Flowers of sulfur are made by taking the naturally occurring sulfur and using heat to turn it into a gas that would then be returned to a solid. Then it’s ground into a powder. Historically, it was used to treat skin diseases, like fungus.
Now, it’s used as an agricultural chemical, as a pesticide or fungicide. It also serves as a fumigant, to poison insects.
In the Victorian times, flowers of sulfur was used a lot because people had all sorts of skin conditions and bugs because times were unsanitary to say the least. This recipe recommends that one rub a flowers of sulfur concoction on their face daily, and there’s no reason why I wouldn’t do this to myself as a Victorian lady.
The reason why this softens the skin—or maybe just clears up the ringworm on your face—is because it serves as an anti-fungal. The Victorian seems to have been covered in fungus because they were constantly rubbing lard on themselves, along with wax secreted from insects, something which is wholly un-Kosher. How does one get lard off their skin?
Anyway, skin would build up, as would moisture, and you’d get fungus.
Here’s the recipe for another Victorian concoction:
To Soften Skin & Improve Complexion.
“If flowers of sulfur be mixed in a little milk, and, after standing an hour or two, the milk (without disturbing the sulfur) be rubbed into the skin, it will keep it soft, and make the complexion clear. It is to be used before washing.”
This was the age before the pasteurization of milk. So, all these people would just rub sour milk on their faces. But this actually helped the fungus-face situation out.
Lactobacillus, which is what makes the lactic acid in milk, that becomes lactic acid. The Lactic acid is sensed by the microbiome, which is the human, and it protects against fungus. Pair that with the flowers of sulfur and it’s probably pretty potent stuff.
If I were a Victorian, which I’m not, I’d douse myself in this stuff.
Now, if a shower just be taken once a day, your skin will be soft and free of fungus.
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