In this day of modern innovation, new, splashy products are a dime a dozen. Next time you hit the drugstore for something current, take a nod from your mom (or grandmother!) and try an old standard instead. These cross-generational staples have been classics in African-American households for years. —MB
1 Vaseline Pure Petroleum Jelly Discovered while visiting oil fields in the mid-1800s, chemist Robert Chesebrough noticed that workers were using a byproduct of the refinery process dubbed “rod wax” to heal sores. Intrigued, he took it to his lab, and after arduous experimentation developed the end product, petroleum jelly.
2 Dove White Beauty Bar
The No. 1 dermatologist- and pediatrician-recommended bar in the United States has been working skin-hydrating magic since 1957. In fact, 59 of these babies are now sold every second.
3 Noxema Original Deep Cleansing Cream A 101-year-old product never looked so good. The unique name was created after the pharmacist who invented it received rave reviews from a customer who claimed the cream “knocked out eczema.” Get it? “No Eczema”=Noxema. Today, it is used by consumers in a variety of ways, including as sunburn relief, cold cream and skin cleanser.
Read more in the November 2015 issue of EBONY Magazine.
