The History of Skincare
Skincare Is Far Older Than You Might Think
When we think about skincare today, we tend to picture moisturisers, cleansers, serums, sunscreen and carefully developed ingredients.
But people have been applying oils, plants, minerals, waxes and other preparations to their skin for thousands of years.
The reasons have changed over time. Skincare has been used for hygiene, comfort, appearance, sun protection, religious rituals and the treatment of skin problems. Some historical ideas were remarkably sophisticated. Others, as we now know, were ineffective or even dangerous.
What is particularly interesting is how many ideas we consider modern have very old roots. Moisturising oils, exfoliation, plant-based ingredients, cold creams and sun protection all have histories stretching back centuries or even millennia.
Some very modern skincare ideas have surprisingly ancient roots.
The History of Skincare at a Glance
ANCIENT EGYPT
Oils, waxes, plant ingredients and minerals were used for skincare, cosmetics and protection.
ANCIENT GREECE & ROME
Bathing, body oils and early cream formulations became established.
MEDIEVAL & RENAISSANCE
Herbal waters, waxes, oils and ointments continued to develop.
ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
Very pale skin became fashionable, sometimes with dangerous consequences.
THE 1800s
Commercially manufactured skincare became increasingly available.
THE 1900s
Cosmetic chemistry, sunscreen and a better scientific understanding of skin transformed skincare.
TODAY
Modern skincare combines formulation science, product safety, skin-barrier research and testing.
Ancient Egypt: Some of the Earliest Recorded Skincare
Ancient Egypt
Provides some of the clearest early evidence of organised skincare and cosmetic practices.
Egyptians used ingredients including plant oils, animal fats, waxes, herbs, perfumes and minerals to create ointments, creams, powders and cosmetics.
Oils such as castor, olive and sesame were among those used, while mineral pigments including red ochre, malachite and kohl played an important role in cosmetics.
Skincare was not purely about appearance. Egypt's hot, dry climate made protecting and conditioning the skin important, while some cosmetic preparations also formed part of religious and funerary traditions.
The Ebers Papyrus
Written around 1550 BC, the Ebers Papyrus is one of the most important surviving Ancient Egyptian medical texts.
It contains hundreds of formulations and includes references to skin and hair conditions, wounds and cosmetic preparations. Waxes and oils were even described in preparations intended to improve the appearance of wrinkles and marks on the skin.
Cleopatra, Aloe Vera and Ancient Beauty Rituals
Aloe Vera also has a long history of use and appears in ancient medicinal traditions.
It remains particularly interesting to Eternal Skincare because Aloe Vera continues to sit at the heart of many of our formulations today.
Did Cleopatra Really Bathe in Milk?
Stories about Cleopatra's beauty routine have survived for centuries.
Perhaps the most famous is the claim that she bathed in sour milk to keep her skin smooth.
It is an appealing story, particularly because sour milk contains lactic acid, which is related to compounds now used in modern skincare.
However, the Cleopatra milk-bath story is better treated as historical legend rather than established fact.
Other Ingredients in Ancient Egyptian Skincare
Other unusual ingredients also appear in records and historical research into Ancient Egyptian cosmetic preparations, including honey, milk and even ostrich egg.
Whatever Cleopatra really used, there is little doubt that skincare and cosmetics were already sophisticated parts of Ancient Egyptian life.
Ancient Greece and Rome: Bathing, Oils and the Birth of Cold Cream
The Ancient Greeks and Romans developed their own approaches to skincare.
Olive oil was widely used on the body, while bathing became an important part of daily and social life. Roman bathhouses in particular turned washing and body care into a much more elaborate ritual.
Wealthy Roman households could also employ cosmetae, attendants who prepared and applied cosmetics and helped with personal grooming.
An Interesting Skincare Myth
The modern word cosmetic does not actually come from cosmetae.
It ultimately derives from the Greek word kosmetikos, relating to arranging, adorning or beautifying.
Who Invented Cold Cream?
One of the most important developments came from the Greek physician Galen of Pergamum, who lived during the Roman period.
More than 1,800 years ago, Galen described a preparation associated with what we now call cold cream.
Its basic principle was surprisingly familiar: combining oil, wax and water to create an emulsion that could be applied to the skin.
Historical versions have been associated with ingredients including rose oil and beeswax.
Modern cold creams have changed considerably, but the principle of combining oil and water within a cream has endured.
A Lesson That Still Matters Today
Traditional does not automatically mean safe, just as modern or synthetic does not automatically mean harmful.
What matters is understanding an ingredient, how much is used, how it is formulated and whether the finished product has been properly assessed.
This is an important bridge between the history and what Eternal Skincare believes today.
The 1800s: Skincare Becomes a Commercial Industry
By the nineteenth century, skincare was beginning to look more recognisable to modern consumers.
Products increasingly moved beyond preparations made at home or by local apothecaries and towards commercially manufactured skincare.
Advertising also became more important, with products being promoted for blemishes, youthful-looking skin and conditions including acne and eczema.
Many of the claims made during this period would not meet the evidence or regulatory standards expected today.
Home Skincare and the Rise of Vaseline
Home skincare certainly did not disappear.
Ingredients including egg yolk, honey and oatmeal continued to be used in homemade preparations intended to soften or improve the appearance of the skin.
Skincare Milestone: Vaseline
Chemist Robert Chesebrough developed a purification process for petroleum jelly during the nineteenth century and began selling it under the Vaseline name around 1870.
Petroleum jelly went on to become one of the world's best-known skin-protecting ingredients.
Talc-based powders also became increasingly familiar household products during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The skincare industry was becoming bigger, more commercial and increasingly accessible.
The Twentieth Century: Skincare Meets Modern Science
The twentieth century transformed skincare.
Scientific understanding of the skin expanded significantly, while advances in chemistry made it possible to formulate products more consistently and on a much larger scale.
Cleansers, moisturisers, creams and lotions became everyday consumer products rather than luxuries available only to a small proportion of society.
Researchers also developed a better understanding of vitamins, skin hydration and the role of different ingredients within cosmetic formulations.
Sun Protection Changes Skincare
Humans had tried to shield their skin from the sun for thousands of years, but modern sunscreens began to emerge during the twentieth century as scientists learned more about ultraviolet radiation.
Commercial sunscreen development accelerated during the 1930s and 1940s, while the concept of sun protection factor was introduced later in the century.
Today, sun protection forms an important part of modern skincare, helping protect skin against ultraviolet exposure and premature visible ageing.
Modern Skincare Is About More Than Ingredients
For much of history, people focused mainly on the reputation of individual ingredients.
Modern cosmetic science allows us to consider much more.
INGREDIENT INTERACTIONS
How ingredients work together within the finished formula.
CONCENTRATION
How much of each ingredient is actually used.
STABILITY
Whether the product remains stable throughout its intended lifespan.
MICROBIOLOGICAL SAFETY
Controlling unwanted microbial contamination.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
How the finished formulation interacts with skin.
PACKAGING
Ensuring the formula and its packaging remain compatible.
Changing trends
A product is not automatically good because it contains a fashionable ingredient, just as an ingredient with a long history of use does not guarantee that every formulation containing it will suit every person's skin.
Modern Skincare: Traditional Ingredients Meet Better Science
Modern skincare has not simply replaced everything that came before it.
Instead, some long-established ingredients continue to be used alongside a much deeper understanding of formulation, safety and the skin itself.
Aloe Vera is a perfect example.
Its history stretches back thousands of years, yet today it can be incorporated into carefully developed cosmetic formulations alongside ingredients and technologies that would have been unimaginable to Ancient Egyptian or Roman skincare users.
Modern Skincare Is About the Finished Product
Modern dermatology has also given us a better understanding of the skin barrier, moisture loss, sensitivity and the ways different skin types can respond to skincare.
For people with sensitive skin in particular, there has also been an important shift towards asking for evidence behind product claims.
At Eternal Skincare, we believe it is not enough simply to choose ingredients that sound gentle. The finished product matters too.
That is why products across our range undergo professional safety assessment, with a number also having been independently dermatologically tested for sensitive skin.
What Has Thousands of Years of Skincare Taught Us?
Perhaps the biggest change in skincare history is not what we put on our skin, but how much more we now understand about why we use it.
HYDRATION IS NOT A NEW IDEA
Ancient oils eventually evolved into sophisticated modern moisturisers.
CREAMS HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARILY LONG HISTORY
Early emulsions helped pave the way for the creams we use today.
PLANT INGREDIENTS NEVER DISAPPEARED
Ingredients including Aloe Vera continue to be used within modern formulations.
EVIDENCE HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING
We no longer have to rely entirely on tradition, fashion or anecdote when deciding what belongs on our skin.
There was no single moment when skincare was invented. Humans have applied oils, plants, minerals and other preparations to their skin for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian records provide some of the earliest detailed written evidence of organised skincare and cosmetic practices.
There was no single moment when skincare was invented. Humans have applied oils, plants, minerals and other preparations to their skin for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian records provide some of the earliest detailed written evidence of organised skincare and cosmetic practices.
Ancient Egyptian cosmetic and skincare preparations included plant oils, animal fats, waxes, herbs, perfumes and minerals. Surviving medical texts also describe preparations containing ingredients such as honey and milk, alongside treatments and cosmetic recipes for the skin and hair.
Ancient Egyptian cosmetic and skincare preparations included plant oils, animal fats, waxes, herbs, perfumes and minerals. Surviving medical texts also describe preparations containing ingredients such as honey and milk, alongside treatments and cosmetic recipes for the skin and hair.
The story that Cleopatra bathed in sour milk is one of history's best-known beauty legends, but there is not strong historical evidence confirming that it formed part of her routine. It is better regarded as skincare folklore rather than established fact.
The story that Cleopatra bathed in sour milk is one of history's best-known beauty legends, but there is not strong historical evidence confirming that it formed part of her routine. It is better regarded as skincare folklore rather than established fact.
Cold cream is strongly associated with the Greek physician Galen of Pergamum, who described an oil, wax and water-based preparation more than 1,800 years ago. Modern cold creams are formulated differently, but the principle of creating an emulsion from oil and water remains familiar today.
Cold cream is strongly associated with the Greek physician Galen of Pergamum, who described an oil, wax and water-based preparation more than 1,800 years ago. Modern cold creams are formulated differently, but the principle of creating an emulsion from oil and water remains familiar today.
Skincare gradually became more recognisably modern during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Commercial manufacturing expanded during the 1800s, while the twentieth century brought major advances in cosmetic chemistry, dermatology, moisturisers, cleansers, sunscreens, ingredient research and product safety.
Skincare gradually became more recognisably modern during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Commercial manufacturing expanded during the 1800s, while the twentieth century brought major advances in cosmetic chemistry, dermatology, moisturisers, cleansers, sunscreens, ingredient research and product safety.
People have used physical coverings and topical preparations to protect themselves from the sun for thousands of years, but recognisably modern commercial sunscreens began developing during the twentieth century. Sunscreen science advanced particularly rapidly from the 1930s onwards, followed later by the development of the sun protection factor system.
People have used physical coverings and topical preparations to protect themselves from the sun for thousands of years, but recognisably modern commercial sunscreens began developing during the twentieth century. Sunscreen science advanced particularly rapidly from the 1930s onwards, followed later by the development of the sun protection factor system.
Not necessarily. Some traditional ingredients remain useful today, but historical skincare also included ingredients that were ineffective or dangerous, including lead-based cosmetics.
Modern skincare has the advantage of improved formulation science, safety assessment and a far greater understanding of how skin functions.
Not necessarily. Some traditional ingredients remain useful today, but historical skincare also included ingredients that were ineffective or dangerous, including lead-based cosmetics.
Modern skincare has the advantage of improved formulation science, safety assessment and a far greater understanding of how skin functions.
Skincare Has Changed. Looking After Your Skin Has Not.
Six thousand years of experimentation has taken skincare from simple oils, plant extracts and mineral preparations to carefully developed products created with modern knowledge of skin, formulation and safety.
At Eternal Skincare, Aloe Vera gives us a connection to that long history of plant-based skincare, while modern formulation and testing allow us to use it in a very different way.
Our approach is simple: understand the ingredients, pay attention to the finished formulation, and create skincare designed to support comfortable, healthy-looking skin without unnecessary complexity.