Cold cream

History

The invention of cold cream is credited to Galen, a physician in second century Greece. The original formulation involved rose water, beeswax, and either almond or olive oil. The beeswax is essential to a successful cream, as it is the emulsifying ingredient, but it is extremely inefficient compared to modern emulsifiers. Creams made with only beeswax require extensive mixing and can separate upon standing. Thus, small quantities of borax were later added in addition to the beeswax. Borax saponifies fatty acids in the beeswax and allows for a more stable cream, using the small quantities of soap created as the emulsifying agent.

This 1857 account relates:

In France, this substance is still known as cérat de Galien ('Galen's Wax'). A copy of the London Dispensatory, edited by Nicholas Culpeper and published in the year 1650 included the following formula for this substance:

An 1814 poem credited to "Dr. Russell" gives the following account of the benefits attributed to cold cream in that day:

You with words to this purpose your present commend;

Whoe'er with this cream shall her countenance smear,

All redness and roughness will strait disappear,

And the skin to a wonder be charmingly clear;

If pimples arise, this will take them away;

If the small-pox should mark you, those marks will decay;

If wrinkled through age, or bad dawbing the face is,

'Twill be smooth in a trice, as the best Venice glass is;

All this, and much more (could I spare time to write it,

Or my pen go as fast, as your lips would indite it)

You affirm of your cream: and I would not abuse it,

But pray tell me one thing—Do you yourself use it?|Dr. Russell|To A Lady: in imitation of the thirtieth Epigram of the fifth Book of Martial}}

When mixed with water, plant oils spoil rapidly, so cold cream was most often made in small batches at home or in local pharmacies.

Modern formulation

Almost all modern cold creams have replaced the plant oils with mineral oil and have added alcohol, glycerin, and lanolin. and Noxzema.

Over the centuries, new uses have been found for the product: "As a toilet requisite cold cream is used for softening and cooling the skin after sunburn, as a cleansing cream, to relieve harshness of the skin, etc."

References

References

1. Oliver, Dana. (17 May 2012). "Cold Cream And Its Many Uses: 7 Readers Tell Us How They Use The Beauty Staple (PHOTOS)". Huff Post.
2. Sherrow, Victoria. (2001). "For Appearance' Sake: The Historical Encyclopedia of Good Looks, Beauty, and Grooming".
3. Piesse, George William Septimus. (1857). "The Art of Perfumery".
4. Moore, J. B.. (1869). "On Cold Cream". [[Philadelphia College of Pharmacy]].
5. Dr. Russell. (1814). "The poetical register, and repository of fugitive poetry". Rivington, F. C. and J.
6. "Cold Cream Cleanser". Ponds.
7. "Original Cleansing Cream". Noxzema.
8. Hammerton, John Alexander. (1920). "Harmsworth's Household Encyclopedia: A Practical Guide to All Home Crafts".