History of Makeup

 
For centuries women have been enhancing their looking with artificial means. Many of these products were very unhealthy and lead to blindness, illness and death.  

In Ancient Egypt, aristocrats applied minerals to their faces to provide color and definition of features. Ancient Egyptian women wore foundation to lighten their skin, and used kohl eyeliner to widen the appearances of their eyes. Meanwhile, Persians believed that henna dyes, used to stain their hair and faces, enabled them to summon the majesty of the earth.

The Greeks were also known to paint their faces with white lead and chalk, while the Romans used oil-based perfumes in their baths. The Roman Lucian is noted to have talked about women and cosmetics in his time, referring to their polishing their teeth and eyebrows. The Roman philosopher, Plautus, also wrote, "A woman without paint is like food without salt."[1]

During the Renaissance, women strived for pale skin, and used a whitening agent composed of carbonate, hydroxide, and lead oxide to create a porcelain-like face. These agents, cumulatively stored in the body with each use, were responsible for numerous physical problems and resulted in some cases in muscle paralysis. During the time of Louis XIV and Queen Elizabeth I (known for her pale face), the problem became catastrophic and resulted in many early deaths.[1]

In the 1800’s product were invented which later evolved to item we use daily, such as lipsticks, mascara and foundations. Although at this time makeup was not socially accepted, it was used very discreetly and in line with the fashions of that time, which was to look pale and seemingly unhealthy. It was a sign of breeding, meaning you had the luxury of being indoors and did not work, which was considered vulgar.

The Victorian era (1837 - 1901) saw a number of advances in cosmetics and beauty products. By the nineteenth century, zinc oxide became widely used as a facial powder, replacing the more deadly mixture of the past. However, Victorians unknowingly continued to use other poisonous substances for eyeshadow (lead and antimony sulfide), lip reddeners (mercuric sulfide), and powder to make one's eyes sparkle (belladonna, or deadly nightshade).[1]

During World War I , the sudden absence of men in American society, women gained more independence in the late 1910s, both socially and financially. This enabled them to acquire a disposable income, which many working class women used to buy colored powders, eye shadows and lipstick. Once American women gained the vote, the newly liberated woman showed how free she was by displaying her right to speak out: red lipstick practically became a social necessity. [1]

Back then, Lipstick was made form carmine, which is derived from the female cochineal insects. You read right, insects.  Women would take the insect extracted crimson dye and mix with fats, waxes or oils to be applied to lips. Mascara was originally sold in a tin and applied with a comb. It wasn`t until the 1950’s that the mascara wand as we know it today was manufactured. [2]

You may be reading this thinking “Women were crazy back then”.  Actually they still are but now we have resources available to help us make better choices, unfortunately that still does not deter us from some of our unhealthy and outdated practices.

These days instead of using carmine our lipsticks are packed with chemicals, preservatives, sealants, collagen and silicone.  If I had to choose between eating insects or synthetic ingredients, I would choose the insects. At least it is a natural alternative!

References:

[1] The History of Makeup.  Christy Tillery French.  Last edited: Saturday, October 02, 2004
[2] Inventing Beauty, Inventing Beauty: A History of the Innovations that Have Made Us Beautiful by Teresa Riordan, October 5, 2004