The Story of Max Factor – Cosmetics Giant
Posted: Tuesday, April 10, 2007
by Colin Albert
Merchant Account Explorer
U.S. cosmetics trade has grown from modest beginnings in the early 20th Century into a huge multi-billion dollar industry. If there is one individual most responsible for the creation and popularization of the American cosmetics industry, it would be Max Factor.
Born of Jewish descent in Lodz, Poland in 1877, Max Faktor worked as a child with a dentist and pharmacist. As an apprentice he spent long hours mixing a variety of potions and became fascinated with the human face. Later, as a young man in Moscow, Russia, he established his first shop where he sold perfumes, skin cremes and wigs. A theater group wore some of his makeup while performing before Russian aristocrats, which led to his being employed by the Royal Family as its makeup consultant. He was also engaged by Russia’s national opera.
Some six years later, in 1914, he invented the first of many creations that would come to be known globally. This initial invention, greasepaint compressed into a tube, was designed specifically as a makeup for actors, one that would not crack. It was Max Factor who coined the term ‘makeup’ to describe his product.
As a result of this product, many of Hollywood’s top movie stars began visiting his beauty studio and his reputation was born. During the following two decades, he was responsible for the glamorous looks of celebrities such as Jean Harlow, Judy Garland, Rita Hayworth, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn and Joan Crawford, many of whom relied on his services not only for their movie appearances but in their ‘everyday’ lives.
Then in the 1920’s Max Factor started selling his cosmetics to consumers, believing that all women should have the opportunity to look like the stars. In doing so, Max was largely responsible for the commencement of the cosmetics industry as we know it today. Many of his Hollywood clients also agreed to appear in magazine ads to market his cosmetics, and the name Max Factor soon became known around the globe.
From there Max Factor was responsible for a number of cosmetic innovations including the first foundation (known as Pan-cake), which was applied to the face with a silk sponge. Other ‘firsts’ introduced by Max Factor and the company of the same name he founded were false eyelashes, lip gloss, the eyebrow pencil, stick makeup, concealer, the mascara wand, water resistant makeup and many others.
Max Factor died in Beverly Hills in 1938, but the company he founded continued to grow under the direction of his son, Max Jr., becoming synonymous with high fashion and glamour. In 1991 the brand name “Max Factor" was sold to Procter & Gamble.
For those who are interested in learning more about the father of modern makeup, a visit to the Max Factor Museum in Hollywood is recommended. You will find a restoration of Max Factor’s original beauty salon containing hundreds of photographs autographed by the stars he worked with, advertisements from magazines, an Oscar, displays of his original cosmetics, 4 makeup rooms for the stars with whom he worked his magic, a collection of wigs, and a small theater. There is no charge.
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The author, Michael Rupkalvis, operates the website www.mineralmakeupshoppe.com. The website presents a new makeup product called Naked Minerals cosmetics, which is a pressed all-natural mineral makeup that, unlike other mineral makeup products, has no messy, loose powders with which to deal.
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