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1950s Beauty Routine

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June 1, 2022 By Lisa Sharp 1 Comment

Want to try a 1950s beauty routine? Try this weekly beauty routine from the past with a few modern touches to make it even better and leave you looking your best.

FOREO is all about great skin care at home and has been kind enough to sponsor this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Retro woman brushing hair at vanity with text overlay 1950s beauty routine

Women today spend an average of just under 14 hours in a hair salon each year and spend one hour and 53 minutes a week washing, blow-drying, and styling their hair.

That seems like a lot but a video from the 1950s about beauty salons said that women spend around 2 hours a week in the salon. This time was needed because the hairstyles popular at the time often required it to be washed and set weekly. 

The best look at a 1950s beauty routine that I’ve found is from a magazine in 1952. It shows what some would have thought of as an ideal beauty routine, just like we don’t likely follow everything shared in a magazine or blog for a beauty routine now it’s unlikely many did in the 1950s either. However, it’s fun to look at what a 1950s beauty routine may have looked like. 

1950s Beauty Routine

retro woman doing skin care in mirror

While we take this look at a 1950s beauty routine I will share some ideas for how to make it work with a more modern lifestyle and modern products. This will help make it easier if you want to try this vintage beauty routine yourself.

Monday – Home Facial

“A facial helps you start the week with a bright outlook. First cleanse your face well with cream, then apply a mask to your throat and face, being careful to keep it away from your eyes. This stimulates surface circulation and tightens pores. Remove the mask, following the directions on package about time and method. You’ll feel and look fresher.”

A good face mask and at-home facial is a great way to start a week. A fun modern take on this day, that I’m sure women in the 1950s would approve of, is the FOREO BEAR microcurrent facelift. Just look at how women worked out in the 1950s and it’s easy to see new techology was often a hit. 

It’s the first FDA-cleared medical microcurrent device. It has anti-aging properities and works to safely train and tone the muscles in your face and neck. It’s the same treatments you can find in some spas but you can use it in the comfort of your home in just 2 minutes!

pink FOREO BEAR on bathroom countertop with pink and white hand towel and serum

It’s be a fun addition to my weekly skin care routine and it would fit in perfectly with this 1950s beauty routine. You just use their app, pick the type of facial you want to do, apply serum to your clean face, and for 2 minutes you get a nice facial massage that will help reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging. 

I recently got a FOREO BEAR and have been trying it out. It’s really easy to use and feels nice, especially at the end of a long day. I love that it doesn’t take long, I don’t have to go anywhere, and my skin feels great when I get done. 

Tuesday – Pedicure

“Because you’re on your feet so much, treat yourself to a pedicure and foot exercises. Only way pedicure differs from a manicure is you file toenails straight across – easier on stockings and discourages ingrown nails. While your polish dries, spread and clench your toes by picking up marbles. Or roll a small bottle back and forth with ball of each foot.”

Women in the 1950s were on their feet a lot so I’m sure this was a day many would look forward to. I love the idea of adding in foot exercises at the same time. Rolling a small bottle back and forth is actually still good advice for sore feet, a tennis ball also works well.

There really isn’t a lot of moderization this day needs. Depending on your needs a nice foot mask or soak could be nice. This is something I’m going to add to my regular routine. It’s so easy to ignore our feet.

Wednesday – Hair Removal 

“Use a razor, depilatory, wax or abrasive to defuzz your legs and underarms – remember this is a feminine must all year round. And don’t forget your eyebrows. Use tweezers to eliminate stray hairs and give a clean look – follow the natural outline of your eyebrows for most flattering results. To complete the job, apply a mild soothing antiseptic.”

If you choose to remove body hair these tips are pretty good. The idea of following the natural outline of your eyebrows is pretty similar to current eyebrow trends, which are a big improvement to the over plucking many of us did in the 1990s. 

retro woman brushing hair

Thursday – Hair Washing Day

“Shampoo your hair – or, if it doesn’t need washing every week, give your scalp a thorough relaxing massage. Before washing, brush your hair well. Then apply shampoo, work up a good lather and scrub your scalp with your fingertips or a brush. Rinse well, towel dry, again massaging scalp. It’s a good time to wash your comb and brush too.”

It’s a pretty modern idea to wash our hair multiple times a week. We are also starting to see more of a shift back to less frequence hair washing again. I know my hair benefits to washing it less often as it allows the natural oils to protect your hair better.

A good scalp massage is something we should be doing more. It’s great for hair growth, scalp health, and it just feels nice. I use a scalp massaging brush when washing my hair and it’s a great modern addition to hair washing day.

Friday – Manicure

“Fit your manicure into the day’s schedule. This includes shaping your nails, pushing back the cuticles and applying polish – first a base coat, then two coats of colored polish topped with a sealer coat. Before starting, assemble all the items you will need. Use a flat working surface to speed up the job and achieve neater and smoother results.”

How we shape our nails has changed over the years and shaped acrylic nails didn’t really start showing up until the 1970s. However, the general ideas for this day remain the same.

This is also a good time to remember that our hands show signs of aging similarly to our face. A good rule to follow is to treat your hands in a similar way to your face. When I’m doing my skin care routine I will use almost the same routine on my hands and also always make sure to wear sunscreen on the backs of my hands. 

Weekend – Looking Your Best

“Reap the rewards of time well spent during the other five days of work – and brush up on any grooming details that you find require a little extra attention. Now you know that with only a few minutes warning you can step out looking and feeling your best. Above all, your husband will be more encouraged to suggest last-minute plans.”

An easy weekend sounds nice but let’s remember that our beauty routines should be to make us feel our best and happy and not to please others. 

I have looked at and read a lot of routines and advice from the 1950s and often it can be very outdated and over the top but this 1950s beauty routine is actually pretty simliar to what many women do now and is doable if you want a weekly beauty routine. It will be easy to add in modern products and trends.

Pink FOREO BEAR on white table with pink flowers in background

And if you want to get the most out of this 1950s beauty routine the FOREO BEAR is a great addition. We may not spend 2 hours in the salon each week these days but it can feel a bit more like we did with some of the cool modern tools we have like the FOREO BEAR. 

More Vintage Beauty Tips

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The Best Mineral Sunscreen

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Vintage Housewife Summer Must-Haves

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Filed Under: 1950s Housewife Tips, Beauty, Inspiration

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Comments

  1. GIULIA says

    June 1, 2022 at 9:05 am

    Honestly I do all at once, but maybe I’ll try to do only one thing per day!!!

    Reply

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Welcome to my blog! My name is Lisa and I'm the Retro Housewife trying to live a greener life. I share my love of all things vintage, homemaking and green living here on the blog. To read more, click here.

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