Managing Awkward Bodies
Cramps, headaches, body odor, acne—all things that came with menarche and "the monthlies." Manufacturers and marketers saw girls and women as a lucrative market for products that could help alleviate aches and pains but also embarrassment.
Cramps
Cramps slowed women and girls down. Not everyone had them, but entrepreneurs found a lucrative market in "the monthlies."
Odor
Advertisers told girls to worry about body odor. Products flooded the market and reinforced the message that sweet-smelling bodies were healthy and beautiful.
Merrell's Dousan, 1930-1950
Gift of Mary E. and Joseph F. Melfi, Jr., Tupper's Drug Store, Summerville, South Carolina
Queen Beauty Toilet Soap, 1908–1918
Gift of Bud and Sally Bassett
Sylvan Violet Toilet Talcum Powder
Gift of Gary P. and Sandra Baden
Quest Deodorant Powder for Use on Sanitary Napkins, Unscented
Gift of H. Smith Richardson, Jr.
Betadine Douche
Gift of Gladys Abell and Lester D. Johnson, Jr., M.D.
Massengill Disposable Douche, Scent of Country Flowers, around 1980
Acne
In the early 1900s, acne or unhealthy skin could be a sign of puberty but also a range of diseases, including syphilis. Products said they could solve these problems.