n
Complete Course
in
Main Straightening
and
Beauty Culture
by IDrs. B. S, Lynk, Pb. C
PUBLISHED BY
20 lh Century Art Company,
1190 S. Phillips Place,
Memphis, Tenn.
Copyright 1919 by
MRS. B. S.LYNK,
Ail Rights Reserved
6
PREFACE
Tliis little volume is sent as much in little
space and is intended to throw light on subjects
that have appeared mysterious and dark to
many minds, and to inform the public that there
is no knowledge not found in books.
When you hear some one say this or that drug
can be bought only through me or my agents,
that one is stating a falsehood. There are no
mysteries, but all must be on a scientific basis
or the product of a quack, hence in this day or
books and enlightenment every one should seek
to know.
The author has confidence that the public now
and henceforth will give serious thought and at¬
tention to these pages because of the breadth of
knowledge and general experience of fifteen
years of the author with drugs and chemicals,
quite independent of the source from which any
one recipe may have had its beginning. The
feeling has pressed the author for a number of
years to throw light on these beauty secrets, and
have the world to benefit thereby.
If this volume shall be the means of some girl
or woman taking hope and gaining information
that will lead to success, happiness and prosper¬
ity, these lines will not have been in vain.
MRS. B. S. LYNK,
Memphis, Tenn.
November 15, 1919.
7
BE BEAUTIFUL.
It is tlie duty of every woman to be beautiful.
When a woman loses interest in her beauty she
is losing interest in the only tiling that keeps
her alive and up-to-date. A careless woman
loses her beauty, her love, her friends and her
ambition. A woman is old only when she ceases
to attract interest and attention. She can hold
both interest and attention by preserving her
beauty and keeping young in spirit as well as
appearance. Then cultivate beauty! It pays to
be attractive! If you have not regularity of
features, large, lustrous eyes and soft, glossy
hair, you can at least have a dazzling com¬
plexion, rich, warm coloring and softness of
outline by caring for your complexion, your
hair, your body, and by following the right
kind of treatment with the right kind of prep¬
arations. This book will give you general in¬
structions and methods, as well as most excel-
8
lent beauty treatment formulas with directions
for making and using at liome, instead of buy¬
ing liigh-prieed creams, tonics, salves, etc. You
can make the preparations yourself, fresh, as
you need them, from easily obtained ingredi¬
ents and at very little cost. You may get all
ingredients at your local drug store or from
any wholesale druggist.
9
HAIR DRESSING.
As a matter of convenience, as well as of
taste and fashion, the dressing of the hair has
received much attention in all civilized nations,
ancient and modern. It was in the manage¬
ment of ladies' hair that the art of hair dress¬
ing was developed. In the Eighteenth Cen¬
tury, through the influence of French fashions,
the dressing of hair, male and female, rose to
a great pitch of extravagance and folly. The
hair of a lady of fashion was frizzled up in
convolutions and curls, decorated with ribbons,
jewels and feathers, and filled with pomatum
and powder to a degree perfectly monstrous.
As women of less exalted rank slavishly at¬
tempted to follow these absurdities, the bus¬
iness of dressing hair was extensively followed.
The cost of a full dressing being, however,
too high to be lightly incurred; often one
10
dressing was made to suffice for a week or
fortnight, during which period such care was
taken to preserve the greasy fabric undisturb¬
ed, that it became the resort of insects, and
how to extinguish these odious pests was in
itself a matter of serious concern.. From pres¬
sure of business, it frequently happened that,
previous to balls, ladies' hair had to be dressed
one or two days in advance, and to keep the
head-dress uninjured the lady sat in a chair
two nights, perhaps, instead of going to bed.
As regards ladies' hair, fashion is constantly
altering, and the ungraceful Chignon, consist¬
ing of cushions at the back or top of the head
and covered the liair, has been well superseded
by a S5Tstem of coils and plaits. Pursued as
a business in England and continental coun¬
tries, hair dressing in the United States is even
more important as an occupation, and all of
the leading hotels have barber shops, not to
mention those independently established. The
11
greyness of liair in advanced life results from
a deficient secretion of pigment. "Well authen¬
ticated cases are on record in which the hair
has grown grey or white in a single night from
the influence of fear, distress or any variety
of strong mental excitements. It is not easy
to explain this phenomenon.
The length to which the hair may grow nor¬
mally, especially in women, is very great. Cases
are on record where the hair measured 74
inches. This has reference to where the hair
has been kept in perfect condition from in¬
fancy. The dressing of one's hair should be
a matter of deep concern, and is to the modern
woman. We mean the woman of the twentieth
csntury. To no other race is this of more im¬
portance than the Negro women.
Now we will begin the study of the hair.
The scalp is the soil and the hair root is the
seed. If the soil is in good condition, free
2'rom insects, and is made up of the right kind
12
of elements, with proper treatment, moisture
r«nd sunshine, the plants will flourish, but when
deprived of any of these, the plants turn yel¬
low, droop and die. So it is with the hair
of the head. If the scalp is healthy the hair
should flourish. One of the most common
disease germs is what we call dandruff. A
simple but sure cure is glycerine. Few people
know it or believe it, but it is true. Now we
suppose we have a very bad case of dandruff
to deal with. We begin by opening the hair
with a comb and use the tips of the fingers
and saturate the s^alp every time you part
the hair until you hyve gone over the whole of
the infected area. Now braid the hair and let
remain until the next day, when the hair should
be well washed, dried and braided again. Re¬
peat the glycerine treatment twice a week, and
in a short time you will see marked results.
In a month the worst head will be nearly, if
13
not entirtly, cuied. Of cours? the work must
be kept up with childivn, who play in the dust.
Many of the dandruff cures contain glycerine,
but the rircurt is not enough for all cases.
The amount of glycerine needed to apply to
the scalp of a large head is very small, about
two drairs, or two teaspoonfuls. Now the
glycerine is an antiseptic, so the soil is getting
in readiness for cultivation or the proper
growth cf the l:air. The growth of hair takes
place at the root by the development of new
eel's at the bulb, the old cell being pressed
forward by the new. Hair is a protection for
the head from injury, as well as ornamental.
The nutrition of the hair is effected through
vessels in close contact with the tissue, with¬
out entering into their structure, so that causes
affecting general health and especially the con¬
dition of the skin, act powerfully upon the nu¬
trition of the hair; the premature baldness
and greyness of the Americans as a people
14
is in a great measure owing to non-observance
of hygienic rules, and to excess of mental and
physical labor in a climate foreign to the race.
The hair will often fall off after many febrile
diseases, as typhoid fever, and other irritating
applications. The present fashion of tightly
fitting and unfielding hats, no doubt, con¬
tributes largely to premature falling and grey-
ness of hair.
The selection and care of tools is very im¬
portant. Good tools, kept in proper condition,
are esesnital. Probably the most used instru¬
ment is the hair brush. There should be two
kinds—one for brushing the hair and one for
the application of the drug. The main brush
should be firm, pliable and elastic. The other
may be a wide tooth-brush, so as not to take
up too much liquid when in use. Brushes
should be washed after using on each person
and dried. Don't use hot water on brushes,
as this softens the bristles and spoils the fin-
15
isli. The hard rubber comb is the one that
takes the lead. It is more easily kept clean.
They are made in several grades and sizes.
Some "with all coarse and some with coarse
and fine teeth. The latter is best for all
uses. AIuililium, celluloid and similar com¬
positions aie not to be recommended, as they
all have objr ,Lionable features. There is but
one grade or style of pinching iron, although
there are three sizes, from 1 to 4. Select the
size you can best handle. An iron alcohol heat¬
er is desirable for residence work, but the kind
that heats the iron the full length of the prong
is most useful. A shear for hair trimming
should be included but a regular barber shear
is best. This should be 7 or lV-> inches long.
16
HAIR STR AIGTENINGL
This is the most important part of our work.
After seating the person, proceed to Avork
without haste, but waste no time. We suppose
you have water, towels and everything ready
for the job before person is seated. You now
take down the hair by removing false hair or
other ornaments. Brush false hair as re¬
moved; stand behind the person with hair pins
removed. The hair is ready for the bath. Put
a large towel around shoulders to protect the
clothes. Apply the water to moisten the hair
so as to lather freely when the soap is rubbed
on. After you get a good lather rub gently
with the balls of the fingers, being careful not
to scratch the scalp with the nails. When you
have worked the lather thoroughly in, begin
to wash first with warm water, then tepid—I
mean a little cooler, and the last should be
cold. Use three or four waters if hair is very
thick and dirty. Now for drying, take towels
17
or clean clothes and dry as you go over the
head. Let the hair remain down until dry,
then comb all, part the hair in the center and
begin at the front and work to the back. Now
part a small amount of the hair, say half the
amount you would for waving. As the press¬
ing iron, called pinches, used for the pur¬
pose is a heavy instrument, have it on the fire
long enough in advance to become thoroughly
heated. Apply the oil (any one you select) in a
sufficient quantity to thoroughly saturate it.
Now take your pressing iron at the proper tem¬
perature in the right hand, close it on the strand
of hair close to the roots, using the comb in the
left hand to keep the strand straight and draw
the pressing iron slowly toward the ends, being
careful not to pull more than is necessary to
straighten the stand. If one application of the
iron is not sufficient, repeat as many times as
is necessary to straighten. Use the iron as hot
8T
as possible without burning. By slipping the
iron gradually on the strand of Lair, it will ad¬
mit of greater lieat than if left in one place.
After you have gone over a sufficient portion
roll up and pin. Go over the whole head in this
manner, then when finished roll any way de¬
sired and dismiss your customer.
Now we have another method used for hair
that is less kinky and not so thick; this is called
hat combing. Wash the hair and dry as for
pressing. Part in the center from front to
back, then part across the head to the ears, pin
up three-fourths and work with one-fourth at
a time. Put on the comb to heat, then apply oil
to thoroughly saturate the hair, take the comb
in the right hand, hold hair with the left, place
comb as close to roots as possible and draw it
gently to the ends of the hair; repeat as many
times as is necessary to get the desired result.
After you have gone over the whole head in this
maimer, roll up or braid and dismiss your cus-
19
tomer. This is the whole of the process told
in a few words, and the thing about which so
much is being said today. Any ordinary child
of twelve can do the work after she reads this
chapter. This is not all, however, as there
comes the chapter on shampoos, which is just
as necessary for cleanliness as straightening.
SHAMPOOING—PLAIN.
Seat your customer, place cloth in position
so as to protect the chair and person. Stand
behind customer, who should be in front of a
mirror. Take about one-fourth of the hair and
brush down gently to the ends. The hair may
be rough and tangled, so it will require careful
brushing. Never try to brush the hair straight
back unless it has been previously combed that
way. Now brush the scalp lightly by giving
a slight vibratory or back and forth movement
to loosen the dandruff and create a little bet¬
ter blood circulation underneath the scalp for
the benefit of hair and dandruff. Go over the
entire scalp with this brush massage, never
spending more than five minutes at this work.
ITse just enough pressure so that the brush
will be felt—do not irritate. Comb the hair
out thoroughly and braid loosely. Now fasten
the cloth snugly about the neck and give cus-
21
tomer another towel with instructions to "use
it when necessary. Take the hair down again,
place the basin at the back of chair on a stand
the proper height to catch any liquid that runs
down. A plain shampoo is usually given from
a shampoo bottle or small pitcher; for conven¬
ience. Pour with the left hand and work this
substance through the hair into the scalp with
r'ght hand as it is being applied, to avoid any
waste of the substance. After a sufficient
amount has been used to make a good'lather
use both hands for rubbing. Use the balls of
the fingers at all times. Let one hand work
opposite the other to avoid shaking or jarring
the person's head. As two rinsings are neces¬
sary, it is not essential that you disturb or rub
the long hair that rests in the basin. Now
rirse the hair with a spray, if convenient, if
not. irise by pouring water from a bottle or
pitcher. A second application is sometimes
22
necessary. If so, repeat first process. Raise
the head and rub hair well at back of
head and neck. Use cold water at the last to
close pores of skin, and prevents taking cold.
Take towel from customer, wipe around the
forehead and the ears, then wrap the towel
around hair and squeeze water from the hair,
lightly wringing, beginning at the roots and
work to the ends. The hair is now dry enough
so that is does not drip and you are ready for
drying. The hair must be rubbed well with
cloths, and fanned dry. All shampoos are
given much the same, with the exception of
dry shampoo. The operation differs in mater¬
ial used for the purpose. In giving an egg
shampoo, it should be fresh, as it will not keep
Be careful that you do not use hot water. Yon
will find formula on another page. There
should be two applications, but if the hair re¬
mains sticky rinse with water containing a
23
half teaspoonful of ammonia water to a quart
of water. There are two kinds of dry sham¬
poos, each quite different in their nature: One
by applying to the dry scalp and hair a mix¬
ture of equal parts of corn meal and orris root.
This is sifted through the hair and 011 the
scalp with the hands or a sifter-top can until
well distributed. Remove by rubbing with tow¬
els or cloths. This is a very tedious operation,
as it requires a great deal of time and lots of
cloths to remove all trace of it. By remov¬
ing the substance it thoroughly cleanses and
leaves the hair in a healthy condition. Tliis
method is not in general use, but resorted to
when persons cannot have the head wet, as is
the case in winter and for the aged. It re¬
quires much time to do properly. The other
method of dry shampoo is, first moisten the
scalp with alcohol and dry by rubbing vigor¬
ously with a towel. This is easily done, as al-
24
eoliol evaporates quickly. This shampoo is
given with powdered orris root, which should
be applied from a sifter-top powder can and
should be ready for use immediately after the
alcohol rub. Divide the hair off in strands
and sift the orris root onto the scalp. Go over
the entire head, applying liberally. Allow tlie
orris root to remain on the scalp about five
minutes, then brush out with the hair brush,
and it will leave the hair soft and fluffy. This
shampoo is good for an oily scalp that does
not need the regular shampoo and for those
who take cold easily. It has a pleasant fra¬
grance and is becoming popular.
25
MASSAGE—FACIAL.
First make your customer perfectly com¬
fortable in a reclining position and ask her to
relax and lest as if going to sleep. This is
important, for j^our customer must put herself
in your hands entirely at ease. Now you may
loosen the dress at the neck and turn it under,
if high, so there will be no danger of soiling
it. Spread a towel over the entire front of
waist and tuck around the neck closely. Now
take a towel, make two folds lengthwise, place
it around the customer's head in such a man¬
ner that it will protect thq hair, bringing it up
from the lower part at the back of the neck
over the front and pinned tightly in place at
the forehead. Do not cover the ears with
towel. Now apply the cream, which should be
a cleansing cream. Bub it on sparingly over
the entire face, with a rotary movement, using
both hands, standing back of customer. Leave
26
cream on ten minutes. Prepare a basin of
water as hot as you can bear the hands in it.
A half gallon is good. Remove cream from
the face with a soft towel or cloth and you are
ready to steam face. Soak towel in hot water
at hand. Fold towel lengthwise, then turn the
ends up three or four inches, dip in hot water
and let the center be hotter than the end.
When you have it as hot as the face
wi.l bear wring slightly, leaving moisture
enough to steam face but not enough to leave
water drip or run down the neck. Place towel
in such a manner as to cover entire face and
neck, including the forehead and eyes, leave
breathing space at the nose. Leave this towel
in place while you are preparing another in
the same way as the first; repeat until you.
have used four towels, allowing each to re¬
main in place one to two minutes. Next dry
the face by patting the face softly with a dry
27
towel. Always use an upward and outward
lnovement in drying. Nowt apply a cream wliieli
siiould be a skin food. Use cream sparingly,
just enough 10 aid fingers in massage move¬
ments. Stand behind your customer and begin
at tne temples. Light firm movements is ad¬
vised for thin faces, and pressure to full faces
that want to be reduced. Use the first and
second fingers and thumb of the left hand to
>trctch skin over which the first and second
linger of right is to be rubbed with a straight
up and down movement working from right to
left across the forehead. Repeat five times.
Hold the fingers together and rub between the
eyebrows, upward and along the temples five
to ten times. Begin with each hand at the
chin, just below corners of the mouth, and
work up in a rotary movement to the nose.
This deals with tiie two muscles that draw
coiners of mouth upward and backward and
28
are called muscles of expression. After yon
work the entire face, begin with the neck by
starting with the ends of the fingers under
the chin, rnb down and back under the ears,
turning the fingers at the ears and rub back,
finish with gentle pressure at the back of the
neck. While you are at work continue to ap¬
ply cold cream to prevent irritation of the
skin. Now remove all traces of the cream by
wiping softly with a towel. Apply two hot
towels, as you did at first; follow with three
or four cold ones. Use a face lotion, dry the
face by gently patting with a soft cloth or
cotton before you powder, or it may chap. Ap¬
ply some good face powder with a clean piece
of absorbent cotton or sponge. If customer
requires, you may use a little rouge lightly on
cheeks and lips, blending so as to give appear¬
ance of natural color. Powder neck, readjust
garment. There are many theatrical massages
29
but we will suppose you want only the plain.
Now, we are going to take up face bleaching.
To give this treatment, prepare the same as
for massage, or massage may be given first
and the bleach immediately after. Cover the
face with a thin layer of absorbent cotton or
gauze, which has been dipped in the bleaching
solution. Do not cover eyebrows or let touch
the roots of the hair, as the substance will
bleach the hair as well as the skin. Let re¬
main ten or fifteen minutes until the face
but ns. This will cause slight irritation, and
when cotton or gauze is removed the face
should be bathed with warm water. Apply
towe7s the same as you did for facial massage.
Apply cold cream lightly, then dust on any
good face powder. It will hardly be out of
place right here to speak of blackheads. Ap-
uly three or four hot towels, allowing the
face to steam three or four minutes with each.
If the face is very bad, do not try to remove
30
all at once; take a small portion on each side
of tlie face at one treatment, but give several
treatments. Now pinch np the skin lightly be¬
tween the thumb and forefinger, being careful
not to allow the nails to touch the skin; re¬
move the blackhead by pressing1 out with a
needle that has been sterilized; repeat this with
the next and so on, then apply hydrogen perox¬
ide with a soft cloth, by patting- gently. This
is an antiseptic. The whole of these operations
must be varied according to conditions. A
young face, of course, will require less work
than an older one.
31
REIIPES FOR BLEACHES.
Cold Cream,
Paraffin 1 oz., wliite vaseline 2 oz., water
1 oz., attar of roses 2 drops, Rect. spirits 1
dram; melt and beat well, then add attar of
rose and Rect. spirits.
Vanishing Cream.
Glycerine 4 oz., powdered borax 2 drams, oil
sweet almond 2 fids., hydrous wool fat 8 oz.,
Sol. hydrogen peroxide 4 fl. oz. Rub wool fat
with oil until well mixed, then add borax, dis¬
solved in glycerine, last add hydrogen perox¬
ide and beat well; scent with a few drops of
anything you like.
32
Face Bleach No. 1
Hydrogen peroxide 4 oz., citric acid solution
1 dram, almond meal 2 drams, Tr. benzain 8
drops. Mix and apply with the tips of fingers
before retiring at night. In the morning wash
the face with warm water.
Face Bleach No. 2.
Bichloride of Mercury 2 grains, sugar of
lead 10 grains, water 4 ounces. Mix and ap¬
ply at night with a soft cloth.
Face Bleach No. 3.
Zinc oxide % dram, sugar of lead 10 grains,
Spr. lavender 1 dram, Tr. Benzain % dram,
pure water to make 4 ounces. Mix and apply
with soft cloth, night and morning.
33
Grower No. 1.
Olive oil (Malaga) 4 oz., oil of sassafras 15
drops. This is used by some as temple oil to
grow hair on naked temples.
Grower No. 2.
Bay rum 4 oz., glycerine 2 oz., Tt. canthari-
dies 1 oz., rose water 15 drops. This makes
a lovely dressing for the hair when applied
sparingly.
Grower No. 3.
Lanoline 4 oz., oil rose 10 droys, Prep, lard
1 oz., rose water V2 oz. Mix and apply to scalp
with tip of fingers.
34
Hair Grower No. 4.
Pure hog lard 7 oz., bismuth oxide 3 oz.,
spermaceti 3 oz. Melt the spermaceti and lard
together, remove from fire and when nearly
cold add the bismuth and perfume. Put in
box and label. This will gradually restore
grey hair.
Hair Grower No. 5.
Almond oil 8 oz., white wax 2 oz., pure lard
(5 oz., water ammonia 4 oz., oil rosemary 1 oz.,
oil lavender 1 oz. Place lard and wax and al¬
mond oil in a vessel to melt; remove from fire,
and when nearly set add other oils and am¬
monia water, beat well. Label and put away
for use. Be sure to use a soft brush for hair
with this, as the ammonia will cause irritation
if rubbed too hard. Apply at night to scalp
with finger tips.
35
Hair Straightener No. 1.
Lanoline 2 oz., sweet oil 2 oz., cocoa butter 4
oz. Scent with rosemary.
Straightener No. 2.
Vaseline 8 oz., oil citronelle 30 drops. Yel¬
low or white vaseline, as you prefer.
Straightener No. 3.
Petroleum 4 oz., lanoline 2 oz. Scent with 20
drops oil bergamd.
36
Straightener for Men.
Flax seed 2 oz., rose water 1 pint; boil 20
minutes, strain and add rose water 4 oz., gum
trazacanth 2 oz. Let stand 24 hours. Strain
and add extract rose 20 drops. Wash the hair
and apply straightener with the hands. Brush
well.
Shampoo Liquid.
One pint bay rum, 1 dram Tr. cantharides, 1
dram ammonia carbonate, 1 dram sal tartar.
Einse the hair with clear water.
Shampoo Liquid.
One quart water, 1 teaspoonful ammonia, 2
teaspoonfuls borax. After using, rinse with
clear water.
37
Shampoo Egg.
One or two eggs, beat well and rub as you
would soap. Rinse the hair with milk-warm
water.
Shampoo—Dry.
Cornmeal 4 oz., orris root 4 oz. Mix and
use as directed under dry shampoo.