From natural resources to packaging, an interdisciplinary study of skincare products over time

人类的皮肤是我们最大的器官，包裹着我们的整个身体。它是一个不断再生的屏障，保护我们免受外部物理环境的影响，但它也是皮肤微生物区系的栖息地。它可以被视为一个“生存环境”，其中一些微生物是共生的，另一些是机会性的病原体，会导致皮肤变色、不适甚至疾病等不良皮肤状况。自古以来(如果不是更早的话)以及古代文学和考古证据的证明，一个人的皮肤的健康和整体外观一直被用来判断他的健康、卫生和社会地位。护肤品的配方随着时间的推移而演变，但它们的作用仍然是相同的，即对一般卫生和美学而言。古代文明意识到可利用的自然资源的有益属性，但随着时间的推移，其中一些物质的使用减少或完全停止。其中一些废弃的物质可能仍然具有有益的特性，这一点尤其相关，因为现代化妆品行业正在考虑利用皮肤的微生物群和自然资源来启发新产品。因此，学术界和产业界对研究过去使用的天然物质很感兴趣，这是这个项目的主要重点。这个范围的项目将从研究博茨档案馆和皇家药学会博物馆的藏品开始，集中在18世纪和19世纪生产的护肤品上，这些护肤品含有天然物质，有时被宣传为受到古代的启发。将对配方中使用的成分以及这些产品的包装和商业广告给予应有的关注。在识字水平低的古代社会，药剂师意识到容器的作用不仅仅是保护和保存产品。包装对消费者的心理也有影响。通过分析天然物质的使用趋势、包装和广告，该项目的结果将成为研究医疗保健的学者和使用天然物质开发新化妆品的行业的重要资源。该项目还将通过沟通和公众参与活动提高公众对护肤的兴趣。

The human skin is our largest organ and envelops our entire body. It is a continuously regenerating barrier that protects us from our external physical environment but it is also the habitat of the skin's microflora. It can be seen as a 'lived environment' on which some microorganisms are commensal and others are opportunistic pathogens that can engender undesirable skin conditions including discolouration, discomfort and even disease. It is also a lived environment through which humans experience life through.Since antiquity (if not earlier) and as attested by ancient literary and archaeological evidence, the health and overall appearance of an individual's skin has consistently been used to judge their health, hygiene and social status. The formulation of skincare products evolved over time but their role remained the same i.e. for general hygiene and aesthetics. Ancient civilisations realised the beneficial properties of the natural resources available to them but over time, the use of some of these substances declined or ceased entirely. Some of these disused substances could still have beneficial properties, and this is particularly pertinent now that the modern cosmetic industry is looking at utilising the skin's microflora and natural resources as an inspiration for new products. There is therefore an interest from academics and the industry in studying the natural substances that were used in the past, which is the main focus of this project.This scoping project will start with the study of the collections of the Boots Archive and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Museum, concentrating on skincare products produced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that contained natural substances and were sometimes marketed as being inspired by antiquity. Due attention will be given to both the ingredients used in the formulation and also to the packaging and the commercial advertising of these products. In ancient societies, during which levels of literacy were low, apothecaries realised that containers play a role that goes beyond protecting and preserving the product. The packaging has also a psychological impact on customers.By analysing trends of the use of natural substances, packaging and advertising, results of this project will be an important resource for academics studying healthcare and for the industry formulating new cosmetic products using natural substances. This project will also raise the interest of the general public about skincare through communication and public engagement events.