Oil For Baldness

Returning to A Cyclopedia of Practical Receipts (1856) for more hair oil receipts. This one is supposed to strengthen the hair to prevent it thinning; the ingredients, however, are the same as every styling oil I've tried, only scented differently. So, I decided to make some up for those friends whose taste doesn't run towards floral smells.

To 1 oz of olive oil ("salad oil", any sweet oil will do), add 12 drops of origanum (oregano/marjoram*) oil, 10 drops rosemary oil, 6 drops lavender oil, and 3 drops clove or cassia (cinnamon) oil. Shake to mix the oils, and color with alkanet root.**

I decided to try infusing fresh marjoram and dried whole cloves in the olive oil, mostly because I didn't want to buy two most oils for the few drops needed here (and because have a ton of fresh marjoram in my herb garden). I put a small handful of marjoram and 12 whole cloves in the oil, heated it slightly in a warm water bath on the stove, and let it soak for 2 days. The oil smelled slightly like marjoram, with just a hint of cloves, after that time. I then added the other oils and alkanet (reserving 1 bottle without any lavender), shook, and strained out the alkanet root.

*Origanum is the genus of both oregano and marjoram. When I started this project, it was unclear which of the plants was intended; I currently believe oregano is meant.

**Like many other Victorian cosmetic recipes, the base color is an unappealing yellow or yellow-green. The alkanet turns it reddish, but does not tint the hair or skin. It can stain handkerchiefs, though.

I substituted fresh marjoram and whole cloves
for the orignum and clove oils.

Finished oil.

The finished oil has a nice red-orange color, and smells mostly of rosemary and marjoram. The two bottles with lavender contain traces of that odor, but little of the clove comes through.