At some level, human beings have always known that the fine material separating their insides from their outsides is something that is delicate, but capable of healing; and is tough, but capable of softening.
Our attempts to effect changes in the quality and, dare I say, luminosity, of our epidermis reach back to ancient times. Papyrus recipes for skin resurfacing and rejuvenation techniques date back nearly four thousand years! Most of us have heard of Cleopatra’s famous milk baths, but did you know that this indulgent habit required the milk (soured, thank you very much) of 700 donkeys — on a daily basis!
Other ingredients used by ancient Egyptians include powdered alabaster, animal oils, salt, and honey. The Greeks and Romans tried fermented grape juices and fruit extracts, and by the Middle Ages, Europeans were using poultices of mustard, sulphur, limestone and vinegar to achieve the same effect.
And how could we forget Madame Pompadour (chief mistress of King Louis XV), who dunked herself in luxurious baths of wine!?
This is what I will refer to as “Phase 1” — the use of food (and food-adjacent) ingredients. The ancients had somehow figured out that epidermal benefits came from such substances, even if they weren’t aware of the science behind it. As it turns out, sour milk is rich in natural lactic acid, while fermented grapes yield tartaric acid. These and other fruit acids, like citrus and apple extracts, all result in a mild but effective exfoliation of the skin.
Now we move on to “Phase 2.” Brace yourself. We’ve entered the exciting world of chemistry.
Through the 1870s and 1880s, medical professionals began experimenting with more intense materials. A range of chemical acids were experimented with, and by the first world war, battlefield surgeons were using phenol acids under bandages to help treat wounds. (Eventually, surgeons developed superior methods to treat soldier’s facial wounds and, as if often the case, paved the way for modern cosmetic surgery — but that is another story.)
While these ingredients could “erase” deeper wrinkles, the risks were high. Clients being treated, with phenols in particular, required cardiac monitoring and were still susceptible to liver damage, severe scarring, and permanent skin bleaching.
The 1930s through to the 1950s brought in “lay peelers” — basically anyone willing to pour chemicals onto clients without regulation of their techniques. Despite making huge amounts of money, the damage became too outrageous to ignore, and many of them were shut down.
Enter “Phase 3.” In a way, we’ve come full circle. Modern dermatology has returned to the gentle, nourishing concepts of antiquity, but with the knowledge gained from advanced science.
Cleopatra and Madame Pompadour reaped the benefits of fermentation — a process that breaks down the complex botanical and food ingredients into simpler molecular structures, making the active compounds more bioavailable and absorbable. Sour donkey milk? That was packed with Alpha hydroxy acids, one of the main ingredients of modern peels!
These days your peel will encourage gentle exfoliation and skin cell turnover without taking your life in your hands, or causing you to hide behind bandages for weeks.
Let’s hear it for ancient wisdom and modern science.
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