Rubinstein, Helena

(born , Dec. 25, 1870, Kraków, Pol., Austria-Hungary—died April 1, 1965, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Polish-U.S. cosmetician, business executive, and philanthropist. She went to Australia in 1902, where she opened a beauty salon in which she offered free consultation along with a special cream brought from Poland. Experiencing an immediate success there, she returned to Europe, opening a salon in London in 1908 and another in Paris in 1912. In 1914 she immigrated to the U.S. to open salons in New York and other cities. She began wholesale distribution of her products in 1917. After World War II she built factories on five continents. In 1953 she established the Helena Rubinstein Foundation to coordinate her gifts to museums, colleges, and institutions for the needy.

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