Queenie May's Vintage Skincare

"Marilyn Monroe maintained diamonds are a girl’s best friend and Coco Chanel is said to have created the little black dress, but for me true vintage glamour starts with flawless skin. In this modern age of parabens, silicones, and ingredients with names as long as your arm, the battle for the perfect face can be a minefield." - Lulu Brandy

As many of you already now I'm an avid Avène user for many many years - and I thought I would never use another brand again for any of my skin care needs. Avène is a range that combines pharmaceutical ethics with cosmetic appeal, has its basis in dermatology treatments and was designed specifically for the needs of sensitive, intolerant and allergy prone skin. 

All Avene products are based on the soothing and non-irritating properties of Avene Thermal Spring Water. Lately I also used Dr. Hauschka!

First, most skin care products on the market today are using ingredients that are relatively new inventions.

I'm a student of Pharmacy so I pretty much always look at the ingredients in skincare and cosmetics. 

Behind the glossy images in magazines, on television and web there lies a dangerous secret. Most skincare products, even the so called “natural” ones, contain many of the same harsh chemicals used in industrial processes.

Nowadays, all one has to do is walk down the beauty aisles of any store to see that there are literally thousands of products out there for every imaginable purpose you could think of! Take for example cleansers: they may be plain soap, foaming, for sensitive skin, for oily skin, for dry skin, for combination skin, cream cleansers, cleansing wipes, cleansers with added vitamins, cleansers with exfoliating beads...) You get the idea! And that's just cleansing! What about day lotions, night creams, repairing serums, pimple treatments, eye creams, exfoliating scrubs, masks, toners, etc. etc. etc.! It's overwhelming, confusing, and can be expensive...

I have always had an interest in skincare from the past times.

How women cared for themselves in the early 1900s? The key word: Simply!

I know that sounds crazy but oil works with the skin and women have used oil to cleanse for hundreds of years. 

Why vintage skincare? Continue reading and you will get the answers...

To be honest I was really surprised in a positive way, when I received an email from Queenie May last month. Thank you so much again! She asked if I would try out their new skincare set: Cold Cream to cleanse and Vanishing Cream to moisturise - simple but satisfying. But... Who is Queenie May?

Read her interesting story here: http://www.queeniemay.com/about-queenie-may.html

The real Queenie May's photo has been found. She was a showgirl in the early 1900s.

Our moms, aunts, great aunts and grandmothers also swear by this stuff! They said that is what they used to keep their beautiful flawless skin, before all this new age stuff came along.

Remember cold cream? 

The concept of cold cream is quite ancient. Credit for the invention is usually given to Galen, a second century Greek physician who developed an emulsion of beeswax, oil, rose petals, and water. The cream was designed to moisturize and condition the face, and to help remove the harsh makeup of the period. In some regions, cold cream is called “cream of Galen” or “Galen's cream” in a reference to this; the “cold” in cold cream comes from the cool, refreshing feeling that it leaves behind.

It’s wonderful for removing makeup! After I wipe it off with inexpensive baby wipes, I drape a hot washcloth on my face for 30 seconds or so, then wipe again, removing the rest of the cream and gently exfoliating my very sensitive skin. 

Cold cream is quite heavy in consistency, so people with oily skin will probably not be great fans, as it will feel very “greasy” to them, though they can still use it as a makeup remover. 

„Is a return to a more glamorous time.

Before cosmetics companies confused us with all their potions  women had a skincare ritual which was passed down from mother to daughter.

Queenie May wants to make skincare glamorous again.

With our pretty, romantic jars and our luxurious formulae, we want women to enjoy their skincare routine.

Cold Cream - for cleansing and removing makeup.

Vanishing Cream - a luxurious moisturiser.

Our products are made from recipes of the 1930s and our ingredients are 100% pure and natural.“

Vanishing creams get their name from the fact that they seemed to disappear when spread onto the skin. The first commercial vanishing cream, ‘Hazeline Snow’ was introduced by Burroughs Wellcombe in 1892. Pond’s, whose name is most closely linked with vanishing creams, began production in 1904.

Vanishing Creams had the advantage of being non-greasy which made them suitable for use during the day and by women with oily skin. In addition to keeping powder on the face, they were also advertised as protecting the skin from the elements such as ‘chapping winds’ and ‘sooty breezes’. The presence of a humectant was also was used as the basis for claims that they helped reduce moisture loss from dry skin.

As vanishing creams had a semi-matt finish, they could also be used without powder to reduce the effects of oiliness and shine on skin.

This is a great primer for powder foundation.  I've been using this product for about a week now, and I've noticed a difference already. It really leaves my skin feeling matte, taking away that combination-to-oily feeling.

The first thing I noticed about this moisturiser was indeed how light it was. It wasn't thick and greasy, but it wasn't runny and watery either. The product is a bright white colour, it doesn't have any 'bits' in it's just nice and smooth. It was easy to rub onto my face and it absorbed nicely. It didn't leave my face looking greasy or shiny, in fact quite the opposite effect. My skin felt lovely and soft and smooth, it was lovely. 

Bringing out the glamour in every girl!

My skin afterwards felt instantly brighter, and it was left really soft and feeling very clean. I love this range and would really recommend these products. You can buy these items from Queenie, here is the link:

http://www.thevanitycase.co.nz/queenie-mays-vintage-skincare.html

With love,

Idda van Munster