Chapter XV: Section XII: Pomades and Oils

The name of pomatum is derived from _pomum_, an apple, because it was originally made by macerating over-ripe apples in grease.

If an apple be stuck all over with spice, such as cloves, then exposed to the air for a few days, and afterwards macerated in purified melted lard, or any other fatty matter, the grease will become perfumed. Repeating the operation with the same grease several times, produces real "pomatum."

According to a recipe published more than a century ago the form given is:--"Kid's grease, an orange sliced, pippins, a glass of rose-water, and half a glass of white wine, boiled and strained, and at last sprinkled with oil of sweet almonds." The author, Dr. Quincy, observes, that "the apple is of no significance at all in the recipe," and, like many authors of the present day, concludes that the reader is as well acquainted with the subject as the writer, and therefore considers that the weights or bulk of the materials in his recipe are, likewise, of no significance. According to ancient writers, unguent, pomatum, ointment, are synonymous titles for medicated and perfumed greases. Among biblical interpreters, the significant word is mostly rendered "ointment;" thus we have in Prov. 27:9, "Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart;" in Eccles. 9:8, "Let thy head lack no ointment."

Perfumers, acting upon their own or Dr. Quincy's advice, pay no regard to the apples in the preparation of pomatum, but make it by perfuming lard or suet, or a mixture of wax, spermaceti, and oil, or some of them or all blended, to produce a particular result, according to the name that it bears.

The most important thing to consider in the manufacture of pomatum, &c., is to start off with a _perfectly inodorous_ grease, whatever that grease may be.

Inodorous lard is obtained thus:--Take, say 28 lbs. of _perfectly fresh_ lard, place it in a well-glazed vessel, that can be submitted to the heat of a boiling salt-water bath, or by steam under a slight pressure; when the lard is melted, add to it one ounce of powdered alum and two ounces of table salt; maintain the heat for some time, in fact till a scum rises, consisting in a great measure of coagulated proteine compounds, membrane, &c., which must be skimmed off; when the liquid grease appears of a uniform nature it is allowed to grow cold.

The lard is now to be washed. This is done in small portions at a time, and is a work of much labor, which, however, is amply repaid by the result. About a pound of the grease is now placed on a slate slab a little on the incline, a supply of good water being set to trickle over it; the surface of the grease is then constantly renewed by an operative working a muller over it, precisely as a color-maker grinds paints in oil. In this way the water removes any traces of alum or salt, also the last traces of nitrogenous matter. Finally, the grease, when the whole is washed in this way, is remelted, the heat being maintained enough to drive off any adhering water. When cold it is finished.

Although purifying grease in this way is troublesome, and takes a good deal of time, yet unless done so, it is totally unfit for perfuming with flowers, because a bad grease will cost more in perfume to cover its _mal odeur_ than the expense of thus deodorizing it. Moreover, if lard be used that "smells of the pig," it is next to impossible to impart to it any delicate odor; and if strongly perfumed by the addition of ottos, the unpurified grease will not keep, but quickly becomes rancid. Under any circumstances, therefore, grease that is not _perfectly inodorous_ is a very expensive material to use in the manufacture of pomades.

In the South and flower-growing countries, where the fine pomades are made by ENFLEURAGE, or by MACERATION[G] (see pp. 37, 38), the purification of grease for the purpose of these manufactures is of sufficient importance to become a separate trade.

The purification of beef and mutton suet is in a great measure the same as that for lard: the greater solidity of suets requires a mechanical arrangement for washing them of a more powerful nature than can be applied by hand labor. Mr. Ewen, who is undoubtedly the best fat-purifier in London, employs a stone roller rotating upon a circular slab; motion is given to the roller by an axle which passes through the centre of the slab, or rather stone bed, upon which the suet is placed; being higher in the centre than at the sides, the stream of water flows away after it has once passed over the suet; in other respects the treatment is the same as for lard. These greases used by perfumers have a general title of "body," tantamount to the French nomenclature of _corps_; thus we have pomades of hard corps (suet), pomades of soft corps (lard). For making _extraits_, such as extrait de violette, jasmin, the pomades of hard corps are to be preferred; but when scented pomade is to be used in fabrication of unguents for the hair, pomades of soft corps are the most useful.

The method of perfuming grease by the direct process with flowers having already been described under the respective names of the flowers that impart the odor thereto, it remains now only to describe those compounds that are made from them, together with such incidental matter connected with this branch of perfumery as has not been previously mentioned.

ACACIA POMADE, commonly called CASSIE POMATUM, is made with a purified body-grease, by maceration with the little round yellow buds of the _Acacia Farnesiana_.

Black currant leaves, and which the French term _cassie_, have an odor very much resembling cassie (acacia), and are used extensively for adulterating the true acacia pomades and oils. The near similarity of name, their analogous odor (although the plants have no botanical connection), together with the word _cassia_, a familiar perfume in England, has produced generally confused ideas in this country as to the true origin of the odor now under discussion. Cassie, casse, cassia, it will be understood now, are three distinct substances; and in order to render the matter more perspicuous in future, the materials will always be denominated ACACIA, if prepared from the _Acacia Farnesiana_; CASSE, when from _black currant_; and CASSIA, if derived from the bark of the _Cinnamomum Cassia_.

BENZOIN POMADE AND OIL.

Benzoic acid is perfectly soluble in hot grease. Half an ounce of benzoic acid being dissolved in half a pint of hot olive or almond oil, deposits on cooling beautiful acicular crystals, similar to the crystals that effloresce from vanilla beans; a portion of the acid, however, remains dissolved in the oil at the ordinary temperature, and imparts to it the peculiar aroma of benzoin; upon this idea is based the principle of perfuming grease with gum benzoin by the direct process, that is, by macerating powdered gum benzoin in melted suet or lard for a few hours, at a temperature of about 80° C. to 90° C. Nearly all the gum-resins give up their odoriferous principle to fatty bodies, when treated in the same way; this fact becoming generally known, will probably give rise to the preparation of some new remedial ointments, such as _Unguentum myrrhæ_, _Unguentum assafoetida_, and the like.

TONQUIN POMADE, and TONQUIN OIL, are prepared by macerating the ground Tonquin beans in either melted fat or warm oil, from twelve to twenty-eight hours, in the proportion of

Tonquin beans, 1/2 lb. Fat or oil, 4 lbs.

Strain through fine muslin; when cold, the grease will have a fine odor of the beans.

VANILLA OIL AND POMADE.

Vanilla pods, 1/4 lb. Fat or oil, 4 lbs.

Macerate at a temperature of 25° C. for three or four days; finally strain.

These pomatums and oils, together with the French pomades and huiles already described, constitute the foundation of the preparations of all the best hair greases sold by perfumers. Inferior scented pomatums and oils are prepared by perfuming lard, suet, wax, oil, &c., with various ottos; the results, however, in many instances more expensive than the foregoing, are actually inferior in their odor or bouquet--for grease, however slightly perfumed by maceration or enfleurage with flowers, is far more agreeable to the olfactory nerve than when scented by ottos.

The undermentioned greases have obtained great popularity, mainly because their perfume is lasting and flowery.

POMADE CALLED BEAR'S GREASE.

The most popular and "original" bears' grease is made thus:--

Huile de rose, } " fleur d'orange, } " acacia, } of each, 1/2 lb. " tubereuse and jasmin,} Almond oil, 10 lbs. Lard, 12 lbs. Acacia pomade, 2 lbs. Otto of bergamot, 4 oz. " cloves, 2 oz.

Melt the solid greases and oils together by a water-bath, then add the ottos.

Bears' grease thus prepared is just hard enough to "set" in the pots at a summer heat. In very warm weather, or if required for exportation to the East or West Indies, it is necessary to use in part French pomatums instead of oils, or more lard and less almond oil.

CIRCASSIAN CREAM.

Purified lard, 1 lb. Benzoin suet, 1 lb. French rose pomatum, 1/2 lb. Almond oil, colored with alkanet, 2 lbs. Otto of rose, 1/4 oz.

BALSAM OF FLOWERS.

French rose pomatum, 12 oz. " violet pomatum, 12 oz. Almond oil, 2 lbs. Otto of bergamot, 1/4 oz.

CRYSTALLIZED OIL. (_First quality_).

Huile de rose, 1 lb. " tubereuse, 1 lb. " fleur d'orange, 1/2 lb. Spermaceti, 8 oz.

CRYSTALLIZED OIL. (_Second quality_.)

Almond, 2-1/2 lbs. Spermaceti, 1/2 lb. Otto of lemon, 3 oz.

Melt the spermaceti in a vessel heated by a water-bath, then add the oils; continue the heat until all flocks disappear; let the jars into which it is poured be warm; cool as slowly as possible, to insure good crystals; if cooled rapidly, the mass congeals without the appearance of crystals. This preparation has a very nice appearance, and so far sells well; but its continued use for anointing the hair renders the head scurfy; indeed, the crystals of sperm may be combed out of the hair in flakes after it has been used a week or two.

CASTOR OIL POMATUM.

Tubereuse pomatum, 1 lb. Castor oil, 1/2 lb. Almond oil, 1/2 lb. Otto of bergamot, 1 oz.

BALSAM OF NEROLI.

French rose pomatum, 1/2 lb. " jasmine pomatum, 1/2 lb. Almond oil, 3/4 lb. Otto of neroli, 1 drachm.

MARROW CREAM.

Purified lard, 1 lb. Almond oil, 1 lb. Palm oil, 1 oz. Otto of cloves, 1/2 drachm. " bergamot, 1/2 oz. " lemon, 1-1/2 oz.

MARROW POMATUM.

Purified lard, 4 lbs. " suet, 2 lbs. Otto of lemon, 1 oz. " bergamot, 1/2 oz. " cloves, 3 drachms.

Melt the greases, then beat them up with a whisk or flat wooden spatula for half an hour or more; as the grease cools, minute vesicles of air are inclosed by the pomatum, which not only increase the bulk of the mixtures, but impart a peculiar mechanical aggregation, rendering the pomatum light and spongy; in this state it is obvious that it fills out more profitably than otherwise.

COMMON VIOLET POMATUM.

Purified lard, 1 lb. _Washed_ acacia pomatum, 6 oz. " rose pomatum, 4 oz.

Manipulate as for marrow pomatum.

In all the cheap preparations for the hair, the manufacturing perfumers used the washed French pomatums and the washed French oils for making their greases. Washed pomatums and washed oils are those greases that originally have been the best pomatums and huiles prepared by enfleurage and by maceration with the flowers; which pomades and huiles have been subject to digestion in alcohol for the manufacture of essences for the handkerchief. After the spirit has been on the pomatums, &c., it is poured off; the residue is then called _washed_ pomatum, and still retain an odor strong enough for the manufacture of most hair greases.

For pomatums of other odors it is only necessary to substitute rose, jasmine, tubereuse, and others, in place of the acacia pomatum in the above formulæ.

POMADE DOUBLE, MILLEFLEURS.

Rose, jasmine, fleur d'orange, violet, tubereuse, &c., are all made in winter, with two-thirds best French pomatum, one-third best French oils; in summer, equal parts.

POMADE A LA HELIOTROPE.

French rose pomade, 1 lb. Vanilla oil, 1/2 lb. Huile de jasmine, 4 oz. " tubereuse, 2 oz. " fleur d'orange, 2 oz. Otto of almonds, 6 drops. " cloves, 3 drops.

HUILE ANTIQUE. (_A la Heliotrope_.)

Same as the above, substituting rose oil for the pomade.

PHILOCOME.

The name of this preparation, which is a compound of Greek and Latin, signifying "a friend to the hair," was first introduced by the Parisian perfumers; and a very good name it is, for Philocome is undoubtedly one of the best unguents for the hair that is made.

PHILOCOME. (_First quality_.)

White wax, 10 oz. Fresh rose-oil, 1 lb. " acacia oil, 1/2 lb. " jasmine oil, 1/2 lb. " fleur d'orange oil, 1 lb. " tubereuse oil, 1 lb.

Melt the wax in the huiles by a water-bath, at the lowest possible temperature. Stir the mixture as it cools; do not pour out the Philocome until it is nearly cool enough to set; let the jars, bottles, or pots into which it is filled for sale be slightly warmed, or at least of the same temperature as the Philocome, otherwise the bottles chill the material as it is poured in, and make it appear of an uneven texture.

PHILOCOME. (_Second quality_.)

White wax, 5 oz. Almond oil, 2 lbs. Otto of bergamot, 1 oz. " lemon, 1/2 oz. " lavender, 2 drachms. " cloves, 1 drachm.

FLUID PHILOCOME.

Take 1 ounce of wax to 1 pound of oil.

POMMADE HONGROISE. (_For the Moustache_.)

Lead plaster, 1 lb. Acacia huile, 2 oz. Otto of roses, 2 drachms. " cloves, 1 drachm. " almonds, 1 drachm.

Color to the tint required with ground amber and sienna in oil; mix the ingredients by first melting the plaster in a vessel in boiling water. Lead plaster is made with oxide of lead boiled with olive oil: it is best to procure it ready made from the wholesale druggists.

HARD OR STICK POMATUMS.

Purified suet, 1 lb. White wax, 1 lb. Jasmine pomatum, 1/2 lb. Tubereuse pomatum, 1/2 lb. Otto of rose, 1 drachm.

ANOTHER FORM,--_cheaper_.

Suet, 1 lb. Wax, 1/2 lb. Otto of bergamot, 1 oz. " cassia, 1 drachm.

The above recipes produce WHITE BATONS. BROWN and BLACK BATONS are also in demand. They are made in the same way as the above, but colored with lamp-black or umber ground in oil. Such colors are best purchased ready ground at an artist's colorman's.

BLACK AND BROWN COSMETIQUE.

Such as is sold by RIMMEL, is prepared with a nicely-scented soap strongly colored with lamp-black or with umber. The soap is melted, and the coloring added while the soap is soft; when cold it is cut up in oblong pieces.

It is used as a temporary dye for the moustache, applied with a small brush and water.