18 Beauty Products You Probably Used if You Were a Mom in the ’70s
The 1970s was a golden era for beauty trends that shaped how women expressed themselves. From shimmery blue eyeshadow to perms that defied gravity, moms of the ’70s had a distinctive style all their own.
Grab your hot rollers and take a nostalgic trip to the past with these beauty staples that filled bathroom cabinets across America during the disco decade.
1. Charlie Perfume
For the working mom or the woman who considered herself particularly modern, Charlie was the scent of liberation.
Launched by Revlon in 1973, this fragrance represented the independent woman. My aunt swore by Charlie – she’d dab it on her wrists before heading to her office job, declaring it made her feel like she could take on the world in her power suit.
2. Love’s Baby Soft Perfume
Sweet, powdery, and innocent – this fragrance was the signature scent for moms who wanted to smell fresh without being overpowering.
The pale pink bottle with its distinctive round top sat proudly on vanities everywhere. Many women spritzed it liberally before PTA meetings or grocery shopping, leaving a trail of baby-powder freshness wherever they went.
3. Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers
These fruity lip balms weren’t just for teenagers! Moms stashed these colorful tubes in purses, kitchen drawers, and bathroom cabinets.
Available in flavors like strawberry and Dr. Pepper, they added a hint of shine while keeping lips moisturized.
The sweet scent was instantly recognizable when mom would pull one out during long car rides or while waiting at the doctor’s office.
4. Jean Naté After Bath Splash
Refreshing and citrusy, this after-bath splash made mom feel pampered even during her rushed five-minute shower between carpools.
The generous yellow bottle with its black cap was a bathroom staple. Women would splash it generously across shoulders and décolletage for an instant pick-me-up that smelled like lemon sunshine.
Every mom I knew had a bottle sitting prominently by her tub.
5. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
That iconic pink and green tube has survived decades for good reason – it was every ’70s mom’s secret weapon for fluttery lashes.
Affordable yet effective, Great Lash transformed tired mom eyes into wide-awake wonders with just a few swipes.
My mother would never leave the house without applying it, even for quick errands, claiming it was the difference between looking “put together” and “completely exhausted.”
6. Avon Skin So Soft Bath Oil
Originally marketed as a bath oil, this multi-purpose product quickly became known for its mysterious mosquito-repelling properties.
The distinctive scent immediately transports people back to their childhood. Moms would slather it on kids before sending them outside to play, creating a generation of children who smelled faintly of bath oil all summer long.
7. Clairol Herbal Essence Shampoo
Long before those provocative commercials, the original Herbal Essence came in a forest green bottle that promised natural botanical bliss.
The shampoo’s intoxicating scent was like stepping into an enchanted garden. I still remember watching my mother wash her hair with it, the bathroom filling with that distinctive herbal fragrance that seemed so exotic compared to other household products of the time.
8. Cover Girl Pressed Powder Compacts
These blue plastic compacts were essential for quick touch-ups during busy days of errands and childcare.
The thin puff inside was perfect for dabbing away shine without disturbing carefully applied makeup. Most moms kept one in their purse at all times, often pulling it out discreetly at red lights or while waiting in grocery checkout lines.
9. Yardley English Lavender Soap
Elegantly wrapped in paper with dried lavender sprigs, this soap made everyday showers feel like a luxury experience.
The distinctive purple packaging and refined scent gave mothers a moment of sophistication amid chaotic family life.
Many women received these as gifts and saved them for special occasions, though eventually the temptation to use them became too great.
10. Noxzema Facial Cleanser
That distinctive menthol tingle and unmistakable medicinal scent meant serious business for skincare routines.
The iconic blue jar with its white lid contained a thick white cream that promised to deep-clean pores. Every night, moms across America performed the ritual: scooping out a dollop, massaging it onto their faces, and enjoying that cooling sensation that signaled beauty work was being done.
11. Bonne Bell Ten-O-Six Lotion
This astringent lotion in its distinctive amber glass bottle promised to solve every skin problem imaginable.
The antiseptic smell was immediately recognizable – sharp, clean, and slightly medicinal. My mother swore by it, applying it religiously every night with cotton balls, convinced it was keeping wrinkles and blemishes at bay through some magical combination of alcohol and mystery ingredients.
12. Hot Rollers
These heated cylinders were essential for creating those perfectly bouncy curls that defined ’70s hair goals.
The ritual was familiar: plugging in the case, waiting for the dot to change color, then carefully winding sections of hair around each roller.
Mothers would prepare breakfast or apply makeup with their heads full of these plastic cylinders, multitasking their way to fabulous hair.
13. Enjoli Perfume
“I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan…” The commercial jingle was as memorable as the fragrance itself.
This perfume was marketed specifically to the working mom who could do it all. The sophisticated scent came in a sleek gold bottle that represented the modern woman’s aspirations.
For many mothers, a spritz of Enjoli was like putting on invisible armor before facing the world.
14. Breck Shampoo
The golden bottles with those famous “Breck Girls” on the packaging promised hair so beautiful you might become the next model.
Available in formulations for different hair types, it was one of the first mainstream shampoos to offer specialized options.
My grandmother kept every bathroom in her house stocked with Breck, insisting it was the secret to her still-thick hair even in her sixties.
15. Sea Breeze Astringent
The shocking blue liquid promised to banish oil and tighten pores with its bracing, alcohol-heavy formula.
Using Sea Breeze was not for the faint of heart – it stung like nothing else, but women considered that proof it was working.
The distinctive aqua bottle stood tall in medicine cabinets, promising clearer skin through what essentially felt like applying refreshing fire to your face.
16. Chap Stick Lip Balm
The original black tube with its white lettering was a staple in every mom’s purse, ready to combat dry lips at a moment’s notice.
Before flavored varieties became common, the classic Chap Stick had that medicinal scent that meant business.
Mothers would apply it liberally to their children’s lips during winter months, often having to track down multiple tubes scattered throughout the house.
17. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly
The ultimate multi-purpose beauty product came in that distinctive blue-labeled jar that seemed to last forever.
Moms used it for everything – chapped lips, dry elbows, removing eye makeup, and even as an overnight facial treatment.
My mom would coat her feet in Vaseline before bed, then put on socks, claiming it was better than any fancy foot cream on the market.
18. Lemon-Up Shampoo
Packaged in a bright yellow bottle shaped like a lemon, this citrus-scented shampoo promised to bring out natural highlights.
The fresh, zingy fragrance made hair-washing feel like a special treat. Women believed the acidic properties would strip away buildup and leave hair gleaming.
The commercial’s catchy “Lemon-Up, Lemon-Up” jingle still gets stuck in my head whenever I see lemons in the grocery store.