10 Beauty Products for Women Invented By Men

Beauty has always been appreciated throughout history and it took a lot of time, effort and creativity in the past for a woman to look exquisite for any occasion. Now we live in magical times of great beauty inventions that make our lives a lot easier, but have you ever wondered who was behind their existence?

The 10 Beauty Products for Women Invented By Men:

10. Curling iron

Curling iron
Marcel Grateau’s curling iron.

Even though it was patented by Hiram Maxim in 1866 it gained its popularity in 1872 when Marcele Grateau created ’’Marcele curl’’, he also designed his own iron in 1890. It was very difficult to control the temperature of the iron so hairdressers would usually test the iron on the piece of paper before actually using it on someone’s hair.

Also read: 10 Poisonous Beauty Products Once Used And Still Used.

9. Liquid foundation

Liquid foundation
Liquid foundation

Women firstly started using foundation in Ancient Egypt in a form of a white powder or paste, but the inventor of modern foundation is Carl Baudin of the ’’Leipziger Stadt’’ theatre in Germany. He wanted to conceal the joint between his wig and forehead, so he created a skin-colored paste made of zinc, ochre, and lard. This paint became so popular with other actors that he started selling it commercially until the Max Factor developed ’’ Flexible Greasepaint’’ in 1914.

first bikini in the world
Micheline Bernardini wearing the first bikini in 1946 designed by Louis Réard.

8. Bikini

The first bikini in the world was created by automobile engineer and clothing designer Louis Réard in 1946. He noticed that women often roll up the edges of their swimsuits in order to get a better tan and that inspired him to come up with two-piece design that exposes the midriff.

Also see the list of world’s most beautiful fashion models.

7. Lip balm

Lip balm
Lip balm

Invented in 1880s by Dr. Charles Browne Fleet, this handmade product was not very popular at the time. It was shaped like a tiny candle wrapped in a foil. Yes, I wouldn’t buy it ether.

Also see: 10 Unconventional Beauty Ingredients of Ancient India.

6. Thongs

Thong by Rudi Gernreich
Thong by Rudi Gernreich

Believe it or not, but people started wearing thongs long before 21st century. Historians believe that they originate from African tribes in warmer climates. However the modern designer of this piece of clothing is Rudi Gernreich and he did it as response to a ban on nude sunbathing by the Los Angeles City Council.

Also see: Top 10 Most Bizarre Beauty Treatments.

5. Artificial nails

Artificial nails
Artificial nails

They were created by a dentist who accidentally broke one of his nails while working and tried to replace it with a fake one. His name was Fred Slack. Fake nails became widely popular during 20th century.

Also see: 10 ancient practices of body modification used for fashion.

4. Bobby pins

A bobby pin
A bobby pin

This is something that you always need and borrow, but eventually end up losing. Bobby pins are also invented by a man, called Luis Marcus. First bobby pins were handmade and they became popular in the 1950s when ’’bobbed hair’’ took a hold, thus the name bobby pins.

3. Hair straightener

Hair straightener
Hair straightener

This product was firstly patented by Simon E. Monroe in 1906 and it looked like a metal comb, but then a few years later Issac K. Shero created another, made of two irons that are heated and put together around the hair.

2. Mascara

Mascara: Beauty Products for Women Invented By Men
Mascara: Beauty Products for Women Invented By Men.

For centuries women applied different homemade products on their eyelashes to make them thicket and darker. The first commercialized mascara was made in 19th century by Eugène Rimmel. It was made from petroleum jelly.

Also see: 10 Make-up Tips for Girls with Eyeglasses.

1. Sanitary napkins (pads)

Sanitary pads
Sanitary pads

Well, for the idea of sanitary pads is responsible none other than famous Benjamin Franklin. His invention is created to stop wounded soldiers from bleeding, but it was also used as an inspiration for the first commercial disposable napkins created by Johnson & Johnson in 1888. Thank you Mr. Franklin!

Written By: Zorana Pajić