1857 Cold Cream
Crême de Concombre
Cucumber Cold Cream
Original Recipe

BRAND NEW LOOK: 
2oz Jar - 1.75oz/49.6g
Sample Size = 1/8 oz Container


Today many think that Civil War women didn't wear cosmetics, and while that belief is highly regarded as fact, in truth, when you look at cosmetics use thought history, the 1850-1860s were more focused on a natural look, but that doesn't mean cosmetics didn't exist and general women didn't wear them. On the contrary, cosmetics were worn, which gave the skin a natural healthy glow as well as slight blushing of cheeks and lips. So rouges that gave just a hint of blush were worn. Check out our Authentic 1857 " Natural Tint For The Lips".

Cold Creams were used as a moisturizer and to take off the slightest bit of rouge. They protect the skin, making it supple, smooth, and healthy. Cucumber and Neroli products were very popular at this time. This Authentic recipe uses both Cucumber and Neroli to give a lovely fresh scent. A little goes a long way. Apply it before bed or in the morning. Use it to clean your face from dirt or cosmetics.

Cucumbers contain good amounts of antioxidants like B carotene, A-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lutein. These compounds act as a scavenger against free radicals that lead to aging and other age-related diseases. It is also known to reduce unwanted inflammation. It accomplishes the task by inhibiting the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes like cyclo-oxygenase and by preventing the overproduction of nitric oxides, which leads to excessive inflammation. Cucumbers also Revitalize Skin, Reverses Skin Tanning ( Very important in the Civil War), Controls Eye Puffiness, Reduce Sun Burn, Rejuvenates Skin, Treats Open Pores Fights Cellulite, Hydrates Skin, Reduces Dark Circles, and Treats Blemishes. It's also great for your hair!  

It's pretty obvious why this was a cherished Recipe in the Civil War!


Here is an excerpt from the recipe book that talks about cold creams. "Galen, the celebrated physician of Pergamos, in Asia, but who distinguished himself at Athens, Alexandria, and Rome, about 1700 years ago, was the inventor of that peculiar unguent, a mixture of grease and water, which is now distinguished as cold cream in perfumery, and as Ceratum Galeni in Pharmacy.
The modern formula for cold cream is, however, quite a different thing to that given in the works of Galen in point of odor and quality, although substantially the same—grease and water. In perfumery, there are several kinds of cold cream, distinguished by their odor, such as that of camphor, almond, violet, roses, &c. Cold cream, as made by English perfumers, bears a high reputation, not only at home but throughout Europe; the quantity exported, which can only be reckoned by jars in hundreds of dozens, and the repeated announcements that may be seen in the shops on the Continent, in Germany, France, and Italy, of "Cold Crême Anglaise," is good proof of the estimation in which it is held." G. Piesse 1857