Use rum or brandy to wash your hair according to a book written in 1832

@scheng1 (24649)
Singapore
April 30, 2017 8:32am CST
Sometimes I get curious about the way of life in the past, before the invention of modern products, such as shampoo and conditioner. The American Frugal Housewife written in 1832 by Mrs Child is one book to help me understand the way of life back in those days. I think I will get into debt if I use all her advice to live a frugal life. For example, she advocates the use of rum to wash hair, and use of brandy for strong hair. Excerpts: "New England rum, constantly used to wash the hair, keeps it very clean, and free from disease, and promotes its growth a great deal more than Macassar oil. Brandy is very strengthening to the roots of the hair; but it has a hot, drying tendency, which N.E. rum has not." With the price of rum and brandy, the last thing I want is to use them on my hair.
7 people like this
6 responses
@egdcltd (12059)
30 Apr 17
With the flammability of rum and brandy, the last thing I want to do is coat my hair in them.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
4 May 17
@egdcltd No idea. If they made their own brandy back in those days, it sure would be cheap. Sometimes it is really interesting to read old books to get an idea of the lifestyle back then.
1 person likes this
@Nawsheen (28643)
• Mauritius
30 Apr 17
Why waste some good rum and brandy when it can be put to better use. Lol
2 people like this
@Nawsheen (28643)
• Mauritius
2 May 17
@scheng1 neither me
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
1 May 17
Definitely. Rum and brandy are so expensive now. i can't imagine using it on my hair.
2 people like this
@youless (112493)
• Guangzhou, China
2 May 17
I agree with you. It will be quite expensive to use the rum and brandy to wash the hair. Besides, they will not create bubbles and I don't think it can make my hair clean. Besides, I may smell like a drunk person after I wash my hair with rum and brandy
1 person likes this
@Ayuriny (5144)
• Denpasar, Indonesia
30 Apr 17
Nice information. I think I will try it someday .
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
1 May 17
It's too expensive now to use on your hair. My grandmother had beautiful hair all her life and she rinsed her hair in coffee.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
1 May 17
Wow, that is one thing you can never learn in school. I think that is still workable, since we can use the leftover coffee powder to get the diluted coffee water for rinsing hair. I just cannot stand my hair smelling of coffee!
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@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
1 May 17
@scheng1 I've never used coffee on my hair. But it worked for my grandmother.
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@tzwrites (4835)
• Romania
30 Apr 17
Rum is a luxury product now...and back then they washed their hair with it very frugal
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
30 Apr 17
haha, that's my thought too. I will be broke if I buy rum and use it for hair washing!
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@tzwrites (4835)
• Romania
30 Apr 17
@scheng1 Same.
2 people like this