Just my two cents.
Look for the palest flesh tone makeup that you can find. Say....Porecelian. I pulled up the newest catalog and looked for a light skin tone. Fitz is night. You want neutra set powder (I use the same stuff.) The super white is for Ronald McDonald to set his makeup with. Go back tp the shop, and start testing stuff on the back of your hand.
I suspect that in the silent era, they still used makeup, It is a hunch that the power gag (MAKEUP!! pow!) came from touching up the stuff to stop sweating. As far as shades, no idea. I recently learned that in the Hitchcock classic, Psycho They used Bosco chocolate syrup as a substitute for blood in the shower scene. In the days of black and white no one would now that it wasn't fake blood.
There are other Ben Nye shades available. you can go to their web site:
Ben Nye Makeup and request a catalog.