Life, 1918-12-05 · page 63 of 76
Life — December 5, 1918 — page 63: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Resinol Soap advertisement**, not satire or a political cartoon. The page appears in *Life* magazine's "Christmas Life" section (page 865). The ad features a glamorous woman in classical repose, accompanying copy that promises Resinol Soap will solve skin problems and preserve beauty. The tagline "Don't dream about a good complexion—HAVE ONE" frames skincare as achievable through the product. The advertisement reflects early 20th-century beauty marketing that: - Positioned women's appearance as essential to their value - Used pseudo-scientific language ("benefits skin cells," "tonic action") - Promoted the product for multiple uses (face, hair, babies) - Connected complexion to femininity and social standing For modern readers, this illustrates how vintage advertising sold insecurity alongside products, treating skin maintenance as a woman's responsibility for attractiveness and "pride."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
short, alto- “CHRISTMAS LIFE: ‘Don't dream. about a good complexion~ HA = Every woman can safeguard her beauty and solve the problem of increasing her attractiveness hy using Resinol Soap, which helps nature to heal ~kin trouble and ensure a good complexion Your skin is like any other fabric—subject to wear and tear—exposed as it is to sun, wind and storm. If your skin is rough, unnaturally dry, or excessively oily ; if it chaps or reddens easily, is subject to blotches, or if slight irritation produces burning, smarting, or itching, you will find in Resinol Soap a means which will help greatly to overcome these ailments. Resinol Soap Resinol Soap removes dust, dirt and waste matter from the skin, but at the same time it benefits the skin cells, soothes irritation, and exerts a healing and tonic action, A week's trial of Resinol Soap will convince a you should always use it for your skin's s well as for your pride in having and pre- serving a good complexion Ideal for the hair—especially if there is a tendency to scalp trouble. Unequaled for the bath—soothes and refreshes a “tired” or irri- tated skin. Incomparable for nursery use—to keep baby’s skin soft and fresh. All. druggists and dealers in toilet goods sell Resinol Soap. Kesinol Shaving Stick gives a free non-drying lather which makes men really enjoy the daily shave, comicbooks.com