As the saying goes, beauty is pain. The forebears of the formulas on
today’s makeup market were some truly unusual ingredients – some
even poisonous or repugnant – slathered on in the name of glamourCosmetic Improvements
SKIN DEEP
science
HAIR
Used as hair dye, henna is made from the
leaves of the henna plant, which are dried,
crushed into a fine powder, then made into
a paste. When applied to hair or skin, it then
binds to the keratin, staining it an orange or
brown colourFACE
An Aryurvedic tradition, ubtan face masks
comprise a herbal paste of turmeric, saffron,
sandalwood, chickpeas and mustard seeds.
Meant to detoxify the skin, it was thought to
have been prescribed by Vedic physiciansNECK
Instead of baths, Indians used bathing
cosmetics like turmeric germicidal cream,
comprising chickpea flour or wheat husk
mixed with milk to exfoliate the skinEYES
Both men and women lined their eyes with
kohl, a black powder made from burnt
sandalwood paste combined with ghee or
castor oil. It was thought to impart medicinal
benefits to the wearer, like strengthening
and protecting the eyesUPPER LIP
Facial hair was removed by applying a paste
of bone ash, fat and jasmine oil to soften the
skin before plucking out the offending hairs
with tweezers. A second paste of egg whites,
rosewater and lemon juice was lathered on
to prevent pimplesCHEEK
A beauty spot, called kal, was painted on a
corner of the mouth or cheek using a mixture of
musk, oil, black wax, and ambergris (a substance
produced in the intestines of sperm whales)HAIR
The earliest hair gels consisted of sticky liquids,
such as the seeds of the quince fruit
soaked in hot water, along with wet
starch flicked onto the hair to give it a
pearl-studded appearanceEYELIDS
Black powder, called sormeh, was used as an
eyeshadow and manufactured from the soot
produced when burning goat fat, bone marrow,
or nuts such as almonds and pistachiosIndia
Iran
26th century Bce
19th century Bce
DATA SOURCES: HOW STUFF WORKS, JAPAN COSMETIC INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, GB TIMES, ANCIENT CHINESE FASHION,
BARE FACED TRUTH, IRANICA ONLINE, ANCIENT ORIGINS, SILK AND STONE, S K CHAUDHRI, N K JAIN, THE VINTAGE NEWS,
AROGYADHAM AYURVEDA TREATMENT CENTRE, CLASSROOM
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