The History of Skincare

3 min readAug 11, 2023

Did you know that for millennia, people have been preoccupied with skincare? Many civilizations used various elements to revitalize their skin, including things you’d least expect. Let’s stroll through the past as ASEA reviews some of history’s most iconic skincare treatments.

Skincare Products from History

Here’s a list of skin care treatments — some of which stood the test of time.

Aloe Vera for Anti-aging

Aloe vera is a water-rich plant containing over 70 nutrients, including vitamins A, C, B12, and E. These vitamins give Aloe vera powerful skincare properties, such as soothing sunburn, hydration, and reducing inflammation and infections.

The ancient Egyptians called Aloe Vera the plant of immortality and used it as an anti-aging treatment. Queens like Cleopatra and Nefertiti included it in their skincare regimens.

Moisturizing with Olive Oil

Olive oil has been widely used in the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Besides using it for cooking, medicine, and fuel, Mediterranean civilizations like the Greeks and Romans also used olive oil as a skin moisturizer.

Olive oil is rich in vitamins and is an excellent antioxidant. It helps reduce cellular damage and fights bacteria.

Luxurious Mud Bath Treatments

Bathing was an integral part of ancient Roman society. One of the treatments they enjoyed was the mud bath, which purportedly had therapeutic benefits such as skin exfoliation and skin treatment for conditions like psoriasis and eczema. The mud typically contained minerals, including sulfur and magnesium, aiding skin treatment.

The Romans also added more exotic ingredients to their mud baths, like crocodile dung — which they believed had restorative benefits!

Pearls as Skin Powder

Pearls aren’t just used as jewelry. In traditional Chinese medicine, crushed pearls were either ingested or used as skin powder for their anti-inflammatory properties and ability to boost collagen production. Pearl powder was also used as a cosmetic.

White Wine for Healthy Complexion

White wine has been linked to various health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, and increased antioxidants in the body. However, one Scottish royal didn’t just drink wine for skin treatment. Mary Queen of Scots is said to have bathed in white wine to improve her complexion and relieve pain.

Softer Skin with Honey, Eggs, and Oatmeal

Egg yolk, honey, and oatmeal weren’t just food items in 19th-century England. The English used these ingredients as skin softeners, too. They also used lemon juice to whiten their skin.

Changing the Modern Skincare Game with Redox Signaling

As the world moved toward the 20th century, companies introduced commercial skincare products like cold creams and sunscreen. While these mass-produced goods made skincare convenient in the modern era, they often contained ingredients that caused long-term health complications.

A few years ago, ASEA introduced the RENU28® Revitalizing Redox Gel and the RENUAdvanced® Skin Care System to revolutionize today’s skincare. Using clean, cruelty-free ingredients, RENU28 fully uses ASEA’s redox cell-signaling technology to reinvigorate your skin down to the cellular level. Meanwhile, RENUAdvanced is specially formulated to support the redox process for more radiant, nourished, and youthful skin.

Check out our ASEA reviews for a more in-depth look at their benefits for your skin’s health.

Let ASEA Supercharge Your Skincare Routine

Of course, reading ASEA reviews is just the first step to a larger world. Let your skin experience the science of ASEA redox technology by trying our skincare lines and supplements!