Rachel Lynn Geiger
December 13, 1996
AMST 205 Sec. 0201
Project 3

There were three types of influences felt by the women of Greenbelt when it came to the purchasing and use of beauty products. Being 1938, these women had the idols of the great silver screen to follow. Secondly, magazines such as Good Housekeeping provided columns in every issue with advice on how to deal with problems from stringy hair to "five minute makeup refresher." Lastly, the had the ingenuity of there fellow residents for advice regarding the safety of various products as well as "kitchen recipe" cost-saving alternatives.

Max Factor worked as a make-up artist in Hollywood for the First World War, developing cosmetics more suited to the new medium of film that the heavier theatre make-up, and later launching his own company to sell them to the cinema-going public.

On a visit to London in 1937 he demonstrated how he could use his cosmetics to turn 'the girl in the street' into the image of a film actress. In this photograph [in the original book] Olga Laurence is being given the Joan Crawford look with long false eyelashes and heavy lips; in another a dental nurse is being made to look like Greta Garbo. . . . this was an amusing sales ploy, for a girl, having seen her favourite star in the cinema, could buy or make copies of her clothes, and so would naturally want to imitate her make-up as well. With plucked brows pencilled into an unnatural line, heavy lipstick, and eye make-up, it was very much the application of a look rather than the heightening of a natural appearance. ⁹

Not only were the star crazed to be found in London, but the phenomenon traversed the Atlantic to the States. Everywhere from Hollywood to New York, Miami to Boston, and yes, even Greenbelt you could find the "Garbo" or the "Crawford" at the local market.

Although slightly less severe than the actresses themselves, the 1938 women of Greenbelt clamored for their beauty products. From soaps and lotions to mascara and lipsticks, every women had her own favorite. This became evident when the Greenbelt drugstore was on the verge of opening, the "Mrs. Gullible" column in the Greenbelt Cooperator acknowledge this very fact. "The drug store in Greenbelt because of its cooperative nature could be more ethical [than other drug stores] in its recommendations. But ethical and honest as the policy of the store may be, it will have to comply with the customer's demands."¹⁰

This little girl has straight hair which is stringy unless something is done to coax it into prettiness. Her mother has become an expert in the use of rubber curlers. She parts the hair off cent and divides it into three round-the-head rows. Each section of the hair is drawn through a slit in the curler and buttoned tightly. The wavers are soft so that the child can wear them without discomfort while sleeping. When they are removed, her hair brushes easily into smooth, shining ringlets.

Big girls who write me that their hair becomes straggly between shampoos will profit by the same technique.¹¹

The pictures above were inspired by a question from a reader who wants her face to look as fresh and unlined at dinner as it does first thing in the morning. We like her spirit. Home-coming husbands and children like to be met by a wife and mother who looks as if she had no cares worth mentioning. . .

. . . Five o'clock is the time for giving the tired daytime face a fresh, gay appearance to welcome a home-coming husband. Here is a complete--and not expensive--set of cosmetics for the purpose.¹²

"The Beauty Clinic" column was a staple in Good House Keeping throughout 1938. Although the author is never mentioned, even under a nom-de-plume, it appears that they were truly in touch with their clientele and the place and responsibilities of a woman near the turn of the decade. Her responses to beauty questions regarding children and husband's opinions and preferences reflects how women thought about themselves during this period.

These are excerpts from a lengthy study entitled "Cosmetics" created by the Consumers Discussion Group No. 2. This group was one of the first groups formed by the women of Greenbelt to deal with consumer problems and concerns that have particular importance to the community. Other topics that have been researched by similar groups include: the meat and egg grading process and the health insurance and medical care for the community.

This particular group relied on various documents to draw their conclusions, including: Consumers Union of the U.S., Consumers Research, Skin Deep by Mary Catherine Phillips, and documents from the Co-operative Distributors. In addition to their extensive studies, it is quite evident that these women have incorporated their own thrifty remedies as alternatives to costly products. All of their findings were published in the "Mrs. Greenbelt" section of the Greenbelt Cooperator.

Although the focus of this consumer group was primarily on women's cosmetics and skincare products, notice was also taken to men's products as well, such as shaving cream and after-shave lotion along with the unisex products of toothpaste and soap. Asher Kobin has investigated the many facets of the male toilette in his exhibit entitled Men's Shaving. In this exhibit Korbin discusses the various implements used in the shaving routine including, safety and electric razors, as well as the marketing and corporate side of the business.

Rouges---Tested for harmful ingredients: lead, barium, orris root, and rice starch; Of those tested the following have been found most nearly free of these harmful ingredients: Kissproof, Three Flowers, Princess Pat, Max Factor's Rouge Cream. . .

Lipsticks---Tested for arsenic, aniline dyes, benzol, vermilion and salt of barium. Recommended: Angelous Rouge Incarnate, Richard Hudnut, Pompeian, Tangee, Vanity Fair. . .

Face Powders---Should be composed of talc, color, perfume, and kaolin which causes it to adhere. Recommended: Max Factor's, Armand's, Lady Esther, Johnson's, Three Flowers, Woodbury's, Jonteel, Ponds, Parke-Davis, Bolle Fleur, Hollywood Extra Theatrical, and C.D. [Co-operative Distributors]. . .

Vanishing Cream---We do not recommend any vanishing cream as it is composed of stearate soap which irritates the skin. . .

Hand Lotions---Warm Olive Oil or Lanolin are good lotions. Lotions containing carbolic acid should be avoided. Recommended: Kitchen Hand Lotion, Landers Almond Benzoin Lotion, C.D. Hand Lotion, Cashmere Bouquet Lotion, Mystic Lotion, Ambrosia, Hind's Honey & Almond Cream, Barbara Gould Hand Lotion, Chamberlain's Lotion, Squibb Hand Lotion, and Frostilla. . .

Deodorants---Formaldehyde, 2% solution. . .

Shampoos---Tested for alkali and arsenic. Recommended: Ivory or Lux Flakes. . .

Dentrifices for Natural or Artificial Teeth---1 oz. [baking] soda plus 1 lb. precipitated chalk.13