Leo Dimilo
Tonya Lachey
Dianna GHistory of Cosmetics
October 14th 2008 02:15
‘A woman is like food without salt’, Roman philosopher Platus (254-184BC) once said. The use of cosmetics has been around for centuries, from the ancient Egyptians who used cosmetics for spiritual purposes, through the middle ages, renaissance and regency periods where pale skin was so sought-after, it was fashionable to look as if you were suffering from tuberculosis, to today when literally hundreds of thousands of cosmetics cater to our youth-obsessed society.
A look at cosmetics through the years shows the lengths women (and some men) had to go through for the sake of beauty.
For ancient Egyptians, beauty was intertwined with magic and medicine. To be magically protected, one must be healthy, clean and attractive. An Egyptian woman’s eye makeup was most typically mesdemet, a mixture of copper and lead ore that not only supposedly contained magical uses to ward off the evil eye, but also acted as a disinfectant and insect repellant. Kohl, a mixture of burnt almonds, copper, lead, ash and ochre was applied on and around the eyes in an almond shape with a small stick. A mixture of red clay and water would then be applied to the lips and cheeks with henna to dye nails orange or yellow while they traced their veins in their temples and breasts with blue paint and tipped their nipples in liquid gold. Men weren’t exempt from a daily beauty regime either. Ancient Egyptians recognized that body care and beauty care began with cleanliness and abhorred unpleasant body odours with the belief that good smells held the presence of the sacred. They bathed in the river or in a basin at home, with cleansers made from vegetable or animal oil mixed with powdered lime and perfume. They also used perfumed oils to protect themselves from the hot, arid climate.
By the middle of the 1st century AD, the use of cosmetics by Egyptians were adopted by the Romans who were more interested in looking good for each other than looking good for the gods. They added chalk to whiten their skin and pumice to clean their teeth. Greco-Romans adopted oxen hair to apply fake eyebrows while the Persians began staining their hair and faces with henna.
In the middle ages through to the 18th century, pale skin was a sign of wealth, separating the upper class from the ‘commoners’ who laboured in the sun, and many women sought drastic measures to ensure their skin was as pale as possible. In Europe, women used leeches to bleed themselves. Women of the Italian renaissance used a face powder called Aqua Toffana which was laced with arsenic, Elizabethan England plastered egg whites over their faces to create a pale, ‘glazed’ look while Regency women even went so far as to eat small amounts of arsenic when their parasols and bonnets weren’t enough to shield them from the sun and save their precious pale skin. What was worse was the use of belladonna – drops prepared from the plant were used to make the eyes appear luminous. The frequent use of this toxic plant, along with lead and mercury in cosmetics eventually ruined the skin, caused hair loss, stomach problems and even death, but women were willing to turn a blind eye, sometimes literally.
Fortunately, when the Victorian period began, so did disdain for the use of cosmetics, with many associating make-up with prostitutes. Instead, women prepared their own home-made beauty products containing natural products like oatmeal, honey and egg yolk. Rosewater or scented vinegar was used to cleanse the skin, rouge and lipstick were replaced with simply pinching your cheeks and biting your lips – in privacy, of course.
The minimalist make-up continued on into the early 20th century until the mass make-up marketing campaign in the 1930s, beginning with bold red lipsticks which was a sign of independence for women in America. Hollywood paved the way for the re-birth of cosmetics with actresses from Jean Harlow to Audrey Hepburn inspiring current trends in make-up. And lo and behold, the desperate desire for pale skin was gradually replaced by longing for a more ‘healthy’ tanned look.
Nowadays, with all the cosmetic products being trumpeted on billboards, magazines, TVs and endorsed by overrated celebrities, our desire for beauty and looking young obviously hasn’t waned. As a matter of fact, it has only become worse with an increasing number of both women and men bypassing make-up and opting for something permanent in the form of cosmetic surgery. If history has shown us anything, it’s that we’ll go to great lengths to achieve that ideal beauty, no matter the consequences.
A look at cosmetics through the years shows the lengths women (and some men) had to go through for the sake of beauty.
By the middle of the 1st century AD, the use of cosmetics by Egyptians were adopted by the Romans who were more interested in looking good for each other than looking good for the gods. They added chalk to whiten their skin and pumice to clean their teeth. Greco-Romans adopted oxen hair to apply fake eyebrows while the Persians began staining their hair and faces with henna.
In the middle ages through to the 18th century, pale skin was a sign of wealth, separating the upper class from the ‘commoners’ who laboured in the sun, and many women sought drastic measures to ensure their skin was as pale as possible. In Europe, women used leeches to bleed themselves. Women of the Italian renaissance used a face powder called Aqua Toffana which was laced with arsenic, Elizabethan England plastered egg whites over their faces to create a pale, ‘glazed’ look while Regency women even went so far as to eat small amounts of arsenic when their parasols and bonnets weren’t enough to shield them from the sun and save their precious pale skin. What was worse was the use of belladonna – drops prepared from the plant were used to make the eyes appear luminous. The frequent use of this toxic plant, along with lead and mercury in cosmetics eventually ruined the skin, caused hair loss, stomach problems and even death, but women were willing to turn a blind eye, sometimes literally.
Fortunately, when the Victorian period began, so did disdain for the use of cosmetics, with many associating make-up with prostitutes. Instead, women prepared their own home-made beauty products containing natural products like oatmeal, honey and egg yolk. Rosewater or scented vinegar was used to cleanse the skin, rouge and lipstick were replaced with simply pinching your cheeks and biting your lips – in privacy, of course.
The minimalist make-up continued on into the early 20th century until the mass make-up marketing campaign in the 1930s, beginning with bold red lipsticks which was a sign of independence for women in America. Hollywood paved the way for the re-birth of cosmetics with actresses from Jean Harlow to Audrey Hepburn inspiring current trends in make-up. And lo and behold, the desperate desire for pale skin was gradually replaced by longing for a more ‘healthy’ tanned look.
Nowadays, with all the cosmetic products being trumpeted on billboards, magazines, TVs and endorsed by overrated celebrities, our desire for beauty and looking young obviously hasn’t waned. As a matter of fact, it has only become worse with an increasing number of both women and men bypassing make-up and opting for something permanent in the form of cosmetic surgery. If history has shown us anything, it’s that we’ll go to great lengths to achieve that ideal beauty, no matter the consequences.
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
Make up is nice when you're young and full of expectations or for that special occasion, but I did fine just as I am.
With the others, I cannot compete.
Comment by Journeywoman
Great Hair Style Tips
The Mama Sutra
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
I think makeup is great, as long as you don't get obsessed about applying it every day. You can have a lot of fun with eyeliners! Interestingly, the Egyptian eye is coming back into vogue.
Great article, I found that really interesting
Comment by Manda
Medicinal Nature
Comment by Cheryl J
Rhythmatism
Budget Centsability
Great stuff Aimzster!