Toiletries of the Golden Era

[Hep Caterina]

If you have a good system that works for you- great! more often than not, it takes some experimentation to get it worked out. I have a good and simple system now and with time being a luxury for me, it has made life a bit easier!

 

[rene_writer]

Right now, I use:

*Coty Airspun Powder which is my all time favorite. I love the new packaging too.
*Tabu cologne by Dana. As I understand it the formula has changed, so its not strictly vintage. I wear this usually when it is cold outside because it is such a warm, strong scent. I love it, but it is almost too sexy for me, so I don't wear it too often.
*Knock off of Evening in Paris perfume. Again, not strictly vintage, but as close as you can find. To me, this smells very soapy. It's not my favorite, but I wear it now and again to change things up.
*Knock off of Joy perfume. You can still buy the original, but budget constraints and having no idea what it smelled like made me purchase a little vial of this. I love it. It's bold and beautiful, but sadly, I think I'm allergic. I keep trying to wear it just in case I'm wrong, but I always feel like I can't breathe.

In the past, I have used:
*Jergen's All Purpose Face Cream. This was my first cold cream and I got hooked, in spite of the fact that I never liked the scent or the pink color and it burned my eyes. The results were worth it. Plus, a $3.12 jar lasts an entire year, so its dirt cheap. I make my own cold cream now, but I would go back to Jergen's in a heartbeat if I ever got sick of whipping up my witch's brew.
*Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap. I hated this. It burned the heck out of my skin and would not lather, but I am super sensitive, so it was probably a freak thing.
*Vaseline. Hey, it's Vaseline. Love it or hate it, we all know exactly what its like.

There are probably others that I'm not even aware are vintage, but I hope this list is helpful.

 

[St. Louis]

I love Coty Airspun. I'm really happy that I managed to save my last cardboard container--the one originally designed by Lalique--before the company switched to the plastic. I refill that one from new containers. I find that Muted Beige is the perfect shade for me. Off topic for a rant -- why do companies feel that the original packaging needs to be changed? The original cardboard container created by one of the world's greatest designers is both beautiful and environmentally sound.

I wash my face with Pears every day; it's gentle and thorough.

I've been studying vintage perfumes for quite a few years now. As most people mention here, they've been reformulated, and I find that the newer versions of my favorites are almost unrecognizable. I love the original Coty fragrances, particularly Emeraude, L'Aimant, L'Origan, and the elusive Chypre. I have original versions of all of them and I can tell you that they're much richer and more beautiful than the modern versions. You can find all except Chypre on ebay or Etsy at very affordable prices. Chypre is just about out of reach & deserves its own discussion -- in fact, it's so wonderful that I'm actually trying to recreate it for myself using the formula posted on one of the perfume sites.

Tabu is another one of my favorites, but here again, I'd recommend trying to find a vintage version. The original is almost intoxicating. No wonder it was Ava Gardner's favorite perfume. It smells just like she looked, if that makes sense.

I've found a reproduction of the original Ivory soap packaging in a grocery store the other day. When I have a minute to spare after work today I'll post a photo of it. I've been looking for Cashmere Bouquet and Camay for some time, neither is available here in the Saint Loo. I'm thinking I might mail-order them just to remind myself of the scent, which I loved back when I still lived out East.

I also love Oil of Olay -- the original version -- it's gentle and I love the fragrance. I do use sunblock every day too, particularly when I'm going to be in the back yard or working outdoors, so I don't need it in the moisturizer. In fact I've read that the SPF moisturizers don't have enough sunblock to protect your skin anyway.

 

[St. Louis]

I don't like replying to myself (feels a bit odd, if you know what I mean) but I thought I'd add a few reviews of some soaps that have stood the test of time. These are all brands that go back at least 60 or 70 years, some more than 100. I thought it might be fun to hunt them down around town & try them out.

Palmolive -- available at Dollar stores & the like -- wonderful, rich, soothing soap. Leaves your skin feeling soft without any sticky residue. Highly recommended.

Cashmere Bouquet -- lovely fragrance. Nice soap for the bath, very nice in your lingerie drawer. Both this soap and the next one can be found online, but I haven't seen it in any stores in the midwest. I think I found them at the Vermont Country Store or maybe Amazon.

Camay -- this soap smells exactly the way my Mother's soap did; they haven't changed the fragrance at all. Nice scent. I wouldn't recommend it for washing your face; it's a bit drying.

Pears -- this is an old stand-by and what I usually use to wash my face at night. It leaves my skin feeling very clean, but I do need a moisturizer afterward.

Lava soap still looks exactly the way it did in the 1930s, and it's fantastic for getting grit and dirt out of my hands and feet after working in the yard. It's powerful, so you can't use it on your face.

I just recently discovered that Ivory soap has revived its packaging from the early 20th century.

Here's a wonderful article on Ivory packaging.

 

[elisabethm]

Like many others on this thread I'm a regular user of Pears soap, Pond's cold cream, & Yardley soap. I used to buy Cashmere Bouquet too, when the nearby supermarket carried it, but I haven't seen it there in a while.

My favorite vintage brand, however is a French one named Roger & Gallet. The company was founded in the 1860's and still going strong in France. I particularly like a scent of theirs named "Jean Marie Farina" which is quite citrusy smelling. It was the soap they had at the hotel where we stayed during my first trip to Paris as a kid in the 1990s. It's quite pricey but I will sometimes splurge and buy it on Amazon as it brings back memories whenever I smell it. I also like their newer fragrances, particularly "Bambou" and "Thé Vert" which I'm wearing this summer.

 

[rene_writer]

I've recently gone full vintage in skin care. This was not on purpose so much as it was by accident. I had been really neglecting my skin because of a crazy work schedule and it got so dry that it was peeling off and yet it was broken out at the same time. After a week of vintage care it is so much better! My chin is still red, but I think that will go away too.

I've been using Ponds to take off my makeup, and simply taking it off with a tissue. Before, I was washing it off with soap, because I could not get past the idea of not using water in my routine. I've cycled through so many soaps this year, but after a couple of weeks with each one, my skin would start getting irritated. My water is so chlorinated that it smells like a swimming pool, so that probably has something to do with it.

I'm following this up with Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel. I had used Humphrey's Lilac in the past, but it seems like Thayer's really is so much more gentle. It helps to get every last trace of dirt and makeup off and I don't feel so weird about not using soap now.

Then, I apply aloe vera gel. This has always been a life saver for me. It heals any break-outs so fast, takes the red out of my skin, and I swear it erases old acne scars. I quit using it out of sheer laziness, but now I'm really convinced of how awesome it is and I won't do that again.

I follow this up with Nivea Crème. Yes, it is greasy, but it sets in after about ten minutes. I think it helps to seal in the moisture from the aloe and it is a new holy grail product for me.

In the morning I have been rinsing off in the shower, then following it with the Thayer's, Aloe, and Nivea. It is a little complicated for now, but it has turned my skin around, and by pure chance it is 100% vintage. I have super sensitive skin and I'm kind of amazed all the fragrances in these old products don't bother me, but I guess that's why they have stood the test of time.

 

[Caroline H]

Anyone use Merle Norman? My mother has used it all my life and I never really thought much about it until she asked for a new jar of their Cleansing Cream for Christmas. My mother has always had beautiful skin so I thought maybe I should follow her example and give it a try too. Merle Norman was actually started in 1931. Compared to Pond's I find it thicker and creamier. It has a unique scent which I remember from childhood. When I went in to buy the new jar I couldn't resist asking if it still smelled the same and they assured me it did. I got the impression I wasn't the first person to ask that!
I either tissue off or use a cloth and warm water then follow up with Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Formula and a moisturizer

 

[DecoDame]

I've no experience with Merle Norman, but have used Thayer's Witch Hazel for several years to help clean my face before bedtime. I noticed that Thayer's ingredients list can get more complicated depending on the scent/variety it is, so have stuck with Original or Lavender. Even so, it was drying me out a bit over the winter (or rather making the winter dryness more pronounced), so I backed off using it the last few months. I'll probably resume shortly.

One thing I've discovered and found extremely useful as a moisturizer is rendered beef tallow. The brand I use, "Vintage Traditions", just uses tallow, olive oil and (optional) essential oils. It ain't cheap (and it irks me that you have to pay extra to avoid additives and get a product that is now considered a precious luxury but was just the common norm back in the day - but I don't have a cow to process or a deep enough cooking pot, so there it is). A little goes a long way though and it has been a god send during our Ohio winters (and yes, my changing skin. It used to bounce back from exposure and abuse more quickly before!). Anyway, I highly recommend the tallow if you care to make the investment.

 

[Caroline H]

One thing I've discovered and found extremely useful as a moisturizer is rendered beef tallow. The brand I use, "Vintage Traditions", just uses tallow, olive oil and (optional) essential oils. It ain't cheap (and it irks me that you have to pay extra to avoid additives and get a product that is now considered a precious luxury but was just the common norm back in the day - but I don't have a cow to process or a deep enough cooking pot, so there it is). A little goes a long way though and it has been a god send during our Ohio winters (and yes, my changing skin. It used to bounce back from exposure and abuse more quickly before!). Anyway, I highly recommend the tallow if you care to make the investment.

Where do you find that? My first search just turned up products meant for cooking.

Another vintage product still being made is Frownies. Used by Olivia de Haviland and Raquel Welch. I have some but I've never used them regularly enough to really find out if they work. I'm reaching a point now where I think I'd better make more of an effort though! :eeek:

 

[DecoDame]

Where do you find that? My first search just turned up products meant for cooking.

http://www.vintagetradition.com/

I recommend using the scented varieties. The unscented does have a slight, vaguely "beefy" smell to it otherwise (But hey, natural!). The essential oils easily mask it and are quite pleasant (unless you're super sensitive to even those of course, and need to avoid them).

 

[Caroline H]

Thanks DecoDame! I've bookmarked the website so I can give those a try!

 

[DecoDame]

Glad to help.

The tallow has also gotten raves for helping with eczema or baby rashes - though I've no direct experience there.

 

[Edward Reed]

I was very lucky to find one of these! A NOS original Dr. West's Miracle-Tuft toothbrush in the original glass vile with label. the plastic bottom end cap is missing but otherwise mint condition.

In 1938, DuPont Corporation began manufacturing synthetic bristle toothbrushes. Nylon yarn was used along with molded plastic handles. It was advertised as ‘Dr. West’s Miracle-Tuft Toothbrush’. DuPont claimed it was sealed in glass, waterproof, and guaranteed for a year.

With the invention of nylon During World War II, toothbrushes were marketed to the American homefront supporting the war effort with the slogan of: “Your American Duty…To keep well…and keep working!”

 

[LolitaHaze]

I was very lucky to find one of these! A NOS original Dr. West's Miracle-Tuft toothbrush in the original glass vile with label. the plastic bottom end cap is missing but otherwise mint condition.

In 1938, DuPont Corporation began manufacturing synthetic bristle toothbrushes. Nylon yarn was used along with molded plastic handles. It was advertised as ‘Dr. West’s Miracle-Tuft Toothbrush’. DuPont claimed it was sealed in glass, waterproof, and guaranteed for a year.

With the invention of nylon During World War II, toothbrushes were marketed to the American homefront supporting the war effort with the slogan of: “Your American Duty…To keep well…and keep working!”

That is super fantastic! Thanks for including the ads with your post! It really brings the past to life next to your NOS toothbrush!