Life, 1927-03-17 · page 5 of 43
Life — March 17, 1927 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Listerine antiseptic mouthwash advertisement**, not a political cartoon. The ad promotes Listerine as an inexpensive astringent for facial skincare, marketed to women. The "INEXPENSIVE" section emphasizes the product's low cost while claiming effectiveness for "all types of skin," promising to tighten pores and stimulate facial muscles, making users "look—and feel—younger." The profile photograph of a woman's face is used as promotional imagery to demonstrate the product's purported cosmetic benefits. The tagline "—the safe antiseptic" suggests Listerine's versatility beyond mouthwash. This reflects **early 20th-century beauty marketing**, when antiseptics were broadly applied to skincare and companies targeted women's anxieties about aging through affordable solutions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
INEXPENSIVE Here’s good news for any wom- an who has rebelled at paying the remarkable prices usually charged for astringents. Listerine is a natural astrin- gent, neither too harsh nor too weak. One that is safe for all types of skin, yet ridiculously low in cost. After removing the cream you merely douse it on the face full strength. Dilute if you prefer. You can feel it firmly closing the pores. You can feel it draw up la sagging muscles. Your entire face is stimulated. You look—and feel—younger. So many women have told us how delighted they are with Listerine used this way that we want you to know about it. Lambert Pharmacal Company, St. Louis, U.S. A. comicbooks.com