Hey, everyone, and welcome back to part three of 25 forgotten beauty secrets women in the 1950’s part 3!
It is so fascinating to discover or re-discover beauty secrets from the 1950s, specifically with women. From Pond’s Cold Cream and Vaseline petroleum jelly, such as did you know Kleenex facial tissue was invented in 1924, by Kimberly-Clark through the global phenomenon of Pond’s Cold Cream? How about additional inventions through the miracle in a jar, Pond’s Cold Cream, which include, in addition to the invention of Kleenex facial tissue, but not limited to, cream-based cleansers and cleansing balms that evolved from Pond’s Cold Cream? And Vaseline petroleum jelly? Oh, and those Old Hollywood icons from Marilyn Monroe, to Jackie Kennedy in her early years, and more of whom relied on Pond’s Cold Cream as a “primer” and for everything, even though they had their skin-care doctor to prescribe high-end luxury products, as well as Vaseline as another primer option. Marilyn Monroe’s make-up artist applied Vaseline before make-up application, whether its for film, photo-shoots or whichever. On film it delivered a natural glow, if you will. Check 25 forgotten beauty secrets women in the 1950’s part 1!
Check out part two, discover Joan Crawford’s pore tightening secret, her infamous ice water facials; Do you want to take a bath like Marilyn Monroe? Then you’ll love to re-create her documented ice bath; pin curls; sleeping in pin curls and why women resorted to this method; silk (and satin) pillowcases, how to refrain from waking up with “the frizz” or “bedhead frizz”; vinegar, lemon juice and beer hair rinse, and why the ladies of 1950s relied on hair rinses. Rainwater, anyone?
In this section of part three, enjoy household skin-care remedies (Aspirin Masks, Witch Hazel and Baking Soda), homemade hair masks and conditioners (egg, mayo and olive oil treatments and Rita Hayworth’s documented hair treatment!), cold spoons for de-puffing the eyes, scalp oiling & packing (Black hair-care) and Aerosol Hairspray.
Household Remedies for Skin Blemishes:
Aspirin Masks, Witch Hazel and Baking Soda
Before skin-care has evolved into sophistication form, women relied on simple household remedies for blemishes and irritation. Aspirin masks, witch hazel and baking soda were among the most popular treatments.
Women often relied on accessible pantry and medicine cabinet items for home-made skin-care. These frugal, do-it-yourself treatments were passed down through generations or shared in women’s magazines. They utilized household staples as quick, budget-friendly fixes for blemishes and oily skin.
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) was crushed and mixed with water to create a paste for spot treatments. Witch hazel was applied with cotton pads to soothe and tone the skin. Baking soda was used as a gentle exfoliant or mixed into masks.
Presently equivalent, while over-the-counter treatments now offer targeted solutions, many still turn to these classic remedies for their affordability and effectiveness. Witch hazel remains a popular toner and aspirin masks are recommended by some dermatologists for occasional use.
Note: While these historical hacks are fascinating and cost-effective, modern dermatology advises caution. These harsh ingredients can cause severe dryness, irritation and disrupt your skin barrier if overused. Always proceed with a patch test.
Hair Masks and Conditioners:
Egg, Mayonnaise and Olive Oil Treatments
Before commercial conditioners, women relied on kitchen ingredients to nourish their hair. Egg, mayonnaise and olive oil were prized for their moisturizing and strengthening properties.
Back in the 1950s, the term “hair mask” did not exist; instead, deeply conditioning treatments were called “re-conditioning treatments,” “creme treatments,” or “scalp packs.” Because women of the 1950s washed their hair only once a week and subjected it to harsh chemical perms, baking hood dryers and rigid styling lacquers, deep conditioning was an essential ritual.
Application
Eggs were beaten and applied to damp hair, sometimes mixed with oil or honey, then left for 20–30 minutes before rinsing with cool water. Mayonnaise and olive oil were used similarly, providing shine and softness
1. The Lanolin Craze
(Commercial “Creme Packs”)
Treatment
Originally created for Hollywood actors whose hair was fried by studio lighting. This intense, 100% waterless compound of lanolin and oils became a massive commercial hit for home use in the 50s.
Women applied these heavy creme ointments generously from root to tip. To help the thick lipids penetrate the hair cuticle, they would wrap their heads in a piping-hot, wrung-out bath towel or sit under a home salon hood dryer for 20 to 30 minutes before shampooing the excess out.
2. Egg-Enriched Deep Conditioners
Commercial Creme Shampoos
Drugstore shelves were flooded with products like Richard Hudnut Enriched Creme Shampoo, which boasted real dried egg powder right on the label.
The DIY Egg Pack
For a deep at-home treatment, women beat raw egg yolks with a tablespoon of olive oil or castor oil. They massaged the raw mixture into dry hair, left it on for half an hour under a plastic shower cap and rinsed it out with tepid water (using hot water would accidentally cook the egg into the hair).
3. The Mayonnaise Pack
For women dealing with severe breakage from early at-home chemical perms (like Toni Home Permanents), mayonnaise was the ultimate heavy-duty kitchen mask.
Because mayonnaise is an emulsion of soybean oil, egg yolks and vinegar. This hair mixture acted as a perfect all-in-one mid-century hair mask.
The oils and eggs deeply moisturized and smoothed the frizzy hair cuticles, while the mild acidity of the vinegar lowered the hair’s pH back to normal after a harsh chemical processing treatment.
4. Scalp Oiling & Packing (Black Hair Care)
For Black women navigating the high-volume, sculpted styles of the 1950s, deep conditioning often focused heavily on scalp health and moisture retention.
Because styling heavily featured metal hot combs heated over gas stoves to temporarily relax texture, the hair was highly prone to thermal damage.
The Treatments
Women used dense, nourishing grease packs and petrolatum-based treatments from pioneering Black-owned brands like Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company. Heavy pressing oils and sulphur-infused scalp ointments were applied thickly as a mask to soothe the scalp and protect the hair strands from structural snap-breakage.
Olive Oil Treatments
women embraced simple, kitchen-pantry beauty hacks to achieve glossy Old Hollywood hair and glowing skin. Olive oil was a go-to remedy used as an intensive, deep-penetrating hot oil treatment for dry hair, and blended with ingredients like mayonnaise and eggs for conditioning.
Hair Treatments
The “Hollywood” Mask
Rita Hayworth is documented as using a version of olive oil, egg and lemon-based hair treatment. to mix olive oil with mayonnaise, raw eggs, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Rita Hayworth famously treated her heavily dyed hair with olive oil, then rinsed it with hot water and lemon juice to remove residue. This routine appears in multiple historical accounts and beauty write‑ups.
Why it matters
Her method is the closest Old Hollywood match to the modern “mayo + egg + olive oil + lemon” mask, because mayonnaise is simply oil + egg + acid (vinegar/lemon). So while she didn’t use mayonnaise itself, she used the same core ingredients in their raw form.
Hot Oil Applications
Women warmed olive oil and massaged it into the scalp and hair to restore shine to over-processed, dull hair.
Overnight Conditioning
For severely dry or brittle strands, some women wrapped their oiled hair in a silk scarf and left it on overnight to deeply lock in moisture.
Unlike today’s specialized serums, women of this era relied heavily on domestic, accessible knowledge. However, modern dermatologists note some caveats to these vintage methods. While heavily moisturizing, applying olive oil can be problematic for acne-prone skin because it is moderately heavy and can clog pores. Additionally, in an era before widespread SPF, women using olive oil for skin conditioning sometimes exposed themselves to the sun, risking severe sunburns.
Cold spoons for de‑puffing eyes
The 1950s beauty culture emphasized a polished, “always‑presentable” look and promoted simple, inexpensive home remedies such as cold creams, chilled cloths and quick cold compresses. These routines were widely taught in women’s magazines, beauty columns and salon lore, which presented chilled compresses as an easy way to look rested before social calls or work.
Typical 1950s ritual
Chill a metal spoon or small metal bowl in the refrigerator or run it under cold water; lie back with eyes closed; place the rounded spoon bowl at the inner corner of the eye and sweep outward toward the temple a few times; finish with cold cream. This sequence matched the era’s ritualized grooming and was often framed as a Hollywood or magazine “secret.”
Stainless‑steel teaspoons transfer cold quickly, are easy to clean, and were a convenient household tool for a quick, temporary de‑puffing effect.
Aerosol Hairspray
Aerosol hairspray revolutionized beauty in the 1950s. Adapted from WWII bug spray technology, it allowed women to ditch sticky hair lacquers and finally achieve the rigid hold required for iconic styles like the bouffant, French twist, and pompadour.
The 1950s Hairspray Boom
Beauty company Helene Curtis popularized the product in 1950 with their iconic Spray Net, which was actually responsible for coining the term “hairspray”.
Brands like Aqua Net, White Rain, and Lady Patricia dominated bathroom counters and local beauty salons across North America.
Unlike modern lightweight mists, the 1950s formulas used high amounts of shellac and harsh resins in a propellant base. These formulas gave hairstyles an iron-clad freeze, making them highly flammable.
How They Styled Their Hair
Women visited local salons for a weekly wash, set, and styling, using heavy coats of aerosol to make the sculpted pin curls and victory rolls last for days.
Because the spray was so heavily lacquered, women would use toilet paper to block their faces while spraying.
The extreme grip of 1950s aerosol was the catalyst for the towering, highly structured “beehive” hairstyles that exploded into the 1960s.
I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading. Until next time!
do you feel fabulous today?
Face by Stace 