Charming spots or disgusting clusters of ugliness? Perception of freckles changed 180 degrees. Until recently, they were almost a symptom of a disease. And no means were used to effectively eliminate freckles.
When a photo of a smiling teenage Kate Moss in a plume decorated the cover of British magazine "The Face" in 1990, no one bothered her freckles. Moreover, it was thanks to these tiny aggregates of pigment that her face radiated freshness.
When her career gained momentum, even on the covers of the "bible of fashion" (as long as the artists used Photoshop, of course), delicate dots showed under the makeup. Today no one makes a tragedy out of freckles.
People who often look as if they are sunbathing through a strainer are told that these tiny dots even add beauty. Ba! The perception of the brown spots changed to such an extent that make-up specialists started imitating them, spicing them up for ladies after applying the foundation.
In the interwar period, freckles were considered a terrible beauty drawback. The magazines at that time were full of advertisements for removing these little dots (source:public domain).
In 1918, Kate Moss would not have the slightest chance of making a career in modeling. Her iconic photo showing a freckled face contemporary ladies would have considered the image of a village girl grazing a cow. No elegant woman allowed herself to be neglected leading to such a disfigurement!
Zmora elegantek
Even the invaluable doctor Julia Świtalska - the greatest beauty authority of the interwar period - in Cosmetics of Everyday Life she called freckles a real bane. Both young girls and old ladies were ready to bring the heaviest cannons out of their arsenal, just to remove them.
In each cosmetic guide, you could find methods of getting rid of the problem, often not very pleasant. In 1935, a journalist for "My Friend" recommended the Sorrowful American a way that - as she announced - irritated the skin.
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First of all, fighting freckles required patience and diligence, but the measures advertised in the press (and there were plenty of them!) Yielded poor results. Instead of them it was possible (and you can today, if someone wants to feel in the situation of the former lady!) To use much simpler, home-made products.
Lemon with freckles
Just take lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide in a 5% concentration. We mix them one to one and use it to smear the skin to remove freckles. Of course you have to be careful and avoid the eye area.
The second option is a parsley preparation. Freshly picked parsley pour water and set aside for 24 hours. After this time has elapsed, drain and add a liter of water to the obtained liquid, in which we have previously mixed a teaspoon of benzoin tincture (tincture is a tincture made of vegetable or animal substances dissolved in alcohol).
With the ready mixture, we wash the places from which we want to remove the excess pigment. To intensify the effect, you can soak a handkerchief or a towel, put the compress on the most freckled place and keep it for an hour.
The goddess Isis certainly didn't have freckles. Be like Izis (source:"My Friend", 1939, public domain).
Spotted epidemic
There are more antidotes. And it is hardly surprising, because freckles in the Second Polish Republic were considered a real epidemic. They were also treated this way. We can fight discolorations, for example, using methods straight from "My Friend":although from a different number than the above-mentioned one. Be warned, however, that this is an advanced method.
Molli from Bygdoszcz from a newspaper columnist got a recipe for a cucumber cream, which not only helps to get rid of freckles, but also makes the skin more delicate. To prepare it, we need four greenhouse cucumbers .
They must come from a reliable source, preferably from organic farming, so as to avoid unwanted doses of chemicals. Cut two cucumbers as if they were a cucumber salad, put them in a bowl and pour over 100 grams of sweet almond oil or good quality olive oil . Let it stand for 2-3 days, then filter it through gauze, lightly squeezing the oil.
Add the juice of the other two cucumbers to the liquid we obtained. It is best to grate them on a fine mesh, squeeze tightly and filter. In addition, we also need 50 grams of glycerin , 3 tablespoons of spirit and half a teaspoon of borax . In a water bath, in a small pot, dissolve 50 grams of lanolin and 50 grams of wax .
The aversion to freckles, common before the Second World War, seems to us to be at least ridiculous today. The illustration shows another advertisement from the then magazine (source:"Moja Przyjaciółka", 1939, public domain).
Once they are combined, slowly pour all the other ingredients into them. We mix until the effect. Finally, add 10 grams of Peruvian Balm (disinfects the skin and speeds up wound healing) and possibly gently perfumed it.
When the mixture has cooled down, its consistency will begin to change to a slightly creamy texture. This preparation - free from the excess of chemicals that modern cosmetics stuff us with - is best kept in the refrigerator and used within a few weeks. In addition, this method of storage will enhance the feeling of refreshing the skin when applying.