The beauty line, Quenty-Cosmetic, exemplifies the ambivalent construction of naturalness surrounding an early cosmeceutical product in 1970s West Germany. This line of skincare products, featuring biologically active ingredients, was marketed as a preventative solution for skin ageing, revealing tensions between societal perceptions of ageing and the ideal of the “natural look” in the context of a polluted environment. Quenty's presence in pharmacies, drugstores, and health food stores illustrates its role in blurring the lines between cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and natural products, reflecting Ilana Löwy’s “boundary concepts.” Drawing on the archival resources on Quenty-Cosmetic of Bayer Archives Leverkusen, this article examines how nature is simultaneously portrayed as both a hero and an adversary in the quest for the “natural look,” revealing the complexities inherent in the cosmetic industry’s construction of naturalness.
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