What is the oldest aftershave still produced and sold today in the US ?

[The Roof Seal]

It's worth noting too, especially regarding 4711, Florida water etc, that those products would have been used as all purpose products when they were made, much like Bay Rum.
They predate purpose built aftershave lotions (which is why AS lotions are called such despite not resembling what we would call a lotion today)

 

[Umma2gumma]

I'd second Bay Rum. First commercialized in the mid 1800s by A.H. Riise on St Thomas (Before it was a US territory)
A modern Bay Rum that contains only Bay Rum oil would be as close as you can get to the original product.
(the more other notes you add, the more it can drift over the decades)

They DID apply this topically, right ?

 

[The Roof Seal]

They DID apply this topically, right ?

Yes, the back of this advertising card says so

This specific bay rum would have just been bay rum oil with high proof alcohol, much like Superior 70.

 

[malocchio]

Murray & Lanman swear their Florida water has the original formula , but I can tell you it is much more "watery " than the M&L Florida water I used throughout the 1960s . Aqua Velva has also changed the formula over the years . Pinaud Lilac Vegetal changed in the late 20s, as did most when Coco Chanel's chemists invented synthetic fragrances in 1925 and Chanel # 5 made Coco a multi-millionaire . Pinaud removed the natural animal civet in Lilac Vegetal and replaced the natural musk scent with synthetic " pissy " imitation scent .

 

[Umma2gumma]

Murray & Lanman swear their Florida water has the original formula , but I can tell you it is much more "watery " than the M&L Florida water I used throughout the 1960s . Aqua Velva has also changed the formula over the years . Pinaud Lilac Vegetal changed in the late 20s, as did most when Coco Chanel's chemists invented synthetic fragrances in 1925 and Chanel # 5 made Coco a multi-millionaire . Pinaud removed the natural animal civet in Lilac Vegetal and replaced the natural musk scent with synthetic " pissy " imitation scent .

This would still make Lilac Vegetal almost 100 years old.

 

[Jan Sobieski]

Just like bay rums, Florida Water, etc., Lilac Vegetal started out as a general all-purpose toilet water/freshener for body, bath, and clothing, marketed to both sexes - not as an aftershave per se. I'm not exactly sure when they started selling bottles marked as "aftershave," but they certainly were by the late 1930s, based on old ads I've seen.

Regarding changes due to plastic bottling, or substituting artificial for animal musks and so forth, I personally consider a product to be the same if there's a dedicated effort to retain the original scent profile, even if an ingredient or two are switched out for whatever reason (the same way I would consider Coca-Cola to be the same product whether it uses sugar or corn syrup, no matter what my preferences about that might be). Virtually nothing that's sold today would be the exact same formula in the most literal sense.

 

[Umma2gumma]

So, it looks like it's Pinauld Bay Rum (1920s), Skin Bracer (1931), Aqua Velva Ice Blue (1935) and Pinauld Clubman AS (1940s).

I have three of these except Bay Rum, and to me Aqua Velva with its "colder", crisper scent seems rather modern. I'd compare it with Gillette Cool Wave - not the same scent, but the same "family" if you know what I mean. OTOH Pinauld and Skin Bracer, with rather strong sweet scents, definitely smell "old", especially Pinauld.

 

[Jan Sobieski]

This has some interesting information, assuming it's accurate (seems to be). I had thought I'd read somewhere that Pinaud Bay Rum was introduced mid-20th century, but this said it was introduced as another of their all-purpose lotions in 1900 (it also mentions Pinaud's Lilac Vegetal and their Bay Rum being reformulated in 1933):

Pinaud Clubman After Shave Lotion Review: A Classic Barbershop Fragrance For Men -

Pinaud Clubman After Shave Lotion is a classic aftershave loved for being the ultimate barbershop fragrance for men. Learn all about it here!

bespokeunit.com

Also, in the above link they incorrectly spell Pinaud LV's name as Lilac "Vegetol." That spelling is a legit variant I've seen used (in one case, to this day) in the names/on the labels of other brands of that style of fragrance (and unlike Bay Rum, its broad popularity as a style of fragrance did not last into our times).

Also, I agree that Aqua Velva is the one that most resembles something that could be created anew, today. And there are definitely, as you pointed out, "families" of scents that seem to rise and fall in popularity during certain eras. Powdery and herbal was the trend in the 1930s. Flowery and what would be considered feminine, today, in the late 19th/very early 20th.

 

[AnimalCatcher]

So, it looks like it's Pinauld Bay Rum (1920s), Skin Bracer (1931), Aqua Velva Ice Blue (1935) and Pinauld Clubman AS (1940s).

I have three of these except Bay Rum, and to me Aqua Velva with its "colder", crisper scent seems rather modern. I'd compare it with Gillette Cool Wave - not the same scent, but the same "family" if you know what I mean. OTOH Pinauld and Skin Bracer, with rather strong sweet scents, definitely smell "old", especially Pinaul

Though Aqua Velva was first released in 1917, the Ice Blue version (contrary to what is stated on the bottle), was not released until 1955.

 

[Umma2gumma]

Though Aqua Velva was first released in 1917, the Ice Blue version (contrary to what is stated on the bottle), was not released until 1955.

Ah, thanks. For some reason I thought I read 1935.

 

[Jan Sobieski]

AnimalCatcher, not saying this to doubt you, but do you know where you found that out about 1955? Are you going by your vintage bottle collection? I saw your pic of it once, and it sure is impressive.

Not to be too pedantic, but Pinaud Bay Rum would have originally just been an all-purpose lotion, not aftershave per se. I have never seen a vintage bottle of it, which is odd - nothing came up online, either. Maybe somebody else here has seen (or better, has) one.

 

[Jan Sobieski]

AnimalCatcher, When I last posted I hadn't seen yet that you had already replied above. Very nice!

 

[Jan Sobieski]

Though Aqua Velva was first released in 1917, the Ice Blue version (contrary to what is stated on the bottle), was not released until 1955.View attachment 1797891

So that's the original juice in all of them, including the very oldest bottles? Is that first one the 1917? What do the pre-Ice Blues smell like?

 

[AnimalCatcher]

So that's the original juice in all of them, including the very oldest bottles? Is that first one the 1917? What do the pre-Ice Blues smell like?

Yes, that's the original juice from way back. To my nose, it has a heavy herbal scent to it. It's not bad at all, but I much perfer the Ice Blue version.

When I set out to collect all the Aqua Velva bottles a few years back, I pored through old magazine advertisements to fix the dates for the different bottle styles.

 

[Jan Sobieski]

Yes, that's the original juice from way back. To my nose, it has a heavy herbal scent to it. It's not bad at all, but I much perfer the Ice Blue version.

When I set out to collect all the Aqua Velva bottles a few years back, I pored through old magazine advertisements to fix the dates for the different bottle styles.

That is such an impressive collection. The bottles are all in just absolutely beautiful condition. Wish they'd make replicas of them for sale today.

 

[Eben Stone]

It depends on how you want to define it. If we decide to go with "an aftershave scented with a particular fragrance mixture," then there are candidates like mentioned above, but Number 6 was not originally an aftershave. Same with 4711 (I know you said American, though), etc.

That's a good point. I sent Mr. Massey an email on Wednesday asking when their Number Six aftershave was introduced. I'm kinda surprised they haven't responded yet.

 

[reformedshavr]

Though Aqua Velva was first released in 1917, the Ice Blue version (contrary to what is stated on the bottle), was not released until 1955.View attachment 1797891

wow! So are do the 4 on the left all have the same scent? And. do you know when that scent was discontinued?

 

[AnimalCatcher]

wow! So are do the 4 on the left all have the same scent? And. do you know when that scent was discontinued?

Yes, the four on the left have the same scent, which was phased out in 1955 when Aqua Velva Ice Blue was introduced to the market.

 

[BigJ]

Though Aqua Velva was first released in 1917, the Ice Blue version (contrary to what is stated on the bottle), was not released until 1955.View attachment 1797891

Wonderful line-up!!

 

[AnimalCatcher]

Wonderful line-up!!

Thank you, kind sir!