Hardcore haircare.

[Old Cremona]

A thread was started on this subject on the mainstream forum; I'd like to hear the opinions of the more enlightened.

Shampoo strips your hair of natural oils and drives your scalp into an oil-producing frenzy, thus necessitating it's regular use. This I learned from Elizabeth Clark. So do we just use hot water and lots of combing? Maybe I need to get one of those oil-stripping combs.

[amity]

Mr. Anderton, I think period hair is "supposed" to be pretty oily! Someone once advised to start the light oiling a week or so in advance of an event to make sure it soaks in good for an authentic look! The queen of period hair care so far as I know is Alaina Zulli, and it might have been her who suggested that. She sent me a secret recipe hair salve to use that I really do like. And it washes out pretty easily to get back to 21st century fluffiness post-event . Maybe she can tell you what all went into it. I am sure you have seen her hair care website.
http://www.gothampatterns.com/

Before I got Alaina's special preparation, I used plain jojoba oil with a few drops of lavender essential oil in it for fragrance. This was not based on historical research, but rather the simple reasoning that it is closest to natural body oils and most recommended for skin and nails. I don't know that jojoba oil was available in the period, but canola and other very light oils certainly were. I think some of the denser pomades had small amounts of wax mixed in with them. Other than that, it seems mid-19th cent used a gentle soap on their hair, and none too often. This is quite different than the synthetic detergents that go into modern shampoo. Maybe one's hair got washed once a week if one was fastidious? And no, use tepid to warm water, not hot.

Even in my 21st century persona I only shampoo once a week, and find that hair will need washing about as often as you wash it. It will adapt to your schedule. If I started washing it every day, it would start needing it every day.

[LindaTrent]

So do we just use hot water and lots of combing?I don't know why it's inconveivable to go without shampooing; other then shampoo companies make a killing off of telling people that they need their product. As I said over on Szabo's forum I've gone a week, 10 days, sometimes longer without doing anything to my hair other than brushing/combing it. Right now I'm on about day 7 again, though I'll wash it with shampoo before going to the Lafayette Hotel next Friday to drop off our gingerbread house, and have a night out on the town. Since I don't use perfume, my shampoo *is* my scent, otherwise my hair just smells like nothing. :)

If I wanted the period oily look I'd still have to use my homemade hair oil because it just doesn't get oily enough without it.

Linda.

[Swag]

Instead of using an oil as previously stated I just wash my hair with warm water and no shampoo; make sure the water is not to hot, colder the better, as hotter water will damage the root. My sister is a licensed hair dresser, and asking her, she said that using shampoo does in fact take away essentials from the hair. She also told me that to many oils are a problem but your hair does need some to help with strength. She also stated that it is in fact alright to shampoo but only so many days at a time. So instead of shampooing every time you take a shower or bath, do it every other, other time. This may seem odd to 21st century standards but indeed it is very healthy for ones hair. I my self before an event will shampoo approximately one week prior; to better acquire the look of a period hair style. If you use oils it is safe, just use some sort of perfume with it, such as Miss Trent has stated, for if one does not it will tend to smell a bit fowl. Just my two cents on the subject.

[ElizabethClark]

One thing I've not yet found is instruction in "homekeeping and health" manuals regarding frequent use of soaps or shampoos on hair in the period. They do recommend regular and frequent brushing and combing, and rinsing with cool water and other "conditioners", and using oils and pomades, but not a lot of stripping solutions are mentioned.

Putting that into regular practice, there are a LOT of people in the world who don't use shampoos on any kind of regular basis, and do just fine. :)

(As I mentioned on the other forum, I have a similar "anti-perspi-rant" on modern preparations for the underarms, too... and yes, people still voluntarily stand near me. :) )

[lawson]

Cawl, you ougta know netter that to wash that hair!!!! jest let it go. Or, if you prefer, pomade will do a right nice job of making your hair gnarly as all hell.

[Greg Barnett]

I always get my hardcore hair on just before an event, by using my pomade or hair gelly. I do not vary my modern hair care at all. I find this smells nice and gets the desired look. After a night with a sleeping cap on, one gets really hardcore hair. I generally put water on my head and "slick it" with my hands. Has always worked for me and even smells nice. This is the method I used for my Federal hair.

Regards,

[Chessa]

I don't wash my hair very often either (Well... compared to most people). I wash it once a week so that my face does break out and go crazy ;) The rest of the time, I just use conditioner. Sometimes when my hair is really frizzy for some reason (like humidity which happens a lot down here), I put a little pomade in it. My hair rarely looks greasy anymore.

[Clsinclair]

When I was growing up it was common to put oil on your hair to shape and comb it. We would rarely wash our hair. It wasn't until the early to mid 1960's that the "Dry Look" came about. Those damn Beatles, it's all their fault.

Regards,
Claude Sinclair

[gilham]

Hi All

In the real world I am a Greaser AKA Stuck in the 50's although I was born in the 70's. I wash my hair once a week. And always applay a liberal amount of pomade. Dax, Black Orchid, Murrays. So my hair is always greasy.For any of you out there that would like to use a hair oil for that 19th century look I would suggest Lucky Tiger oil. It is a lite oil that is lightly fragranced. That is just my personal prefferance. Also if you want to strip all the oil out of your hair, wash your hair with baking soda. I have been doing this for years and it works great.

Regards

[ElizabethClark]

Ladies and Gents, just a head's up... either Mr Dabney or I will visit the thread later to prune out non-period references, trying to keep the focus on documentable practices and preparations for the pre-1865 era.

[Jeff Prechtel]

Ladies & Gents-

Is there a historically correct, authentic men's palmade or hair oil
that's currently on the market? I've seen period recipes, but I seem to
be fresh out of spermeceti oil. Is there a decent substitute for that...
virgin olive oil perhaps?

[lisa]

Is there a decent substitute for that...
virgin olive oil perhaps?


As a substitute, although I am not certain of the ingredients or the that it is entirely 'period correct,' I have picked up a lavender body oil at Trader Joe's that works well. I have waist length hair and work it through to attain that period gloss and style. It lasts for days even without reapplication, as a little goes a long way. Also, it has a delightful lavender scent that is neither overpowering, nor short lived.

Of course I am not sure if lavender is your scent or if you have access to a Trader Joe's, but most drug stores carry body oils with varying choices in the way of scents. BTW in a pinch, I have also used Vaseline with good results.

[Greg Barnett]

Jeff,
We have ample supply of spermaceti oil here in Knoxville!!

I too would like insight on correct pomade. I tend to buy Three Roses brand. It is cheap and the ingredients are petroleum and fragrance. I have found an organic item that contains organic beeswax and pure essential oils.

John Masters Organic Hair Pomade. I am not sure of the complete ingredients and what the essential oils are, but it sounds delicious.

My other thought on modern hair washing is that we tend to use hot water, which tends to strip oils and dry the hair as well.

[Jeff Prechtel]

Lisa....Thanks, I'll check TJ's out, I have one close to where I work

Greg-
I thought real spermaceti was illegal to possess (maybe I'm wrong)...
where in Knoxville can you buy that?

[Greg Barnett]

Jeff,
We get that from the muskee and the sawgeye from the Tenn River and the Holston.
Just joking!!!

I am sure that bee's wax and mild fragrance would have to smell better than the spermaceti.

Jeff being out there on the Northwest coast, you should have some access to whale>>>

Cheers,

[Jeff Prechtel]

Greg-
OK, Gotcha :)

I'd have to agree on the wax & fragrance, over the spermaceti.

Yeah, if not whale, I'm sure I could find some tuna or
some salmon oil, but I doubt it's be very popular with the ladies...
or anybody else for that matter.....well cats maybe.

[nick19thind]

Try coconut milk.
It will smell a lot better than fish oil and was widely used in the 19th century.

[Jeff Prechtel]

Hey- does anyone else remember reading that Custer
used oil of cinnamon on his hair?

I'm guess that this was fairly common...
the use scented oils, in place of a palmade.

[Old Cremona]

Something I've noticed about hair now that I've quit shampooing for about 3 weeks- I don't get "hat hair." When your hair is all dry and poofy it gets mashed down by the hat and looks a fright- but when your hair is its normal oily self it looks fine when you take your hat off.

[Amtmann]

http://www.geocities.com/rowdy_pards/articles/hair.html

Seems to be about the only link I can find to the old article by Jon Isaacson.

[VIrginia Mescher]

Ladies & Gents-

Is there a historically correct, authentic men's palmade or hair oil
that's currently on the market? I've seen period recipes, but I seem to
be fresh out of spermeceti oil. Is there a decent substitute for that...
virgin olive oil perhaps?

It is very easy to make your own hair care products with easy to find ingredients and you don't have to go "awhaling" to find them. :)

In my book, Powdered, Painted, Perfumed there are a number of modern adaptations of hair care products that are safe to use and the ingredients are readily available. There are modern recipes for Macassar oil, hair pomade, and shampoos all of which were adapted from period recipes.

The book includes information on cosmetics (history and various types) for both men and women, 19th century recipes, modern recipes, a chapter on information measurements and essential oils and a glossary of 19th century personal care ingredients.

I will also be giving a workshop period cosmetics at the Ladies and Gentlemen Conference in March 6-9, 2008. For further information about the conference, go to www.genteelarts.com.

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Part of our mission here on the Authentic-Campaigner is to bring to the fore mid-19th century documentation of specific events, daily life, clothing, and material culture.

Liz and I have conferred and agreed to do some cleaning up and reopen this thread. We strongly encourage people to check out Virginia Mescher's research on these issues of beautifcation in her previously mentioned book. Further contributions to the thread are welcome if again we are seeing mid-nineteenth century advice.

[xamier]

I wash my hair every 7 to 10 days with shampoo.If I get hot or dusty, I rinse my hair with warm water.

I believe that I have seen an article in Goodies or perhaps another magazine urging ladies to wash their hair once a week and not encouraging a lot of oil use. (I honestly don't recall where I read this, except that I am sure it was advice from an original source)

I wonder if the idea that period hair is oily is a renactorism or perhaps was true for some people and not others. Once my hair/head got used to not being washed often, the oily look disappeared. In period pictures a lot of the ladies hair is smooth and shinny. One can get this look without excess oil placed in the hair.

I always put Herbal oil on the ends after I wash (a little on the rest) My hair is heavy and shinny, but not noticeably oily. (without the oil it is fluffy and not as shinny) I wear it braided and sometimes pinned up. I can smooth the hair on my head and it is smooth and shinny, like in a period photo. I have had many compliments on my unusual hair style. (LOL, I say it was the height of fashion 140 years ago)


Betty Morgan
xamier@bellsouth.net
Winston Free State
Citronelle, Alabama USA

[Material Culture]

If you folks keep putting pomade in your hair we will have to start using Antimacassars on our furniture, Not putting them under centerpieces on the table.

Sam Hayle
Antimacassar Mess