Perfumes and their preparation

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE PERFUMES USED FOR FUMIGATION.

According to the use made of them, perfumes for fumigation may be divided into two groups: those which develop their fragrance on being burned, and those which do so on being merely heated. The former group includes pastils and ribbons, the latter fumigating powders and waters.

Fumigating Pastils.
French—Pastilles fumigatoires; German—Räucherkerzen.

Pastils consist in the main of charcoal to which enough saltpetre is added to make the lighted mass glow continuously and leave a pure white ash. To this mass are added various aromatic substances which are gradually volatilized by the heat and fill the surrounding air with their perfume. It is important to observe that only ordinary saltpetre (nitrate of potassium) is to be used for this purpose, and not the so-called Chili saltpetre (nitrate of sodium) which becomes moist in the air. For ordinary pastils finely rasped fragrant woods such as cedar or santal are frequently employed. During the slow combustion, however, the wood gives off products of a pungent or disagreeable odor such as acetic acid and empyreumatic products, which lessen the fragrance. Fine pastils are composed of resins and essential oils and are usually formed into cones two-fifths to four-fifths of an inch high, by being pressed in metal moulds.

Fumigating pastils are manufactured as follows. Each solid ingredient is finely powdered by itself, and the necessary quantities are then put into a wide porcelain dish and intimately mixed with a flat spatula. In order to confine the dust, the dish is covered with a cloth during this operation. The mixture being completed, the essential oils are added, together with enough mucilage of acacia to form a plastic mass to be kneaded with the pestle, and which after drying will have a sufficiently firm consistence.

Pastilles Orientales.

The charcoal for this and all other pastils should be made from soft woods (willow, poplar, etc.). The characteristic of these pastils is the amber they contain (the offal from manufactories is used) and which on ignition gives off a peculiar odor much prized in the Orient, rather than in Europe or America.

Pastilles du Sérail.

This formula is here given as usually quoted. It may be stated, however, that the opium may be omitted entirely, as it neither contributes to the fragrance, nor produces, by being burned in this manner, any of the supposed exhilarating or intoxicating effects which it may produce when used in other forms or employed in other ways.

Baguettes Encensoires (Fumigating Pencils).

Melt the benzoin, charcoal, shellac, and olibanum in a bright iron pan at the lowest possible heat; take the pan from the fire and add the other ingredients, heat being again applied from time to time to keep the mass in a liquid state. The plastic mass is rolled out on a marble slab into rods the thickness of a lead pencil. Such a pencil need be but lightly passed over a hot surface to volatilize the aromatics it contains.

Pastilles Odoriférantes.

This and the following formula give the finest mixtures for pastils.

Pastilles Enbaumées.

Poudre d’Encens (Incense Powder).

Dissolve the saltpetre in water, saturate the powders with the solution, dry the mass, and again reduce it to powder. This powder, strewn on a warm surface such as the top of a stove, takes fire spontaneously and gradually disappears.

Fumigating Papers and Wicks (Bruges Ribbons).
French—Papier à fumigations. Ruban de Bruges; German—Räucherpapiere. Räucherbänder.

Fumigating papers are strips impregnated with substances which become fragrant on being heated; such a strip need merely be placed on a stove or held over a flame in order to perfume a whole room. Fumigating papers are divided into two groups: those meant to be burned, and those meant to be used repeatedly. The former, before being treated with aromatics, are dipped into saltpetre solution; the latter, in order to render them incombustible, are first dipped into a hot alum solution so that they are only charred by a strong heat, but not entirely consumed.

A. Inflammable Fumigating Paper.

Papier Fumigatoire Inflammable.

The paper is dipped into a solution of 3½ to 5½ ounces of saltpetre in water; after drying it is immersed in a strong tincture of benzoin or olibanum and again dried. An excellent paper is made according to the following formula:

For use, the paper is touched with a red-hot substance, not a flame. It begins to glow at once without bursting into flame, giving off numerous sparks and a pleasant odor.

B. Non-inflammable Fumigating Paper.

Papier Fumigatoire Permanent.

This paper is prepared by dipping it in a hot solution of 3½ oz. of alum in one quart of water; after drying, it is saturated with the following mixture:

This paper, when heated, diffuses a very pleasant odor and can be used repeatedly. It does not burn, and strong heat only chars it. Some manufacturers make inferior fumigating papers by dipping the alum paper simply in melted benzoin or olibanum.

C. Fumigating Ribbons

are nothing but fine flat lamp wicks treated first with saltpetre solution and then with the preceding mixture. The wick is rolled up and placed in a vessel provided with a lamp burner. It is inserted in the burner like any other wick and when lighted burns down to the metal and goes out unless screwed up higher. Fumigating vessels provided with these wicks are very practical because, if artistic in form, they form quite an ornament to the room and can be instantly set in operation. A French formula gives the following mixture for saturating the wicks:

Fumigating Waters and Vinegars (Eaux Encensoires, Vinaigres Encensoires).

These fluids are nothing but strong solutions of various aromatics in alcohol, a few drops of which suffice, if evaporated on a warm plate, to perfume a large room. The following is a good formula for fumigating water.

Of course, this liquid must be filtered after prolonged maceration. By adding to it 1½ oz. of glacial acetic acid we obtain the so-called fumigating vinegar which is very useful for expelling bad odors.

Fumigating Powders (Poudres Encensoires).

These powders which need only to be heated in order to diffuse one of the most pleasant odors, are easily prepared by intimately mixing the ground solids with the oils by means of a spatula. We add three renowned formulas for the manufacture of such powders.

A. Poudre Impériale.

B. Poudre de la Reine.

C. Poudre Royale.

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APPENDIX.

Some Specialties.

Besides the preparations enumerated in the preceding pages, we find in perfumery some products which are in favor on account of their fragrance and are suitable for scenting ladies’ writing-desks, sewing-baskets, boxes, and similar objects. They find their most appropriate use in places where an aromatic odor is desired, while there is no room for keeping the substances themselves. These must therefore be put into a small compass, and the aromatics chosen should be distinguished by great intensity and permanence of odor.

We subjoin a few formulas for the manufacture of such specialties, and add the remark that besides the aromatics there given other substances may be used in their preparation; but that the presence of benzoin, musk, or civet, even in small amount, is always necessary, since these substances, as above stated, not only possess an intense and permanent odor, but have the valuable property of imparting lasting qualities to more volatile odors.

It is a good plan, too, to keep on hand two kinds of these specialties—one containing musk, the other none—for the reason that the musk odor is as disagreeable to some persons as it is pleasant to others.

Spanish Skin (Peau d’Espagne, Spanisch Leder).

The article sold under this name resembles in some respects sachets or scent bags and is made as follows.

Take a piece of wash-leather (chamois), trim it to a square shape, and leave it for three or four days in the following mixture:

At the end of the time named remove the leather from the liquid, let it drain, spread it on a glass plate, and when dry coat it on the rough side, by means of a brush, with a paste prepared in a mortar from the following ingredients:

The leather is then folded in the centre, smoothed with a paper-knife, put under a weight, and allowed to dry. The dried leather forms the so-called perfume skin which retains its fine odor for years. Instead of the above alcoholic liquids any desired alcoholic perfume may be used; especially suitable are those containing oils of lemon grass, lavender, and rose, since they are not very volatile, and when combined with musk and civet remain fragrant for a long time. A sufficiently large piece of perfume skin inserted in a desk pad or placed among the paper will make the latter very fragrant. Spanish skin is chiefly used for this purpose, as well as for work, glove, and handkerchief boxes, etc. It is generally inclosed in a heavy silk cover.

If leather be thought too expensive, four to six layers of blotting-paper may be perfumed in the same way and properly inclosed. Thin layers of cotton wadding between paper can also be thus perfumed and used for filling pin cushions, etc.

Spanish Paste.

Mix the following substances intimately in a porcelain mortar, and add water drop by drop until a doughy mass results.

This paste, divided into pieces about the size of a hazelnut, is used for filling the so-called cassolettes or scent boxes which are carried in the pocket, etc., like smelling bottles. Owing to its pasty consistence this preparation can be used for perfuming jewelry (small quantities are inserted within the diamond settings), fine leather goods, belts, and other articles. It is unnecessary to lengthen the list; every practical perfumer will know what objects need perfuming.

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CHAPTER XIX.
HYGIENIC AND COSMETIC PERFUMERY.

Perfumery is not merely called upon to act in an æsthetic direction and gladden the senses; it has another and more important aim, that is, to aid in some respects the practice of medicine. It is not necessary to point out that in this sense, too, it acts in an æsthetic way; for health and beauty are one and inseparable.

The field relegated to perfumery with reference to hygiene is extensive, comprising the care of the skin, the hair, and the mouth. But we also find in commercial perfumery articles which possess no medicinal effect and serve merely for beautifying some parts of the body, for instance, paints and hair dyes. As it is not possible to separate perfumes with hygienic effects from cosmetics, we shall describe the latter in connection with the former.

To repeat, hygienic perfumery has to deal with such substances as have really a favorable effect on health. No one will deny that soap takes the first place among them. Soap promotes cleanliness, and cleanliness in itself is essential to health. But it would exceed the scope of this work were we to treat in detail of the manufacture of soap and its employment in the toilet; we must confine ourselves to some specialties exclusively made by perfumers and into the composition of which soap enters. We do so the more readily since perfumers are but rarely in a position to make soap, and in most cases find it more advantageous to buy the raw material, that is, ordinary good soap, from the manufacturer and to perfume it.

Next to soap in hygienic perfumery stand the so-called emulsions and creams (crêmes) which are excellent preparations for the skin and pertain to the domain of the perfumer.

The human skin consists of three distinct parts: the deepest layer, the subcutaneous cellular tissue which gradually changes into true skin; the corium or true skin (the thickest layer); and the superficial scarf skin or epidermis which is very thin and consists largely of dead and dying cells; these are continually shed and steadily reproduced from the corium.

The skin contains various depressions, namely, the sudoriparous glands which excrete sweat; the sebaceous glands which serve the purpose of covering the skin with fat and thereby keep it soft, glossy, and supple; and lastly the hair follicles which contain the hairs, an appendage to the skin.

The main object of hygienic perfumery with reference to the skin is to keep these glandular organs in health and activity; it effects this by various remedies which, besides promoting the general health, improve the appearance of the skin.

As a special group of preparations is intended exclusively for the care of the skin, so another class is devoted to the preservation of the hair, and still another to the care of the mouth and its greatest ornament, the teeth. Accordingly the preparations belonging under this head will be divided into three groups—those for the skin, the hair, and the mouth.

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CHAPTER XX.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE CARE OF THE SKIN.

Glycerin.

Pure glycerin is a substance that has a powerful beautifying effect on the skin, by rendering it white, supple, soft, and glossy; no other remedy will clear a sun-burnt skin in so short a time as glycerin. An excellent wash may be made by the perfumer by mixing equal parts of thick, colorless glycerin and orange-flower water (or some other aromatic water with fine odor), possibly giving it a rose color by the addition of a very small amount of fuchsine. Concentrated glycerin must not be used as a wash, because it abstracts water from the skin and thereby produces a sensation of heat or burning.

Besides common soap, the so-called emulsions, meals, pastes, vegetable milks and creams are the best preparations for the care of the skin; in perfumery they are even preferable to soap in some respects because they contain not only substances which have a cleansing effect like any soap, scented or not, but at the same time render the skin clearer, more transparent, and more supple.

Emulsions.

Many perfumers make a definite distinction between two groups of emulsions which they call respectively “emulsions” and “true emulsions.” By “emulsions” they mean masses which have the property of changing on contact with water into a milky fluid or becoming emulsified; the term “true emulsions” is applied to such preparations as already contain a sufficient amount of water and therefore have a milky appearance. Hence the difference between the two preparations lies in the lesser or greater quantity of water, and is so variable that we prefer to describe them under one head.

The cause of the milky appearance of the emulsions on coming in contact with water is that they contain, besides fat, substances which possess the property of keeping the fat suspended in form of exceedingly minute droplets which make the entire fluid look like milk. As a glance through the microscope shows, the milk of animals consists of a clear fluid in which the divided fat droplets (butter) float; these by their refractive power make the milk appear white.

While soaps always contain a certain quantity of free alkali, a substance having active caustic properties, emulsions include very little if any alkali, and, since they possess the same cleansing power as soap without its disadvantages with reference to the skin, their steady use produces a warm youthful complexion, as well as smoothness and delicacy of the skin.

Glycerin is of special importance in the composition of emulsions. Besides the above-mentioned property of this substance of keeping the skin soft and supple, it acts as a true cosmetic by its solvent power of coloring matters: a skin deeply browned by exposure to the sun is most rapidly whitened by the use of glycerin alone. Moreover, glycerin prevents the decomposition of the preparations and keeps them unchanged for a long time. This quality has a value which should not be underestimated; for all emulsions are very apt to decompose and become rancid owing to the finely divided fat they contain. Under ordinary conditions, only complete protection against light and air can retard rancidity, which is accompanied by a disagreeable odor not to be masked by any perfume; an addition of glycerin, which we incorporate in all emulsions, makes them more permanent owing to the antiseptic property of this substance.

Recent years, however, have made us acquainted with a substance which in very minute quantities—one-half of one per cent of the mass to be preserved by it—prevents decomposition and rancidity of fats. This is salicylic acid, a chemical product which, being harmless, tasteless, and odorless, should be employed wherever we wish to guard against destructive influences exerted by air, fermentation, etc. While formerly all emulsions were made only in small amounts, just sufficient for several weeks’ use, salicylic acid enables us to manufacture larger quantities at once and to keep them without much fear of their spoiling. However, even the presence of salicylic acid is no guaranty against deterioration, if other precautions are neglected. The products should be kept in well-stoppered bottles or vessels, in a cool and dark place. All substances cannot be preserved by salicylic acid, and there are certain ferments or fungi which resist the action of salicylic acid. If chloroform is not objectionable in any of these preparations—and only so much is necessary as can be held in actual solution by the liquid, on an average three drops to the ounce—this preservative is preferable to salicylic acid.

The only fats used in the preparation of emulsions are expressed oil of almonds, olive oil, and lard. Almond oil is best made by immediate pressure of the bruised fruits, since fresh almond meal likewise finds application in perfumery; olive oil and lard must be very carefully purified. This is done by heating them for one hour with about ten times the quantity of water containing soap (one per cent of the quantity of fat to be purified). They are then treated five or six times with pure warm water until the latter escapes quite neutral. If the water turns red litmus paper blue, it would indicate the presence of free alkali (soap); if it turns blue litmus paper red, it would prove the presence of free fatty acids (rancid fat). Either one of these substances, especially the latter, would injure the quality of the product. The fat should be absolutely neutral and have no influence on either kind of litmus paper; then its quality may be pronounced perfect.

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CHAPTER XXI.
FORMULAS FOR THE PREPARATION OF EMULSIONS, MEALS, PASTES, VEGETABLE MILK, AND COLD-CREAMS.

A. Emulsions.

Amandine.

Almond Cream.—Melt ten pounds of purified lard in an enamelled iron pot or a porcelain vessel, and while increasing the temperature add little by little five pounds of potash lye of 25% strength, stirring all the time with a broad spatula. When fat and lye have become a uniform mass, 2¾ to 3½ ounces of alcohol is gradually added, whereby the mixture acquires a translucent, crystalline appearance. Before the alcohol is added three-fourths to one ounce of oil of bitter almond is dissolved in it. The soapy mass thus obtained is called “almond cream” (crême d’amandes) and may be used alone for washing. For making Amandine take of—

In the manufacture the following rules should be observed.

Effect the mixture in a cool room, the cellar in summer, a fireless room in winter. Mix the ingredients in a shallow, smooth vessel, best a large porcelain dish, using a very broad, flat stirrer with several holes. The sugar is first dissolved in the water and intimately mixed with the almond cream. The essential oils are dissolved in the almond oil contained in a vessel provided with a stop-cock. The oil is first allowed to run into the dish in a moderate stream under continual stirring. The mass soon grows more viscid, and toward the end of the operation the flow of oil must be carefully restricted so that the quantity admitted can be at once completely mixed with the contents of the dish. Well-made amandine must be rather consistent and white, and should not be translucent. If translucency or an oily appearance is observed during the mixture, the flow of oil must be at once checked or enough almond cream must be added to restore the white appearance, under active stirring.

As amandine is very liable to decompose, it must be immediately filled into the vessels in which it is to be kept, and the latter, closed air-tight, should be preserved in a cool place. By adding ¾ ounce of salicylic acid, amandine may be made quite permanent so that it can be kept unchanged even in a warm place.

We have described the preparation of amandine at greater length because its manufacture requires some technical skill and because the preparation of all other cold-creams corresponds in general with that of amandine.

Glycerin Emulsions. A. Glycerin Cream.

Melt the wax and spermaceti by gentle heat, then add the almond oil, next the glycerin mixed with the rose water, and lastly the oil of rose which may also be replaced by some other fragrant oil or mixture. If the preparation is to be used in summer, it is advisable to increase the wax by one-half, thus giving the mass greater consistence.

B. Glycerin Jelly.

Mix the soap with the glycerin, gradually add the oil (as for amandine), and finally the aromatics.

Jasmine Emulsion.

Mix in the same order as given under Amandine.

Tuberose Emulsion.

Violet Emulsion.

In place of the huiles antiques named (i.e., fine oils saturated with the odors of the corresponding flowers) any other huile antique may be used and the cream then called by the name of the flower whose odor it possesses. Such creams with genuine huiles antiques are among the finest preparations known in perfumery and of course are high-priced, owing to the cost of the huiles antiques.

Olivine.

The gum, sugar, water, and yolk of eggs are first intimately mixed and gradually added to the olive oil containing the essential oils.

B. Meals and Pastes.

The so-called meals (farines) and pastes (pâtes) really consist of the flour of fatty vegetable substances which possess the property of forming an emulsion with water and are frequently used in washes. As they are free from alkali, they are the most delicate preparations of the kind and are especially suitable for washing the face or sensitive hands.

Simple Almond Paste (Pâte d’Amandes Simple).

Put the bitter almonds in a sieve, dip them for a few seconds in boiling water, when they can be easily deprived of their brown skin; carefully bruise them in a mortar, and place them in a glazed pot set in another kept full with boiling water; pour over them two quarts of the rose water heated to near the boiling-point. Keep up the heat under continual stirring until the almond meal and rose water form a uniform mass free from granules; in other words, until the meal is changed into paste. The pot is now allowed to cool somewhat, when the rest of the rose water and the oils dissolved in alcohol are added. Almond paste should have a uniform, butter-like consistence if the first part of the operation has been carefully performed.

Almond and Honey Paste (Pâte d’Amandes au Miel).

Decorticate and bruise the bitter almonds and add them with the essential oils to the mixed yolks, honey, and almond oil.

Almond Meal (Farine d’Amandes).

Almond meal here means the bran left after expressing the oil from sweet almonds. First mix the powdered orris root intimately with the essential oils and triturate the mass with the almond bran. Other essential oils may also be used for perfuming the mass.

Pistachio Meal (Farine de Pistaches).