100 Years of Max Factor

Just over a century ago, a Polish-Jewish cosmetician by the name of Maksymillian Faktorwicz moved his family to the United Sates in search of greater opportunities. He settled in Los Angeles and promptly started a made-to-order wig and cosmetics company to accommodate the emerging film industry. The ambitious entrepreneur (known simply as Max Factor) had no idea what kind of impact he was about to have on the future of filmmaking and the entire world of beauty and cosmetics.

Founded in 1909, Max Factor & Company originally set out to replace the commonly-used product of the day—a heavy greasepaint in stick form—which worked well for stage routines but was off-color and could not be applied thinly enough for on-screen performances. Factor began experimenting with various compounds to create a suitable replacement that would work better on film. A mere five years later in 1914, Factor perfected his first popular cosmetic product, a "flexible greasepaint" that gave the skin a lighter, smoother and more natural appearance on screen. Factor’s development quickly caught the attention of actors, actresses, and prominent Hollywood producers, making him the official authority on cosmetics for filmmaking.

In the early years of Max Factor & Company, Factor personally applied his products to such notable actresses as Jean Harlow, Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford and many others; gaining a reputation for expertly customizing makeup that presented performers in the best possible light on screen. He’s credited for developing some of the most stunning and trendsetting looks of the time (Joan Crawford’s naturally full lips, for example) as well as new shades of makeup that complimented the unique complexions of various actors and actresses.

Within a few years’ time, Factor had developed a number of cosmetic products, ranging from face powders to lip enhancers, and began referring to his products as "make-up," which was a term formerly used only in the realm of amateur theatre production. But Factor had effectively mainstreamed the phrase and brought a never before seen consistency to cosmetic products and application techniques.

Perhaps one of Factor's greatest achievements came after a 1922 trip to Germany, where he was snubbed by international greasepaint company, Leichner, for which Factor had been a major proponent and retailer. This inspired him to begin marketing his own line of greasepaints, which until then, had only been used privately on his clients. It was packaged in a collapsible tube and could be applied more thinly and evenly than competing products. It soon became the leading brand.

In 1927, an established marketing firm called National Distribution purchased rights to advertise, distribute and sale the product, and large-scale distribution ensued. But with the introduction of new filming technologies (such as Technicolor film), a need for new and improved cosmetic products soon emerged. Greasepaints of the era—as effective as they had been with black and white film—were still too heavy, blotchy and unnatural looking on the new super-sensitive medium. Max Factor & Company, of course, remained leader of the evolving industry by perfecting a line of products that worked well with full-color productions. Soon after, the make-up used for most movie and television productions were supplied exclusively by Max Factor & Company.

The Max Factor legacy that began more than 100 years ago has been carried well into modern times. Factor’s signature product, Pan-Cake, was the precursor of today’s cake make-up. The company’s 1940 release of Tru-Color was the world’s first smear-proof lipstick. And during WWII, Max Factor was charged with developing unique shades of makeup for camouflaging U.S. marines in combat. Even today, we can see the mark of Max Factor’s genius innovation with everyday products like lip gloss, waterproof make-up, and clear, colorless mascara.

It’s hard to say where the front line of beauty, filmmaking, and cosmetics would stand today if not for the intensive labor and creativity of this determined inventor, who like so many others of his time, sought only sufficient and dependable income to support his growing family. But one thing’s for certain—without Max Factor and his groundbreaking cosmetics, the world of art, fashion and beauty would be considerably less colorful.