Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, founded in 1221 in Florence, Italy, is considered the oldest beauty and perfume brand still in existence. While other brands like Yardley London (1770) or Shiseido (1872) are famous for being early commercial cosmetics, Santa Maria Novella originated as a Dominican friar pharmacy, producing scented waters and skincare for centuries before becoming a commercial brand.
Most well-known cosmetics & make-up brands in the United States 2025. L'Oréal is the most well-known cosmetics and make-up brand in the U.S., followed by Revlon, COVERGIRL, and Avon.
2000 year-old Roman face cream/lotion. Dating back to II AD. Object was found in the temple complex dedicated to Mars. It's world's oldest cosmetic face cream and it has finger marks in the lid.
The earliest historical record of makeup comes from the 1st Dynasty of Egypt (c. 3100-2907 BC). Tombs from this era have revealed unguent jars, which in later periods were scented. Unguent was a substance extensively used by men and women to keep their skin hydrated and supple and to avoid wrinkles from the dry heat.
Shiseido Company, is a Japanese luxury personal care company, that is a skin care, hair care, cosmetics and fragrance producer. It is one of the oldest cosmetics companies in the world. Founded in 1872 it is the largest cosmetic firm in Japan and the fifth largest cosmetics company in the world.
Beauty Time Capsule: The World's oldest beauty products you can still buy today (500 years old!)
What is the 4 2 4 rule in skincare?
The 4-2-4 skincare rule is a Korean-inspired double-cleansing method emphasizing timed steps: 4 minutes massaging an oil-based cleanser, followed by 2 minutes with a water-based (foam/gel) cleanser, and a final 4 minutes rinsing (alternating warm and cool water) to deeply purify pores, break down impurities, boost circulation, and prep skin for other products.
The best face creams for aging skin target wrinkles, loss of firmness, and dullness with ingredients like retinol, peptides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin C, with top-rated options including Augustinus Bader (luxury), L'Oreal Revitalift (affordable/drugstore), Drunk Elephant (overall), and Elizabeth Arden (retinol). The key is finding a formula with proven actives and hydrating elements like glycerin and ceramides that suits your budget and skin type for consistent use.
The 1980s were a hotbed of skincare innovation, introducing advancements that remain foundational today. Key developments included alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs), which transformed skin renewal, and a growing emphasis on sun protection to combat premature aging.
No7 is a beauty brand of anti-ageing creams, skincare and cosmetic products developed by Boots in the United Kingdom. The brand No7 was launched by Boots in 1935 as a selection of eleven skincare products and was expanded in 1937 with some colour cosmetics.
I did some further research and came across the concept of the 4-2-4 method; it's a system where you start with an oil and you massage your skin for four minutes, then you layer your skin with a cream cleanser on top and you massage for two minutes to emulsify the oil, and then you rinse for four minutes—which for some ...
The "1% rule" in skincare refers to how ingredients are listed: above 1%, they're in descending order, but below 1%, brands can list them in any order, often placing beneficial-sounding ingredients higher for marketing, even if present in trace amounts, so always check ingredient lists for things like preservatives (e.g., phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate) to find the "1% line" and see where your "hero" ingredients (like niacinamide or peptides) fall below it. While this rule helps decode labels, a core practical skincare rule is consistency, or even simpler: cleanse gently when needed, apply products from thinnest to thickest, and focus on a purpose for each step, as over-cleansing or using too many products can harm skin.
What is the 60 second ritual to get rid of wrinkles?
The 60 second ritual involves massaging your facial cleanser into the skin for a full minute before rinsing. The idea is simple: instead of quickly washing your face in 10 seconds, you give your skin the time it needs to truly benefit from the active ingredients and encourage circulation.
1. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers & family: $91.3 billion (£68.4bn) Along with her family, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers owns more than a third of L'Oréal, the world's number one beauty company.
Kylie Jenner has publicly shared diagnoses and struggles including Postpartum Depression (PPD), chronic back pain after her second pregnancy treated with stem cell therapy, and a past diagnosis of Recurrent Corneal Erosion Syndrome, a painful eye condition, as noted in various news reports from 2020 to 2025.
One explanation: Kylie's business quietly fell by more than half in a single year. If so, Coty paid up for a “high-growth” brand that is actually a much smaller business than it was just a few years ago.
