Beauty Culture (Woodbury)/Chapter 27

Frequent bathing of the eyes, either with or without the use of the eye cup, will make them clear and brilliant, and keep the tired lines away. Use hot water, and rinse with cool water containing a pinch of salt.

Rosewater used in the eye cup is a pleasant and beneficial variant of the above.

If the eyes feel tired or irritated. a half tumbler of warmish water into which a little powdered boric or boracic acid is added should be gently and carefully applied.

In making any liquid that is to be put into the eyes it is a good precaution to filter it through brown paper or two or three thicknesses of cheese cloth.

Camphor water eyewash is made by putting two grains of borax in two ounces of camphor water. Drop into the eyes several times a day.

Strong tea, cooled and filtered, makes a splendid eye bath, especially if the lids are becoming flabby.

A tonic for strained eyes that smart and have a heavy feeling is made from 10 grains each of powdered alum and sulphate of zinc in a half pint of boiled, cooled water. Put into the eyes with an eye cup.

​Eyes that water easily often yield to a compound made of one grain of borax, ten grains of quince seed mucilage, five grains of cherry-laurel water, and 100 grams of boiled water. When using dilute with three times the quantity of water.

The inflammation caused by tears can be drawn out by applying over the lids a cloth soaked in hot water, renewing several times as the inflammation subsides.

For removing the puffiness under the eyes this is recommended:

Paint the skin beneath the lower lid, using a fine Camel-hair brush. Accompany this treatment with a gentle massage as described on pages 276 and 277.

The dark circles under the eyes are usually caused by an impairment of the chemical constitution of the blood or an impoverishment of the system by prolonged study, lack of sleep, or dissipation of any kind. External treatment is sometimes effective, but not permanent while the cause exists. Bathe frequently with cold water and use friction. A little turpentine liniment may be rubbed into the skin daily, or weak ammonia—one part to four of water—care being taken not to let either get into the eyes.

Styes. Styes usually indicate an impoverished condition of the system. Attention should at once be given. The following pomade applied at night will help the eyelids: Four grams of white vaseline and five centigrams each of white precipitate and oil of birch.

An old-fashioned remedy is a drop of belladonna on a lump of sugar bound on the stye when it is first seen.