24 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS I 0 •'o lot i•,.• ½e•,•' Fig. 3. PER CENT CHANGE I• SALES--1953--1956 (Source' Drug Trade News Surveys) cent in three years. Since 1953, over $400,000,000 worth of electric razors has been sold, which at $20.00 apiece means that about 20,000,000 electric razors are in use. This ties in with a later 1955 survey of a magazine for men: it was found that 43 per cent of their readers use an electric razor ? , 49.6 per cent of another magazine's readers use an electric razor s . Naturally this accounts for the emergence and rapid advance of a new type of cosmetic, the pre-electric shave preparations which sold for over $5,000,000 in 1956. The purpose of the pre-electric shave preparation is either to remove the film of moisture on the skin or to prevent it from interfering with the smooth passage of the cutting head on the beard. Two types are available. Table I. SZLES IN THOUSANDS OF DOLL^I•S Razor Blades Electric Razors Pre-Electric Shave Lotions 1953 108,200 81,830 1954 1956 114,760 125,170 2,290 5,220 % Increase +6.25 +53 + 127.9 Source: Drug Trade News Surveys.

THE DEVELOPING MARKET IN MEN'S COSMETICS IN THE U.S.A. The first employs talc to absorb moisture, and the talc is used in the form of a stick rubbed on the skin prior to shaving. The second preparation may be one of two types of alcoholic lotion: one contains an astringent to tighten the skin and make the hair stand stiff and upright and the other contains an • q ooo, ooo . • ovo o oo 19•3 t9• /95• Fig. 4. H•[• Lo•[o•s •9 AF•-S•v• Lotions. alcohol-soluble oily material which leaves a fi• on the skin after the evapora- tion of the alcohol. This film prevents the drag and pull of the cutting head against the skin which is most troublesome in warm and humid weather and it improves the performance by reducing frictionS. The sales volume of after-shave lotion is rapidly increasing with the use of more shaving creams and electric razors (Fig. •). Hair Lotions The percentage increase in the use of hair lotions is even greater, probably because, unlike after-shave lotions, men use them more than once a day and youngsters of the pre-shaving age do what father does. The important development so far as hair lotions are concerned is the sharp rise of the cream t•e, which now accounts for 46 per cent of the sales of hair lotion. The hquid or semi-liquid emulsion seems gradually to displace the clear alcoholic lotion, the oil type and brilliantine. They are designed for men who •slike the use of alcoholic lotions on their scalp and for those who prefer a finish less greasy than that given by oils and brilliantines. The latest development in men's hair preparations is the introduction of an aerosol hair spray for men. It is still in the trial stage, but if it catches on