Skincare in 1910

Nivea cream was formulated in Germany. Other companies began creating their own creams, but often they were nothing more than petroleum jelly mixed with a little fragrance.

Women began thinking about how they could make their skin look younger and an early version of an acid peel arrived on the scene. How comfortable it was is debatable as it was simply a combination of acid and electric currents applied to the skin. Obviously it did remove the outer layer of skin.

Women also discovered that a needle could insert paraffin to the eye area and cheeks. Unfortunately, it was not very successful.

An odd looking contraption with chinstraps was introduced to help with saggy jowls and double chins. They obviously didn't work, but women were desperate to try anything that would help.

With the introduction of World War 1, women were finding themselves in need of creams and lotions that had once been imported from Paris. This gave the United States the chance to start their own companies to supply the need.

A fascinating list of books used for research on this decade can be found on the next page.