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Beauty begins in the kitchen

Broadcast Date: Oct. 31, 1960

Want to look pretty for tonight's big party? Try putting a little egg yolk and olive oil on your face. In this 1960 clip from the CBC-TV show Open House, beauty expert Lydia gives advice on how to whip up beautifying masks from simple items you would find in your kitchen, such as honey, oatmeal, flour and milk. After using one of these masks, says Lydia, "you will be the belle of the ball."

Beauty begins in the kitchen

• Facial masks (both homemade and store-bought varieties) are still used today by women around the world. A 2004 article in Natural Health magazine calls facial masks "a beauty tradition as old as the pyramids," and notes that they "are still a favoured and effective skin-care ritual. From the mud and clay used by ancient Egyptians to egg-and-milk concoctions favored by Renaissance Europeans, women have always turned to masks to help clean and soften their skin."
• The internet is full of recipes for homemade masks these days, many of which have very similar ingredients to the ones Lydia described in this clip. But there are also countless commercial facial masks currently available in stores, with widely varying price points. A 2006 issue of In Style magazine reviewed a number of popular brands. Among those reviewed, prices ranged anywhere from $6 US to $65 US per container.

Beauty begins in the kitchen

Medium: Television

Program: Open House

Broadcast Date: Oct. 31, 1960

Host: Gwen Grant

Duration: 9:04

Last updated:
Feb. 11, 2011