When was moisturizer discovered

They knew the importance of taking care of their skin. History has it that one of the earliest lotion bottles belonged to Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut who was rumored to have suffered from skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.

The Ancient Greeks used olive oil and beeswax and even lathered mashed up bread and milk on their faces to help keep their skin moisturized. Over time, different cultures added herbs and fragrances from flowers and fruits to the lotions and skin care salves to make them smell pleasant and add tinting abilities.

One major difference is that in modern life, we shower and bathe in hot water much more regularly and even though it keeps us clean, it is not doing our skin any favors. All the hot water strips our skin of its natural oils and moisture, leaving it quite dry. When they rubbed the whitish cream into their skin, it produced a white layer with a smooth powdery texture.

The latter quality was created by the starch - still used for this purpose in modern cosmetics. Professor Richard Evershed from Bristol University said: 'White face paint was fashionable in Roman times and normally derived its colour from a lead compound.

Article 10 NOV Research Highlight 04 NOV Research Highlight 29 OCT Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily. Advanced search. Skip to main content Thank you for visiting nature. Access through your institution. Cleopatra was known for bathing in milk baths and using what she considered the best face moisturizer for her skin—sour milk.

This was not only a good exfoliant, it also had skin lightening properties. Ancient Greeks also used moisturizing creams and lotions made of olive oil scented with spices and essential oils.

There is written history depicting a Greek practice of using what they considered at the time to be the best face moisturizer—a mixture of bread and milk blended and patted on to the face at night as an anti-aging night cream. Sometimes the juice of crushed berries was added, making this probably the first face moisturizer with antioxidant ingredients to fight free-radicals … though at the time they probably simply enjoyed the rosy tint that it left on the skin. The Romans also used many different moisturizers.

When the lid was opened, the mixture inside still held the fingerprints of its ancient owner. Scientists analyzed and then recreated the face moisturizer. They discovered it was a blend of animal fat, ground tin, and plant starch. Recreating the recipe showed them that the tin added a slight tint, while the fat moisturized the skin.

It was definitely one of the best face moisturizer mixtures possible at the time.