Cosmetics are substances or products
used to enhance fragrance of the body.

The National Museum of American History's collection of cosmetics and personal care products currently includes over 2,200 objects dating largely from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. The collection represents a broad range of products intended to cleanse, soothe, heal, protect, and beautify the body: skin and hair care, soaps and cleansers, oral hygiene, feminine hygiene, shavers, make-up, and perfumes. Together these products provide an important record of American health practices, shifting cultural and beauty norms, and growth and change within the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.