Life, 1928-10-12 · page 31 of 44
Life — October 12, 1928 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Listerine advertisement**, not a political cartoon or satire. The page shows a man applying Listerine mouthwash to his face after shaving, with an enthusiastic expression. The ad promotes an unconventional use of the product: applying the antiseptic mouthwash directly to freshly shaved skin. The copy emphasizes the "cooling" sensation, removal of "smarting and burning," and infection-prevention benefits of Listerine's "antiseptic essential oils." There is also a secondary advertisement for Listerine Shaving Cream below. By modern standards, applying mouthwash to facial skin seems odd and potentially irritating, but this reflects early 20th-century marketing that positioned Listerine as a multipurpose antiseptic remedy. This is straightforward product promotion rather than satire or commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE Have you tried it AFTER SHAVING ? Amazing — Invigorating AT your next shave, douse Listerine on the face full strength. What a nice re- action. Cooling! A new sense of vigor and freshness. Amazing / stimulation for tired skin. And all the usual smarting and burning gone at once. Also you have the satisfaction of knowing that the antiseptic essential oils of Listerine are ene- mies of infection. One trial of Listerine this way will win you. Why not today? Lambert Pharmacal Co., St. Louis, Mo., U. S. A. Have you TRIED the new LISTERINE SHAVING CREAM? Cools your skin while you shave and keeps it cool afterwards. An out- sanding shaving cream in every respect. SAFE ANTISEPTIC 29 comicbooks.com