If you think the craze over beauty started in the 21st century; you’ve never been so wrong. Women’s obsession with fashion and looking good have a very long and insane history.
From using the deadly arsenic for the pale complexion to radioactive rays for glowing skin and eyelashes sewn to eyelids with needles, these facts comprise of different makeup products used in past that were very detrimental to health.
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Some of these deadly makeup products are still in use today and it will do you a lot of good to know them.
Arsenic
In the 19th century, the criteria for beauty was being delicate, pale and having big eyes. Arsenic was used to do the deed. This chemical helped achieve the perfect pale skin at a fatal cost of killing red blood cells (which causes paleness), baldness and death.
Dr. Campbell’s safe arsenic complexion wafers and Fould’s medicated arsenic complexion soap was said to ‘transform shallow skin to radiant health and given complexion an indescribable brilliancy’. Unfortunately, women ate these ‘safe’ wafers and used the soap to get the perfect skin tone ignoring the known health hazard.
Lead foundation
This substance was used before arsenic and is still used in today’s cosmetic. Lead was mixed with vinegar to form ceruse which was used to achieve of course, pale skin. Because it was popular, many people suffered from lead poisoning and the side effects included constipation, dried skin, abdominal pain etc.
This lead make-up caused Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventry, to die of lead poisoning at the age of 27, she used ceruse to powder and skin and hairstyles.
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Atropa Belladonna (night shade plant)
While assassins used this poisonous plant to kill target, women used this to enhance beauty. Eye drops made from this were used to dilate pupils to look seductive. Note that this plants are so deadly that one leave is very fatal.
Mercury
If you’ve thought you’ve seen it all with lead and arsenic, you thought wrong. Mercury was used to make skin lightening soap and cream, like the other chemicals, it had its side effects. It could be adsorbed through the skin with ease and cause, kidney and liver failure, birth defect, tremor, nerve damage, etc.
In modern day, some countries have banned the use of mercury in cosmetics.
Radioactivity
You must heard or known of this phenomenon called radioactivity but what I’m sure you didn’t know was that it was used to make skin glow. When Pierre Currie and his wife, Marie, discovered this phenomenon, cosmetic companies then, went crazy over using it for cosmetic.
A popular company Radior and others used this to produce radioactive creams, soaps and beauty products. This cosmetics could remove wrinkles and make skin radiant and luminous.
The effects of constant radiation is commonly known, it can cause radiation sickness, cancer and death.
This shows how far some people in the past could go to be beautiful not minding their health, unfortunately it doesn’t end there, this habit is still plaguing the modern world. With the advancement of technology, some people do a lot of things to fit into society’s standard of beauty ignoring the side effects and consequences, hope you’re not one of them.
Remember, looking good isn’t bad but don’t let it get in and over your head, or you might just pay a very costly price for it.
See also: 10 Simple Ways to Make Your Hair Growth Longer, Faster.
Let us know what you think about these deadly makeup products. in the comments section below
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