I’ve often heard the words ‘cold cream’ thrown around, but have never really known what a cold cream is other than something that sits in a jar on grandmother’s dressing tables.

The product is often thought to be invented by T.T. Pond in the early twentieth century, as the cream is now synonymous with the brand, but the inventor was actually a Greek physician, Galen, in the second century.

The original cream was created from an emulsion of beeswax, oil, rose petals, and water to condition the face and remove makeup . . . fairly similar to what it’s used for today.

The combination of fats and water in this product help moisturise the skin and, unsurprisingly, it gets its name because it’s cold to the touch. People using it to soften their skin, soothe sunburns, and protect their faces from cold, windy weather and it can also be used with cotton wool to remove makeup.