Cosmetic history: makeup from time to time

With the introduction of so many new and amazing products in the world of cosmetics, you would think that these makeup and other beauty products were discovered at this time. But then, the history of cosmetics goes back to ancient times, from the era of ancient Egypt to be exact.

Having said that, we can say that this cosmetic history is really very rich. For starters, makeup had already been used by men and women thousands of years before, and this can be proven by archaeologists’ discovery of numerous jars of makeup items inside Egyptian tombs dating back to around 3000 B.C.

We all know that in the past, the Egyptians worked hard and were exposed to the hot sun in the desert for long periods. And so, to combat the scorching heat, they formulated a product very similar to the lotions we have today—specifically, lotions that soothe dry skin and help prevent wrinkles at the same time.

Egyptian women also began to use kohl to line their eyes. Kohl is a chemical element that contains antimony or lead sulfide. This eyeliner was typically used by both men and women as an eyeshadow. The most used color for this was green.

Although we are aware that lead has some toxic properties, sadly, people in the early days had no idea that their makeup or cosmetics were slowly poisoning them. Also, in the Babylonian relics, experts had unearthed white lead which was probably applied as a base to make the face look lighter or whiter. It was also discovered that the Greeks had been using white lead for the sole purpose of enhancing their skin tones.

This fad for looking paler had intensified until the mid-19th century. During this time, most women and some men wanted to have a pale face. They thought this look was a mark of aristocracy, particularly for people who didn’t have to bake in the sun while tilling the fields and eventually gain a darker complexion in the process.

And as proof that people totally went crazy over this lighter skin tone thing, women even went to such lengths of getting themselves bled just to make their faces look pale. But of course the habit of using white powder and paint was still present to accompany the practice of bleeding.

In the early 1600s, the fashionable look didn’t just encompass pale skin tone, as red lips, rosy cheeks, and brighter eyes had already been added. It was also used to put rouge or make-up in red or brown tones on the cheeks and lips. However, to achieve the big eyes, the women resorted again to another toxic element that was arsenic. They also rinsed their eyes with certain acidic juices such as lemon and orange. In exaggerated cases, women even used the hallucinogenic belladonna that came from the deadly nightshade plant. This is usually dropped into the eyes to enlarge the pupils for dreamy, soft-looking eyes.

Finally, after thousands of years, people have become wiser and more concerned about the things they put into their bodies and that is how they were able to discover that they are actually poisoning themselves little by little and that the culprit is the toxic one. ingredients in makeup or cosmetics. As a result, in this century, medical experts have finally started trying to regulate cosmetic ingredients to make users safer and prevent toxic lead, mercury, aluminum, carbon, etc. from entering their cosmetics. bodies with the skin or mouth as the point of entry. However, in the US, the Cosmetic Industry continues to fight regulation of ingredients used in the manufacture of personal care products.

In conclusion, this is not the end of the cosmetics story, as more new products are sure to come and we all know that anything goes in the 21st century. Take wrinkle fillers, non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and the creation of facial enhancers like Botox as examples. All these cosmetics, to beautify a person, are gaining popularity, but they are still full of toxins.

With this, we can say that all the products that are to come in the future will all be aimed at making us look as if we have shaved 15 years off our original age, but at what a cost! Interesting indeed, right?