According to the article "False Colours," it has been said that "next to a pretty mouth, a good complexion is the most important essential to a pretty face." The article goes on to show the horrors that result when a girl dabbles in cosmetics or "false colours" - and how while the results may be pleasing at first, "getting-up is like dram-drinking or gambling," in that one must soon use more and more cosmetics to achieve the same results. Clearly, Victorians still had a low opinion of "painted ladies!" These articles do offer a number of concoctions to help improve the complexion, some of which may be useful and some of which are, perhaps, best avoided.

Healthy Skin Care

False Colours, by Evelyn Hope (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

The merits of good skin care vs. cosmetics.

Comedones [Pimples], by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

Hints on the Proper Management of the Skin (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

A Beautiful Skin, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1884)

"Why Am I So Pale?" by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

The Complexion and Its Care, by Isabel A. Mallon (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

Health and Complexion: A Roundabout Talk, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1892)

Rational Toilet, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1892)

What a Pretty Complexion (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1892)

The Face and Its Blemishes, by "The New Doctor" (Girl's Own Paper, 1900)

• See also Beauty Products & Toiletries

Tips for Beautiful Hair

Modern shampoo manufacturers would be dismayed by the advice provided to Victorian ladies by Victorian doctors: Never wash your hair with any sort of "soap." Instead, wash it in pure rainwater, and use the yolks of a couple of eggs in place of shampoo! As for that inevitable fade to gray, we're advised that only a "soulless and brainless" person fails to attain gray hair, which should be a cause of pride rather than dismay.

Beautiful Hair: How to Get it and Retain It (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

Health and Beauty for the Hair, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1880)

Practical Hints About the Hair, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Some Friendly Hints About the Hair (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1886)

Why Am I Getting Bald? (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1888)

Why the Hair Turns Grey (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1893)

*"Medicus" was the pen-name of Gordon Stables, M.D., R.N., health columnist for The Girl's Own Paper. Read the complete collection of Medicus Columns from 1881-1902 in chronological order.