21 May 1956 “Apologies, Hairstyles, Lanolin, and Pastry.”

First off, again I am sorry. I have been a wretch about keeping up with my blog. I had intended to just write a quick little ‘what am I up to today’ post, but when I begin to do that, it seems unfinished or not per my usual and I feel it not worth posting.
Today a few errands turned into my being in the car for 10 hours. As I drive very rarely now, except to do my marketing once a week, it was rather hellish. We finally sold our second car and our now down officially to one. I had to turn in my plates and cancel the insurance and also get the other car inspected. What I thought was to be a standard routine became my getting failed because the parking brake didn’t work and having to drive off cape to our mechanic to get it fixed, sitting in a grimy waiting room for an hour an a half, etc and so on et al.
But, excuses do no good to anyone, so here is somewhat of a post to try and get myself back into the swing of things. I am still just as busy if not more than last year, only I find myself not documenting it all and remembering to get it all down. In some ways, I feel so much of last years post has been like writing a year long actual book, that sometimes I feel ‘wrote out’ and need a little break. But, I also learned last year, that to get anything done, one needs to just make time each day and make yourself do it. While enjoying all the gardening and other increasing projects, I forgot that.
In addition to that a few days ago, I lifted an 80 lb bag of cement incorrectly and felt my back go. Hoped for the best, but by the time I had got home, I was in some serious pain and spent three days laying down in bed or on the sofa slathered in Ben-gay and full of aspirin and self-pity. What is a busy homemaker to do? You would think I could have written endless posts then, but found typing and the position to do so almost unbearable so managed a few peek-ins at the Forum.
So, here it is late Friday night and I am exhausted and I cannot let another day go by without posting.
I figured I would start with some good advice and images on choosing the proper vintage hairstyle from my 1955 copy the Handbook of Beauty.
Here is some of their sage advice:
“I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that the question of how best to wear your hair has bothered you very much. More advice has been ladled out on this than on almost any other beauty question…The fact is we were not cast into rigid molds, and you ought to be thankful. You don’t want to be a carbon copy of everyone else, do you?
Above all. keep in mind that the chief object of a good hair-do is to draw attention away from your less attractive facial features.I can do so in two different ways: It can partially conceal such a feature, like a foread that’s too broad or cheeks that are too plump. And it can counteract such a feature, by being arranged to flow in the opposite direction. For instance, if your chin is receding, you don’t want a hair-do that emphasizes it by also sweeping back. If your nose is large, you don’t want bangs hanging low over your forehead, pointing to the nose like an arrow.”
Forehead:

1. Low: keep the top front of your hair off it. Sweep that part of your hair up. If you like bangs, wear them high and don’t let them suggest any more than a slight fringe at the hairline.
2. High: cover part of the forehead with bangs, fulff, or partial wave.
3. Narrow: Sweep hair back from sides of forehead. If you have any curls, waves, or fluff at the sides, don’t let them extend beyond the hairline; strive for a wide, full effect at the top of the temples.
4. Broad: cover the sides of the forehead with a fluff, curl or wave, but make it close to the head, not flung out.

Nose

1. Long: Don’t let the top front of your hair droop down. Sweep it high or back’ keep any bangs or fluff above the hairline. Avoid middle parts, which accentuate a large nose.
2. Short: avoid an exaggerated upsweep. Bangs below the hairline are fine, but don’t let them grow too long.

Cheeks

1. Plump: pull sides of hair forward beyond hairline, so that a slight fringe covers outside of cheeks. avoid a middle part.
2. Thin: pull side hair back, or at least do not let it etend beyond hairline. Side hair can also be worn fluffed out wide.

Here are the images with info. Simply click on the image and it will enlarge it. If it takes you out of the website, when you are done, you may have to reload the webpage, as sometimes happens with me.
  

I found this ad for lanolin for this skin. I know we have often discussed cold cream and vintage lotion and skin care. Here it seems that the lanolin was used much like the cold cream, both as a cleanser as well as moisturizer. (click to see full size) Lanolin, which I know comes from sheep, is still used today and I found out it is gathered without harm to the animal. Here is some modern info on lanolin.
Lanolin softens and protects. It's harvested without harming animals. It's quickly absorbed by the skin without clogging pores. So why are people avoiding it?
What Is Lanolin?
A pure, natural product, lanolin is simply the wax taken from sheep's wool, after the sheep has been shorn. The sheep is not hurt. He probably does not enjoy having his fur cut off, but the people who do this are highly trained, they do it quickly, and the sheep joins his herd again in a matter of minutes.
The clipped wool is naturally covered with a pale-yellow, water repellent wax. Also known as wool fat, it's purpose is to keep the sheep healthy and dry. It's extracted from the wool by a boiling process. This is crude lanolin.
Refining - the Key to Safety
The next step is to refine this wax, and remove impurities. PBS recently made a documentary on lanolin, and they purified it by mixing it with olive oil and water. The impurities dissolved into the water and oil, leaving the lanolin as an off-white wax which could be gathered up.
In commercial lanolin processing, refining is done in sterile environments and through many stages. This refining process is the key to the safety of the lanolin. Depending on the needs of the manufacturer, the lanolin can be refined crudely, in which case it may still contain impurities. Or it can be refined to medical grade - safe enough for nursing mothers to use on cracked nipples.
So Why the Bad Press?
There are two potential problems with lanolin.
1. It can be refined to acceptable cosmetic grade and still contain impurities, some of which can be allergens. People who are allergic to lanolin are probably allergic to unrelated ingredients that were not removed in the refining process. Also, some manufacturers use a chemical bleach to whiten the color. And the finished product may have been mixed with vegetable oils or soft paraffin that comes from other sources. There could be impurities in these additives.
2. Some lanolin can be tainted with DDT, dieldrin, lindane, or other toxic pesticides. It's possible for these carcinogens to make their way into our skincare products. This is because the sheep may be eating food that has been treated with these or other insecticides.
How to Make Sure Your Lanolin Is Safe
Both problems are solved by buying your lanolin-based products from a reputable company; a company you know and trust; a company with visibility - a website with contact information; a detailed label on their product. Make sure the lanolin in your lotion is labeled as pure grade, fine grade, highly refined, or medical grade. If you're unsure about the grade, email the company through their website. The well-refined lanolins will be free of pesticides and impurities.
When purchasing a finished skincare product, make sure, too, that it has not been tested on animals.
This seems to be one of the best pure forms of the stuff. I put it in the store HERE. I am probably going to close the store down, though, as I am not sure how I feel about Amazon at this point. My plan was to get up my Etsy store, or just make a simple store on the website that can accept Paypal and sell some of my vintage things and then see if I can find items like this to sell, so I could feel I am getting it direct from the manufacturer and then to you. Then I would feel like a small business, be able to research and find old time or also well made products etc. But, for now, the link will take you to the store if you would like to try the lanolin. I know sheep farmers are suppose to have the softest hands around from all the lanolin while shearing.
I wanted to share this recipe from one of my 1950’s magazines for Orange pastry. Again, click on it to get full size. I used, however, cold butter rather than shortening. If you keep your butter in your freezer an hour or so before you make your pastry and try to make it on marble and not handle it too greatly, it will be nice and flaky. This crust is Great with rhubarb pie!
Well, that is enough for tonight. I shall endeavor to post more often. I hope all are well and preparing for the coming summer. I will share some garden pictures, chick pictures in my next post.