Ayer's Hair Invigorator

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Ayer's Hair Invigorator, front
Ayer's Hair Invigorator and Ayer's Hair Vigor, front

Object Details

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

Credit Line

Gift of Mario Cassinelli, Jr.

ID Number

1984.0782.349

catalog number

1984.0782.349

accession number

1984.0782

Object Name

hair tonic

cosmetic

Object Type

Cosmetics

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

place made

United States: Massachusetts, Lowell

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

web subject