Radio and television mirror (Nov 1939-Apr 1940)

FOR KEEPS! By DR. GRACE GREGORY THE old saying was, "Beauty is only skin deep." That is a great deal deeper than you might think. To maintain a beautiful skin we must observe all the laws of general good health and also the special laws of skin care. Moreover, we have to consider the dermis, or true skin, as well as the epidermis or outer layer. Beauty cannot be put on with makeup alone. We have to begin with proper cleansing and with the preparation for make-up — that is, the right soap and the right powder base. Pretty seventeen-year-old Mary Small has an understanding of these fundamentals that would do credit to an experienced cosmetician. Come to think of it, she is experienced— she has been singing in public since she was five. She has had theatrical experience as well as radio. All those years of the varied make-ups for public work, and she still has a skin as clear and fresh as a child's. In private life she uses the minimum of cosmetics, believing that the younger you are the less you need them. But she is very, very choosey about her soap and what little powder base she does use. You hear Mary's warm contralto voice on the Ben Bernie Hour Sunday evenings at five-thirty over CBS, and it is hard to believe that such a natural, unspoiled young girl has attained her mature artistry. Those who work with her say she can pick up a song and learn it in five minutes, and has a genius for original treatments of song lyrics. She has a poise and serenity that rises to any occasion — and there have been many important occasions for her as a guest artist starred on practically every radio program of note. The first step towards maintaining that youthful skin is a thorough cleansing with a good soap. There are many on the market so free from irritating ingredients that they could not harm even the skin of a baby. You can make a simple test by touching your soap to the tip of your tongue. No soap tastes good, of course. But if there is any free alkali or other irritant present, the soap will seem to burn. Nevertheless I strongly advocate a light upward massage with a good cleansing cream first. Then a gentle but thorough cleansing with soap and softened water, two or three times a day. The natural oil of the skin is given out from tiny sacs which lie 70 ■ Seventeen-year-old Mary Small gives some grown-up advice — use plenty of good soap and water before putting on make-up. close to the hair roots. If the opening gets clogged, the oil hardens and darkens into blackheads, or infection arises and pimples form. At the very least these clogged pores give the skin a coarse and grimy look. Nothing else is so effective in clearing them as a good lathering of soap. Those who have dry skins which they think are irritated by much soaping should use first a cleansing cream of the emulsion type (rather heavy). For those with oily skins, or for the simple removal of make-up, a liquefying or thin cream, and less of it. But please, always, plenty of good soap and soft water. When the skin is cleansed right into the pores, put on your favorite foundation. And here you must experiment to find the one best suited to your skin, and to your age. Very light for young people. Heavier for the mature woman. There are excellent ones of all types. Some are foundation creams, some are lotions, some are of a type which suggests RADIO MIRROR a glorified theatrical make-up and aid greatly in the concealment of blemishes. There are bases for the dry skin, for the oily skin. There is one that contains healing ingredients, very cool and soothing. Select yours and use it. Foundations protect the skin, and enhance make-up. HOW'S YOUR COMPLEXION? ACNE sufferers are often needlessly ** afraid of cosmetics. The first thing to do is to find out which kind of acne you have. It might be best to consult your doctor and let him tell you. What is properly called acne has a half dozen different causes. It may be gastric. It may be caused by a vitamin deficiency, which is readily corrected by eating a prepared yeast. It may be from bad teeth, or from some temporary irregularity in the glandular system, or even from nerves. In such cases, cosmetics and creams give temporary relief. Get at the cause. If it is a case of clogged oil pores, good soap-and-water cleansings are the answer, together with special creams. The great cosmetic houses all have acne creams and lotions which are the result of years of research. RADIO AND TELEVISION MIRROR