Vintage Hygiene: Face

"To be beautiful and natural is the birthright of every woman." ~ Constance Bennett, 1937

This post is part two of four.  The first post can be seen HERE.  This week's topic is skincare for your face.  I'm definitely not one who has flawless skin.  FAR from it.  I have second stage Rosacea, which means that I'm 48 and still break out!  It's not actually acne like the teenage years, so it doesn't respond to normal care.  It is definitely frustrating.  On top of that, my skin is very dry.  If I try to exfoliate, my skin gets bright red and is painful.  Fun, fun, fun.

I know that the biggest factor that I could change to improve the condition of my skin is to completely stop eating sugar and instead fill up on whole foods, especially veggies.  Also, water, lots of water.  I'm working on that.

Meanwhile, I've actually been using a product that was invented 150 years ago:  Pond's Cold Cream.  I love it!  I use it to remove my makeup at night.  After I remove all the residue, I put on a another thin layer for the night during the winter.  I don't need the extra layer in the summer. 

My favorite vintage tip for my morning routine came from the Vintage Notions book.  The advice is to use COLD water to splash on your face.  After that, dab up the excess water but leave some.  Then, take a little of the cold cream and smooth it around, letting it soak in before applying makeup.  I've seen a major difference in the smoothness.  Winter is still a challenge, so I'm working on the food and water to aid that!

For fun I came across a You Tube video from 1937.  Constance Bennett goes through her morning routine after waking up in a bed that I am now coveting.  Her maid is a pest, though.  I wasn't quite sure WHAT Constance would do if she bothered her one more time!

Oh, and if you're lazy like I am and wear powder "rouge," don't be offended.  Maybe she's right and we should try cream rouge?  Constance would know.

Next Week: Vintage Tips for the Hair