Beauty tips from the Middle Ages

Since I am having (another) birthday soon, I think we should look at some beauty tips that were recommended by Trotula of Salerno fame. Regardless of our age, we all want to look our best, right? Tips for beautiful hair were the most prominent among Trotula's writings. To make your own shampoo, combine the ashes of burnt vine, chaff of barley nodes, licorice wood and sowbread. Boil in water for a while (don't know how long), strain, and use the water to wash the hair. After that, comb through the hair a potion of rose water, mixed with dried roses, clove, nutmeg, watercress and galangal to make it smell nice. You could also use clove or musk scent on the veil that you wear. In a time of horrid smells, perfuming the hair would be a blessing!