Henry Tetlow, an English immigrant, is credited with discovering that zinc oxide could be safely used in face powders. Previously, powders often contained “toxic or volatile compounds” that were poisonous, the nomination states, including lead and arsenic. By comparison, zinc oxide was harmless and cheaper to manufacture, making cosmetics available to working-class and middle-class women for the first time.
Various products produced by Teltlow Manufacturing Company. (Philadelphia Historical Commission)
By the 1880s, the products were available across the country.
“When the commercial zinc powder came on the market, it was so popular that the company focused solely on manufacturing of cosmetics, instead of traditional soap. Had Tetlow patented his formula, his name might rank beside Colgate or Ivory today,” according to the nomination.