I made 250-year-old Hair Products Using Original Recipes (and animal fat...)
199,307
Published 2021-11-07
So how did Maire Antoinette and all her besties take care of their hair during the 18th century? How did people keep their hair clean in the 1700s? How were they able to make such large, complicated hairstyles? How can you recreate Marie Antoinette's hairstyles today?
hint: it wasn't wigs. (if you're typing that in the comments just...shhhhhhh 🤫)
18th-century hair care and hair hygiene was founded on the idea of dry washing and conditioning using hair pomade and hair powder (basically a deep conditioner with a dry shampoo applied over the top of it). Not only would hair pomade and powder keep the hair smelling and feeling fresh, but they were also used to create those complicated hairstyles that we so often associate with the 18th century.
So in this video, we're going to begin, what will, without a doubt, be a long rambling series on 18th-century hair care, with making hair pomatum and hair powder using historical recipes.
For reference here are the ratios I used for the common pomatum recipe:
14 oz Lamb Tallow (fatworks.com/collections/single-jar/products/grass…)
4 oz Pork Lard or Leaf Lard (fatworks.com/collections/single-jar/products/copy-…)
As much essential oil as I, or, you, want (I used: www.edensgarden.com/products/rose-bergamot)
The Original Common Pomatum & Hard Pomatum Recipes: www.google.com/books/edition/A_New_Supplement_to_t…
Here's where I got the Orris Root: mountainroseherbs.com/orris-root-powder
Wheat Starch: amzn.to/3ENvCRc (affiliate)
Horn combs: amzn.to/3BSUkxG & amzn.to/3bR4nce (affiliate)
Giant Powder Puff of Doom™️: www.etsy.com/shop/RenditionsPowders?ref=simple-sho…
Here's the link to some colored hair powder recipes: archive.org/details/b28755674/page/322/mode/2up?q=…
✨*huge huge huge* thank you to Andrew Appel for editing this video for me - I wouldn't have been able to have functioned the past couple of weeks without your assistance and support. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Chapters:
00:00 - 05:10 - Intro, Sponsor, Why Pomade & powder
5:11 - 21:38 - Making the Pomades
21:39 - 28:22 - Making the Hair Powder
28:23 - 30:45 - How to Apply Pomade & Powder
🥳Socials
Website: www.abbycoxcreates.com/
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Patreon: www.patreon.com/abbycox
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📚My books:
The American Duchess Guide to 18th-Century Dressmaking: amzn.to/2GrkAIQ (affiliate)
The American Duchess Guide to 18th-Century Beauty: amzn.to/2TTwJtq (affiliate)
💌Business Inquiries ONLY [email protected]
(This email goes directly to my management and not to me.)
📪 Abby Cox
642 N. Madison Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
🎶Circus Music courtesy of Orion Williams (toolofgod.com/my-music/royalty-free-benny-hill-the…
All Comments (21)
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I'm a soap maker and a vegetarian but we sell a series of traditionally made soaps where we use animal fats - mostly beef tallow and pork lard - that we get from a local butcher because otherwise it could be thrown away and wasted. Instead we use it to make a really soft and conditioning bar of soap. Same goes for hunting season, I always ask the people I know who hunt for any fat they aren't going to use to render and make soap with because it's so important to use it instead of wasting any part of the butchering process!
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As someone who uses animal products I am a huge advocate for using as much of the animal as possible. A big kudos to those who are able to go completely vegan, but for those who are unable to we need to be sure no part of the animal goes to waste. People were really good this it back in the day, but in the big consumer society of today we need to become better at this.
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The collab I never dared hope for 😂 can’t wait!
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Is Saff's dream coming true?! This is awesome, I love this.
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YEEES!! When Saf was last talking about going to Colonial Williamsburg again in her cross country vlog and really doing it up with a full look you were the first one I thought of and I was secretly hoping for this!! I can not wait for this video, it's going to be amazing!!!!!
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Who remembers Bernadette's video when she went to Abby's American Duchess presentation on 18th century hair?
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SAF AT THE END IM SCREAMING COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG DREAMS ARE HAPPENING
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This is so neat! As a professional soapmaker though, I would just lightly caution you when adding fragrance without measuring. There's a maximum percentage that most fragrances are safe at- usually somewhere between 3-6% of your total fat/oils. Above that percentage, it can be very irritating to the skin or even damaging to the hair follicle. Even if the scent "burns off" so you can't smell it anymore, you can't keep adding fragrance until you can smell it again for things that will touch your body unfortunately! Edit: all of the soapmakers in the comments chiming in LOL!!!! Where did we all come from?!
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Boris Johnson doesn't need hair powder, he's a right muppet already 😉🇬🇧
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The most perfect Cliffhanger ever.
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Abby starts using the pomade on the model's hair. Me- I KNOW THAT SIDEBURN! When Safiya said she did a Colonial Williamsburg video, and I learned you had a history there, I thought to myself how awesome it would be if you guys collabed for that video, and I'm so excited for you that you guys did. I can't wait to see more.
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That aside about your little stool from your grandpa was adorable.
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That giant powder puff is a whole mood and now I need one!
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Hell yeah for powder and pomade! (Don't mind me, I'm just going to be sitting over here squirming in excitement for the video that I know is coming soon 😏)
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As I British person who is sitting in horror at the direction this country has gone I can honestly say the best bit about this video was you calling Boris Johnson horrendous!
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I would like a candle of that pomade smell, please! So good!
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Abby traveling with a bag of white powder: I swear it's for historic hair care 🧍
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On the 12th day of tallow my Abby gave to me, pomade that is less gamey Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
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OMG A SAFIYA COLLAB! I’m so excited! Can’t wait to see this.
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Old enough to remember when white-haired women used bluing powder on their hair. I helped one of my grandmas do it once. No idea what chemicals were in it, but it came in a capsule.
