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A mythic cream: Galen's Cold cream

The first cosmetic cream in history was created by Galen , a Greek physician who was born in Pergamum (Asia Minor), studied in Greece and became the most famous doctor in the Roman Empire. His theories dominated European medicine for more than 1,500 years. Since Galen was chief physician to the gladiator school in Pergamum, gaining much experience of treating wounds, he invented many therapeutic preparations and among them the famous Galen's cold cream (=ceratum refrigerans) which took this name due to its cooling effect in the skin once the water was evaporated. Today, ceratum refrigerans  may seem as a primitive water-in-oil emulsion, still at that time it was a pioneer preparation that remained unchangeable for 15 centuries. 
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Queen of Hungary Water, facial toner & light fragrance

In this renaissance recipe history and facts are conflicting with myths and legends. There is a noteworthy bibliography for this legendary preparation: each author proposes his/her own version! Queen of Hungary Water is considered to be the wold first alcoholic perfume but also an almost magical tonic, a youth elixir.  Its name is connected with Queen Elisabeth of Hungary (1305-1381); the 72 year old queen  needed an elixir to cure her rheumatism and to give her back her lost beauty. There is a legend that the elixir was prepared by an alchemist of the royal court and that it was so effective that the 25 year old king of Poland asked her to marry him!!
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How to make herbal tinctures & infused oils

To extract the healing substances from herbs, solvents such as water, alcohol, glycerin, vinegars or vegetable oils are used. This kind of extractions are utilised as raw materials for the preparation of natural cosmetics and herbal remedies.
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