of Perfumes for the Handkerchief, Scented Powders, Odorous Vinegars, Dentifrices, Pomatums, Cosmetics, Perfumed Soap, Etc., to which is Added an Appendix on Preparing Artificial Fruit-Essences, Etc.

Name: The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants: With Instructions for the Manufacture of Perfumes for the Handkerchief, Scented Powders, Odorous Vinegars, Dentifrices, Pomatums, Cosmetics, Perfumed Soap, Etc., to which is Added an Appendix on Preparing Artificial Fruit-Essences, Etc.
Author: Piesse, G. W. Septimus (George William Septimus)

Piesse, G. W. Septimus (George William Septimus)

Cosmetics; Perfumes

Before going into the mill, the soap is to be reduced to shavings, and
have the scent and color stirred in; after leaving it, the flakes or
ribands of soap are to be finally bound together by the pestle and
mortar into one solid mass; it is then weighed out in quantities for the
tablets required, and moulded by the hand into egg-shaped masses; each
piece being left in this condition, separately laid in rows on a sheet
of white paper, dries sufficiently in a day or so to be fit for the
press, which is the same as that previously mentioned. It is usual,
before placing the cakes of soap in the press, to dust them over with a
little starch-powder, or else to very slightly oil the mould; either of
these plans prevents the soap from adhering to the letters or embossed
work of the mould--a condition essential for turning out a clean
well-struck tablet.

The body of all the fine soaps mentioned below should consist of the
finest and whitest curd soap, or of a soap previously melted and colored
to the required shade, thus:--

ROSE-COLORED SOAP is curd soap stained with vermilion, ground
in water, thoroughly incorporated when the soap is melted, and not very
hot.

GREEN SOAP is a mixture of palm oil soap and curd soap, to
which is added powdered smalt ground with water.

BLUE SOAP, curd soap colored with smalt.

BROWN SOAP, curd soap with caramel, _i.e._ burnt sugar.

The intensity of color varies, of course, with the quantity of coloring.

Some kinds of soap become colored or tinted to a sufficient extent by
the mere addition of the ottos used for scenting, such as "spermaceti
soap," "lemon soap," &c., which become of a beautiful pale lemon color
by the mere mixing of the perfume with the curd soap.


OTTO OF ROSE SOAP.

(_To retail at 10s. per pound_.)

Curd soap (previously colored with vermilion),      4-1/2 lbs.
Otto of rose,                                            1 oz.
Spirituous extract of musk,                              2 oz.
Otto of santal,                                        1/4 oz.
  "     geranium,                                      1/4 oz.

Mix the perfumes, stir them in the soap shavings, and beat together.

TONQUIN MUSK SOAP.

Pale brown-colored curd soap,        5 lbs.
Grain musk,                         1/4 oz.
Otto of bergamot,                     1 oz.

Rub the musk with the bergamot, then add it to the soap, and beat up.

ORANGE-FLOWER SOAP.

Curd soap,                           7 lbs.
Otto of neroli,                   3-1/2 oz.

SANTAL-WOOD SOAP.

Curd soap,                           7 lbs.
Otto of santal,                       7 oz.
"       bergamot,                     2 oz.

SPERMACETI SOAP.

Curd soap,                          14 lbs.
Otto of bergamot,                2-1/2 lbs.
     "  lemon,                      1/2 lb.

CITRON SOAP.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.