Eau de Cologne

Traditionally eau de cologne is made from essential oils such as Bergamot, Neroli, Lavender and Rosemary, or Thyme, and often with citrus oils. These refreshing aromatic preparations date from the eighteenth century and this genre of perfumery takes its name from the city of Cologne, where it was manufactured by Johann-Maria Farina and called 'Kolnisches Wasser'. Over time many variations of colognes have continued to be developed. Chanel's Eau de Cologne is a classic and Guerlain's Eau de Guerlain is a citrus masterpiece. Perfumerie Generale's Cologne de Grand Siecle is made using only ingredients that were available to eighteenth-century perfumers and will appeal to history purists and lovers of natural perfumery.

Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez in Perfumes: the A-Z Guide recommend those by Institut Tres Bien, which myth has it were made from family recipes, unfortunately this company has gone out of business. The role of a cologne is, to quote Luca Turin: 'one of life's absolute necessities, perfume for when you don't feel like perfume, before going to bed, to splash on your kids after the bath and introduce them to life's finer pleasures, etc.. In short, cologne is a cleanser for the soul.'

Neroli essential oil

Neroli essential oil is obtained from the flowers of the bitter, or Seville, orange. It has a hauntingly beautiful fragrance, even in small quantities, and is a key ingredient in classic eau de colognes.

Neroli is used in aromatherapy for treating states of anxiety and insomnia. It is particularly valuable in skincare because it stimulates skin cell growth and it can be use for all skin types, especially sensitive. Neroli is an expensive essential oil but prized because it is elegant and efficacious; it can generally be used safely in pregnancy, and in treatments to help prevent stretchmarks.

Essentials: Jojoba oil

Jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis) is the liquid wax produced from the seed of the Jojoba plant, a shrub found in southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico. I first discovered its superlative use in skincare with the Bodyshop's Jojoba moisturiser in the early 1980s; not a product they make any more - I just checked! It has an excellent affinity with human skin because its composition is very like that of sebum, this doesn't sound sexy but trust me it is important in the long run making Jojoba oil beneficial in skincare.

Jojoba oil makes a fine natural moisturiser for all skin types, and especially for sensitive skins, because of its chemical similarity to sebum it penetrates skin easily and is able to nourish, soften and protect skin without clogging pores. Mystric acid, a common saturated fatty acid, is a component of the oil that ensures good aborption through the skin and its plant wax component mimics skin's collagen helping to keep skin firm, smooth and youthful looking. Its benefits make it suitable for use with dry, itchy skin conditions, oily and acne-prone skins, damaged hair, scalp conditions, shaving rash, heat rash, and infant skincare. It has a natural spf 5 and contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and is very rich in vitamin E, an excellent skincare factor, as well as providing it with longevity and a relatively long shelf life without added preservatives. Its shelf life is 2-3 years, rather than the months of other carrier oils and rancidity is rarely a concern.

Uses: as a face and body moisturiser, removes eye makeup and mascara while strengthening eyelashes and conditioning the skin, as a summer hair oil which at the same time provides the scalp with a natural spf 5.

Postscript: the techy bits above are important (so don't switch-off at 'sebum', 'mystric acid' or 'plant wax') and this is where I believe modern science is at its best - telling us how things work and why they work. I have A-levels in Physics, Chemistry and Zoology, as well as English Literature, which I specialised in later, so this comes from the heart. For me the problem is the commercial applications of applied science in the cosmetic industry and the resulting exploitative prices for jars of cream that do no more than further myths of eternal youth. What's wrong with a wrinkle and a life well lived?

Teenage Kicks: The Body Shop

The second ever branch of The Body Shop opened in Reading just six months after Anita Roddick opened her first shop in Brighton in 1976. It was a mecca for the teenage girls of Reading. Beautifully fragrant,it was oddly juxtaposed with the infamous fresh fish vendors of Union Street, or 'Smelly Alley' as it is fondly known, but alternative emporiums abounded - in another we bought Liberty dungarees in advance of The Dexy's Midnight Runner look. The 50ml small bottles were pocket-money affordable and I yearned for the seemingly extravagent litre bottles: unperfumed foaming bath oil and body lotion to which you had added the fragrance of your choice from a cornucopia of bottles; coconut oil shampoo, coconut soap, cucumber cleansing lotion and jojoba moisturiser. They were all basically packaged, environmentally aware, with the signature round, handwritten labels.

Anita Roddick's own story is on http://www.anitaroddick.com/aboutanita.php

Teenage Kicks: Mary Quant

As a teenager I worked in Boots on a Saturday as a general assistant for the cosmetic and perfumery counters. The Mary Quant counter was the greatest lure for me and I can catalogue the play-pretties, with their iconic daisy motifs, that I persistently bought until they were no more.In the round, clear glass bottles of nail varnish the vibrant colours shone out. My favourites were 'Bloody Mary' and 'Black Cherry'. I also got through many a tube of 'Nutshine', a neutral lipgloss, and tubes of the sheer red 'Cranberry' lipstick. A makeup style I have really not changed, although I gave up the thick pencils of black kohl and mascara when I got contact lenses - it was easier to get my eyelashes dyed.

I wear glasses again now and I've added tinted moisturiser and mineral face powder to my repertoire. Those Saturdays on the Mary Quant counter echo on with cosmetics from Dr. Hauschka, Lush and Lily Lolo I buy now. My preferred palette changes very little from the dark nails and easy on the lip, with sheer purple-black lipstick and dark green, purple and blue nail varnishes turning up in my makeup bag.

Retro Kicks: The American Cosmetic Industry 1945

The Marie Laurencin, 1934, portrait of Helena Rubenstein (Helena Rubenstein Foundation) signposts the massive US industrialisation of the cosmetic industry, which this You Tube clip documents:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62m17iJUBeA&feature=player_embedded#!

For some reason the above should be a hyperlink but it doesn't work like that, so cut and paste into your browser -

The 'scientific' approach to beauty used the contemporary technological advances but ultimately nothing changed the 'family' recipes of Rubenstein, Czasky, Lazlo, Lubatti and the ultimate rising star of Estee Lauder - European emigres who needed to make a living. What they knew was not new but they were extremely clever in the way they recast what they knew.

See the book Lipstick Wars, by Lindy Woodhead.

Teenage Kicks: Goya Aqua Manda

For the just teenage me this was the apotheosis of fragrance: the decline of Biba and Quant, the cusp of punk to come - rich and difficult compared to the crisp lemony scents also around, and more intriguing than Charlie and Smitty. It has left me with longing for I never had the money to possess it.

Now in The Green Beauty Bible Jo Wood's Amka is described as reminiscent of Aqua Manda, a long lost Goya fragrance, but I think I need to get me some.