About Maison G. deNavarre
Known to his friends as Ed, Maison G. deNavarre, is known to have his interest in cosmetic chemistry rooted in his pharmaceutical antecedents. Upon graduating high school in 1926, Ed followed his brothers’ footsteps to the College of the City of Detroit (now Wayne University), to study pharmacy. Once apprenticed in a drugstore, a law requirement for State Board examinations on graduation, Ed was at once intrigued by cosmetics & perfumes. This interest was further nourished by the fine toiletries department at the drugstore in the lobby of the Book-Cadillac Hotel where one of his brother’s was assistant manager. Whenever possible, Ed was there looking over the fascinating stock of bottles and jars.
As early as 1935, Ed had attempted to interest the technical men in the cosmetic industry to form a scientific society. He encountered a great deal of apathy, and even fear of reprisals for participation in such an effort. However, he acquired wide acquaintance and reputation in the trade, through his monthly column “Desiderata” in The American Perfumer, his book “The Chemistry and Manufacture of Cosmetics”, and his country wide consulting practice. Such factors, coupled with his energy and persistence, overcame the obstacles in 1945 when he and 11 other like-minded men founded the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, during a time when the atmosphere in the industry was full of closely guarded secrets.