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Professor Wilson Poon (School of Physics and Astronomy) and Professor Jill Burke (Edinburgh College of Art) have been collaboratively researching the history and science of Renaissance cosmetics. Both in Renaissance times and in the present day, the flow properties of such skin and hair care products is key to their formulation. As a result of their collaboration, they have developed The Beauty Sensorium – a multi-sensory commission where visitors can enter the world of Renaissance cosmetics. The exhibition shows how Renaissance cosmetic makers wrestled with many of the same technical challenges as modern soft matter scientists and industrial formulators.
The Beauty Sensorium will include five cosmetic samples of varying textures and viscosities, made from ingredients including mutton fat, mastic gum and rose water. These will be presented in lit glass vessels that will highlight the life of the substance within, how it moves and transforms when animated by stirring or heat. Visitors will catch fragrances of each substance as they walk around the installation and hear the sounds made during their preparation. The substances demonstrate that much of our scientific knowledge is acquired through first-hand, sensory experiences.
Professor Burke and Professor Poon are trialling historical recipes that may provide insights for beauty products today. Both hope that the project will inspire people to recreate the recipes themselves and become scientists in their own kitchens. A video featuring Professor Burke and Dr Andreia Fonseca da Silva, a research fellow from ECFP who formulated the cosmetic samples on show, features as part of the exhibition and highlight the commonalities – and differences – of inventiveness in the lab and at home.
The Beauty Sensorium commission has been created for The Cult of Beauty exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London which runs from 26 October to 28 April 2024. The show examines how morality, status and health have shaped ideas about beauty throughout history, and it encourages visitors to foster dialogue, reflection and more inclusive definitions of beauty. The installation has been developed as part of the Renaissance Goo project, funded by an APEX grant from the Royal Society.
Please get in contact with us to find out more about ECFP and whether we can help you.
ECFP delivers fundamental product insight enabling improved formulation and processing for a more sustainable future.
ECFP delivers fundamental product insight enabling improved formulation and processing for a more sustainable future.
ECFP delivers fundamental product insight enabling improved formulation and processing for a more sustainable future.
