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Ayer's Hair Invigorator

Ayer's Hair Invigorator

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Description
Ayer’s Hair Invigorator was produced by the Ayer Company of Lowell, Mass. It contains capsicum, the same compound found in hot peppers. This was intended to stimulate the scalp. The exact date of this product is not known, but it appears to be a modification of an early Ayer product, Hair Vigor. It probably dates to around 1920, after the passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, which required labels to list a product’s alcohol content.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
hair tonic
cosmetic
Object Type
Cosmetics
place made
United States: Massachusetts, Lowell
Physical Description
glycerin; quinin; capsicum; sulphur; sodium chlorid; sage; water; perfume (product ingredients)
glass (container material)
paper (label material)
Measurements
overall: 7 1/2 in x 2 3/8 in x 2 in; 19.05 cm x 6.0325 cm x 5.08 cm
ID Number
1984.0782.349
catalog number
1984.0782.349
accession number
1984.0782
Credit Line
Gift of Mario Cassinelli, Jr.
subject
Hair Care Products
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Medicine
Health & Medicine
Beauty and Health
Beauty and Hygiene Products: Hair Care and Enhancement
Hair Care Products
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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