Ever wonder how women in the early centuries could have possibly survived without skincare or makeup? Well, they didn’t! Skin care and cosmetics date back to around 3000 BC, when the Chinese would create nail polish from gum arabic, egg whites, gelatin, and beeswax. In early 1500 BC, people would use sandpaper as an exfoliate and smooth texture, much like we use microdermabrasion machines today. Ancient Egyptians, such as Cleopatra, would soak in milk baths to soften their skin (due to the lactic acid), and used pumice stones and olive oil to exfoliate and moisturize. They also used crushed minerals, such as malachite, to create pigments for their eyes, lips, and cheeks, as well as used kohl (a paste from soot, animal fat, and lead) as an eyeliner. Ancient Greeks would use olive oil all over their bodies, then coat themselves with dust to create a physical block from the sun.
Around the 15th century, the paler one was, the more beautiful. Because of this, cosmetics,again made with lead, were created to achieve this “white” look. Lead was mixed with vinegar to create foundations, was the first ingredient in early chemical peels, and was used to remove freckles and blemishes as a spot treatment. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that the effects of lead
were discovered, including disfigurement, infertility, and often death to those who used large amounts of the chemical element. It was finally banned from cosmetic use in 1938.
Nightengale Graham, is the first to mix science with cosmetics, and creates the modern-day
spa.
Imagine - with all of the changes and inventions and technology that has been developed over the last 3500 years, what our grandchildren, or even great-great grandchildren will be using on their skin!
-Elizabeth