Old Time Face Powders of the Edwardian Era

The use of makeup and cosmetics was generally frowned upon during the Edwardian era. Even a decade later during the roaring twenties, when star-to-be George Burns met his star-to-be and wife-to-be Gracie Allen, he mentioned with some irony that she had made a point of not wearing any lipstick when going out, because "it was well known that the only people who wore lipstick were prostitutes and actresses."

The one cosmetic for which an exception was made was that of face powder. One woman is documented as having remarked, "It isn't decent not to [wear powder] in the summer -- one looks so greasy without." Health books of the time that railed against the use of makeup assured that a little face powder was all a person needed. However, the lack of regulation at the time meant that many face powders were not safe to use -- a fact of which people were surprisingly aware. Plain talc, cornstarch, or rice flour were often recommended for use as safe powders, and beauty books advised their readers on how to select safe formulations if they still sought to purchase commercial beauty products.

The book Mother's Remedies (1910) gives instruction for how to apply face powder, following a system which was pretty common at the time:

TO USE POWDER.—Wash the face; rub a little cold cream over it, rubbing it in well, wipe with a dry towel, gently, then apply the powder with a chamois—a clean one. Do not keep it on unnecessarily. Remove by rubbing with the cleansing cream, then wash the face. Never go to bed with powder on your face.

These recipes were presumably meant for people with skin less greasy than I have, for they always recommend applying some oily substance to the face beforehand to help it stick. It could be anything from olive oil to Vaseline: just apply, blot, then powder. Admittedly the trick does help to ensure the powder spreads evenly and sticks heavily, assisting one in making that desirable porcelain doll look.

For those who would like authentic face powders, try these on for size:

T. LeClerc has been making face powders since the 1890s. This brand would have been known to Victorian and Edwardian ladies.

This is a newer brand, but, the formula consists mostly of talc and rice flour -- a very period-correct recipe. I can say having used this that the "translucent" shade actually does help give a whitened appearance as would have been sought by the old time Gibson Girls.