Page:Personal beauty how to cultivate and preserve it in accordance with the laws of health (1870).djvu/315

 much smarting is felt, the paste is removed by washing with tepid water, and the hairs will come away with it. Unless this is done skilfully, however, an ugly scar may be left, or the system poisoned by the arsenic. We therefore warn our readers against using this or any depilatory, of which they do not know the composition, as most of the latter, whether they deny it or not, contain some arsenical salt. We shall give some more innocent and quite efficient formulæ, which will answer as well or better than the imitation of rusma.

The safest of all chemical depilatories is what is called the sulphydrate of calcium—

Take— Of sulphuret of calcium     two parts; Quicklime                   one part.

Powder them separately, mix, and keep in a well-stopped bottle. When wanted for use, make into a paste with a little water, and spread on the part. Let it remain for fifteen minutes, or until it smarts, and then wash off with soap and tepid water.

Another equally safe, recommended by the distinguished French surgeon Cazenave, is:—

Quicklime             one part; Carbonate of soda     two parts; Lard                  eight parts.

Mix to form an ointment.

These do not answer in every case, and the former