The sordid tale of a Victorian beauty guru

The search for the fountain of youth has been ongoing throughout history. Today, we’re inundated with products and services that promise to make us ten years younger, put the bounce back in our skin, and make us impossibly attractive—if only we buy that one miracle product for our medicine cabinet or makeup drawer. And if that’s not enough, there are chemical peels, fillers, Botox, and even vampire facials.

Everyone seems to be selling something designed to make us prettier and younger. Beauty influencers dominate TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and magazines. Some of their advice is genuinely helpful, some of it is questionable, and all of it is meant to part you from your hard-earned money.

But Madame Rachel had them all beat.