An Original Formula

Vintage influences have been a key story in fashion for several years.  As fashion and beauty go hand-in-hand, it was inevitable that there would be a trend for vintage-inspired beauty ranges, with many taking cues from the 1950s. 

Treasured memories

There are few brands that can claim a genuine heritage in beauty dating back over 130 years, but from an advert found in Boots’ archives, there is evidence that Boots was selling skincare such as Clarke’s Skin Lotion as early as 1877.   For any beauty-lover, visiting the Boots archives is like a treasure trove.  It is full of old formulations, ingredients lists, packaging designs and advertising campaigns from yester-year, and it was here that Catherine Baker, Brand Manager of Boots Original Beauty Formula took her inspiration for this retro-inspired brand. 

“Whilst we love all the new scientifically-developed ingredients that are created these days, we also recognise that some of the original natural ingredients and formulations used in beauty products from bygone eras can still work wonders for our skin, “ says Catherine.

There’s something incredibly feminine and almost romantic about some of the vintage packaging designs, which, when combined with the carefully chosen original formulations we believe will create a real beauty classic.  It felt like perfect timing to introduce Original Beauty Formula in the year of Boots’ 160th anniversary.”

Original Beauty

Paul Tomlinson, Boots skincare technical expert added, “Some of the key ingredients and essential oils traditionally used are still very relevant.  The sweet almond oil used in the Overnight Cream, Skin Balm and Bath Oil for example, has excellent emollient and nourishing properties.” 

Many of the classic ingredients used in the Original Beauty Formula range remain the same as those used in the time of Jesse and Florence Boot.  However, Paul says that the formulations are a fusion of both old and new: “Some of the original formulations have been given a make-over to benefit from a bit of modern skincare technology.”

The beautiful packaging was influenced by hundreds of hand painted vintage designs from the archives at Boots.  In keeping with the traditional nature of the range, the bottles used are glass, with aluminium lids so they can be treasured and reused.