Frownies were created in 1889 after Margaret Kroesen discovered that her daughter Alice(a concert pianist) had developed unsightly wrinkles and frown lines. With a desire to maintain her youthful beauty and stage presence, Mrs. Kroesen created the "Wrinkle Eradicators" (as they were first called) to work naturally by employing the basic principle of fitness to the muscles of the face. At the time, there was no thought of producing them for anyone else but herself and Alice. But after using her amazing invention, Alice was a living testimony, and it became clear that women and men everywhere could benefit.
Several years later when her husband's death made it necessary for her to enter the business world, Mrs. Kroesen joined the B & P Company as Managing Director. The company specialized in barber supplies such as straight razors, razor straps, and pomades. With the advent of the safety razor, sales lagged and profits dwindled, making the bankers who owned the company happy to accept Margaret's offer to buy them out. As owner, Mrs. Kroesen gradually dropped the barber supplies and offered only her wrinkle removers and skin treatments . A few small ads were placed to help get the word started about her amazing invention, and these soon paid off in increased sales. Alice Laumer, Margaret's daughter, joined the business to help with the increasing sales. After the death of her daughter, Margaret continued at the helm until her own death in 1962.
