Charles A. P. Mason took over the Snow & Mason Apothecary located at 167 Broad Street in Providence in 1854. At that time, Mason became a druggist and apothecary and began wholesaling and retailing drugs, perfumes, brushes, patent medicines, Congress waters, soda syrups, cigars, and all sorts of druggists' glasswares and grocer supplies. He also carried a line of chemicals used in the jewelry trade.

Mason became proprietor of Snow & Mason's Cough & Croup Syrup, Snow's Pink Root and Ricord's Mixture, and also a Mason's Alpine Hair Balm which he claimed was not a dye but actually restored gray hair to it's natural color no matter if it was black, brown, auburn, or any other natural color. It was also warranted to cure baldness, dandruff, itching, and all other diseases of the scalp by restoring the skin and saving the hair regardless if you were losing hair due to illness or any other malady. The Balm contained no oil or grease which, as Mason professed, people didn't realize were injurious to the hair.

The hair balm was a big seller, sold by many of the leading druggists of the day. The sole distributing agent for the balm was D. P. Ives of Boston who sold it throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Mason continued selling his products which he expanded to include toilet soaps, German colognes, combs, pocket knives, and like items until 1865 when he quit and ventured into drugs and dyes only.