Using actual vintage makeup

[MsAudreyLaine]

Hello! I recently purchased a container of French made Coty airspun powder from a vintage store that is unopened and looks to be at least 40+ years old.
The woman who sold it to me had a whole box full!

I'm super keen to use it but I don't know if it's got any strange ingredients in it. As far as I know we can't purchase Coty in Australia so I can't compare it to anything.

So...does anyone use original powder with any luck? Also I sound like such a klutz but how do I open the thing!?

And this is my first post so I want to thank you all for such great inspiration

 

[Odalisque]

Since it's a: un-opened and b: a powder, I think you should be safe hygienically.
Now, whether or not the powder has kept its cosmetic integrity is another story. Best bet is to try it out. If it still works like a powder should, great.
I don't know if they changed the ingredients much in the past decades but the current ingredients are

Talc, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Stearate, Magnesium Carbonate, Fragrance, Mineral Oil, Lanolin, Cetyl Alcohol, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, D&C Red 30 Lake, D&C Yellow 5 Zirconium Lake

As for opening it, remove any cellophane wrapping and pull the top up while holding the white rim at the bottom. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[MsAudreyLaine]

Thanks! I'll try it, but for some reason the top doesn't want to budge which is why I asked. It's as if it's been glued together...

Looking forward to reporting back.

 

[KittyT]

I wouldn't use any type of old cosmetics. Many have ingredients in them that are considered unsafe by today's standards.

 

[Grant Fan]

I wouldn't use any type of old cosmetics. Many have ingredients in them that are considered unsafe by today's standards.

I completely agree, ingredients go bad after a while and those ones are super old and preservatives weren't that good back then. I wouldn't dare put that on my skin.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Anything with any sort of animal fats or waxes in it will have certainly gone rancid, so definitely avoid trying to use such products. Mineral oil doesn't turn, however, so some types of lotions and creams using that ingredient might still be safe to try as an experiment. I have a couple bottles of Woodbury's lotion from c. 1945 that are still usable -- but I still wouldn't put it on my face!

Easiest way to tell if it's gone bad? Take a sniff -- there's no mistaking the smell of rancid oils.

 

[Miss 1929]

Why bother?

They haven't changed the formula, so what you get in the store is exactly the same...

and the box is worth WAY more unopened!

But if you must powder from a vintage box (and I totally understand why!), probably better to replace it with new powder. Something probably has gone bad by now and why risk your precious skin!

 

[MsAudreyLaine]

Hmm don't worry I haven't opened it on advice from you all but I am curious about it's value if it's the same as the current product.

 

[SweetieStarr]

Using vintage cosmetics?

Apologies if this was covered elsewhere, but I couldn't find it.

My mother gave me a lovely compact that still has the original and unused powder in it. I'm not sure how old it is, but it is quite a few years old. The powder looks and smells fine. Is it okay to use it? I am leaning towards "no," but am interested to see if any of you have experience with this.

In the alternative, I was thinking of taking the powder out and putting another mirror in that side of the compact. Has anyone done this with old compacts? Did you just get a mirror at a craft store? What type of glue did you use? I'm sure hot glue would work, but I'm not sure if it would damage the compact itself. I am also open to other ideas to do with the other side instead of just leaving it blank.

 

[SayCici]

I don't have any knowledge on old cosmetics, but I'd err on the side of caution and clean it out. Solanah wrote a tutorial on how to fill a compact with new powder on her blog, link.

 

[Idledame]

"They" say that mascara, being moist, gets contaminated. But I figure a dry cosmetic would probably be fine. I never throw anything away, so I still have make-up from the 60's, including my bright blue eye shadows and my mom's red lipsticks. Every so often I try them. I've never had any problem from using them.