In the early 1900s, Lysol was marketed directly to housewives as a feminine hygiene product, rather than the household cleaner we know today.
Advertisements promoted Lysol as a douche to ensure “feminine daintiness” and maintain “married happiness.” With contraceptives illegal under the Comstock Act, many women used Lysol as an ineffective birth control method, resulting in high pregnancy rates. Respected doctors, including Joseph De Lee, endorsed Lysol for reducing infections during childbirth, despite its toxic ingredients causing burns and inflammation.
By 1911, there were 193 poisonings and five deaths linked to Lysol douching. It wasn’t until the 1960s, with safer birth control options available, that Lysol transitioned to the household cleaner known today.
Source: allthatsinteresting.com
Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell
