FROM A MIRACULOUS VINEGAR…

Already, in Antiquity, vinegar, mixed with a solution of water and honey, was deemed a remedy suitable for certain infections or diseases. In the 18 th century, one of the most famous potions was a macerated preparation called ‘Four Thieves Vinegar’ and was considered the best protection against the Black Death, the plague. It only took a few nudges to turn this vaccine avant la lettre, this miraculous vinegar into a toiletry product, at a time when water was frowned upon, held responsible for spreading contagion. Vinegars infused with citrus, spices or flowers flourished, not only as a cleansing lotion but also a pick-me-up inhalation to revive the spirits.

In the 19th century, the use of vinegar changed. Still a staple of the medicine cabinet, it could be poured in the bath – water had been rehabilitated – and vinegar also became a part of the skincare routine for the face, as a toner and complexion enhancer. At the time, cleanliness was a sign of good health and an indicator of social respectability – the privilege of the middle and upper classes. At the same time, makeup was frowned upon, an artifice tolerated for theatre artists and better left to women of easy virtue: a face should have no decoration but its natural glow. A rosy hue, delicate pallour, and a fresh complexion were the centre of attention. The time was ripe for the appearance of the extraordinary Vinaigre aromatique et antiméphitique de Jean-Vincent Bully (‘Jean-Vincent Bully’s Aromatic and Antimephitic Vinegar’). With a formula protected by patents in 1809 and 1814, the lotion became a sought- after remedy against any ailment and the key to flawless beauty. Against cologne, its competitor whose quality varied, with counterfeits and imitations abounding, Bully’s vinegar became a classic among beauty products, a best- seller awarded a medal at the 1867 and 1878 Expositions Universelles. The popular press was unanimous in chronicling and praising its merits and its roaring success. Le Petit Journal, in its 12 April 1869 edition, writes: ‘There is a whole regiment of them, a battalion in serried ranks in the front window, but this regiment’s colonel is always Jean-Vincent Bully’s familiar vinegar, a veteran still standing despite the army of competitors trying to take its place. Gentle on the skin, pleasant to the nose, like it says on the advertisement, it remains on the front lines, like an old soldier, proud of the medals adorning its lapel’.