RT15d Laird’s Bloom of Youth Perfume Stamp

In the 1860s, the American face lotion Laird’s “Bloom of Youth or liquid pearl” promised to whiten skin, helping “ladies afflicted with tan, freckles, Rough or Discolored Skin”. The skin lightener, however, contained such a significant amount of lead that it caused “wrist drop”, or radial nerve palsy, in a number of women.

One woman’s hand had become “wasted to a skeleton”, while a St Louis housewife is recorded as dying of lead poisoning after extensive long-term usage of Laird’s and a home-made preparation containing “white flake and glycerine”. The public outcry against the dangers of products such as this and the cosmetic industry’s disregard for safety and truthful advertising contributed to the passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, which established the Food and Drug Administration.