Cause I don't have enough hobbies...

[abendgules]

...I'm now toying with making some medieval cosmetics.

The splendid Ynes de Toledo left us her un-shippable blends of 'red powder for scenting things', 'white powder' and 'powder for nightcaps', among others. We're enjoying using them, and they make me want to try out a limited amount of scenting and mixing.

However, some key ingredients are a bit tricky to source these days, namely civet, musk and ambergris (the £40,000 chunk of ambergris that washed up on a beach in the UK this month notwithstanding): all that pesky treating-animals-ethically business.

(Reading up, it turns out my 'Amber' perfume bought at Pennsic 10+ years ago may not have been amber (the resin) but amber-gris, the whale excretion...who knew?)

Does anyone who works with perfumery know good sources of (advanced artificial) versions of said ingredients? I've been looking through Ynes' notes  - her handout from her excellent class from a few years ago - and have some suppliers noted, but am interested in my friends' experiences. Euro and UK sources preferred.

Any thoughts about sourcing and using essential oils? How about damask roses?

Comments

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

Ooooh! I attended one of Ynes's classes (at first ID coronet, maybe?) and found it fascinating, and ever since then I've always wanted to try making some of these things, but never quite knew how to begin. I'd love to someday make some medieval dry shampoos for use at Raglan.

[jpgsawyer.livejournal.com]

Ambergris oddly ends up as a food stuff in the 17th being grated truffle like into eggs etc.

All I can say is it divides people. Either you are in the spit it across the room as its disgusting camp or you think its not particularly evil.

Can't really imagine why it didn't catch on!

[badgersandjam.livejournal.com]

I know BPAL (Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab) use oils that simulate things that are rare/expensive/etc. You might drop them an email and see what they use? They can only ignore you.

[m-nivalis.livejournal.com]

Isis does mainly post-medieval makeup, but contact her and see if she has any good advice.

I assume you've already checked Sally Pointer's book The artifice of beauty? I haven't read it myself, but it's supposed to be very good.

[my-stitching.livejournal.com]

I was just going to recommend Isis' journal and you beat me to it. :)

She does mostly 18th century, but I bet she might know of sources of where to get things and also her experience on mixing certain items. She is located in Sweden, I believe.

[bend-gules.livejournal.com]

Wow, no I hadn't, thank you! Now ordered.

I had looked up one of the 16thc compendiums of recipes that Ynes used, by John Partidge, which was one of her sources. Freely available online.
http://www.medievalcookery.com/notes/treasurie.pdf

[jpgsawyer.livejournal.com]

Ohh I should also point out that Ambergris apart from being expensive is nolonger considered morally dodgy as as you note it washes up on the beaches and doesn't require animals to be killed.

The main sources for it at the moment seem to be Turkey and New Zealand. Caroline Yeldman (my cooking mentor) has some contacts if you would like them.

[ormsweird.livejournal.com]

I'd recommend www.baldwins.co.uk for some stuff. I get most of my odd period herbs there, and salt petre. They also do things and oils for home made cosmetics.

[xrian.livejournal.com]

Amber-the-scent (as opposed to amber-the-pretty-stuff) is, I believe, generally a mixture of scented plant resins that attempts to imitate, or be a substitute for, genuine ambergris. (Which has always been astronomically expensive.)

Since as far as I know there's no legal requirement anywhere for what "amber." contains, these days mixtures sold as "amber" may well have some synthetic content too -- there's really no way to tell what you're getting without biochemical analysis.

But yes, that's where its name comes from.