Beauty has always been in the eye of the beholder, and it is amazing the lengths we will go to achieve whatever standard of beauty is en vogue. Today, popular cosmetic surgery procedures such as breast augmentation, butt lifts, and laser hair removal are considered common place and not particularly controversial. One can only assume that women (and men) in days gone by didn’t give a second thought to cosmetological practices that today seem barbaric.
One of the most pervasive, and potentially deadly, beauty trends from as far back as ancient Rome as been the ‘pale skin look.’ Wealthy women were not required to work the fields, and thus were spared the ravages of sun-damaged skin that was common among the poor. To emulate the pale skin of the upper class, women (and depending on the era, some men) used cosmetics to help create the desired pallor. Popular ingredients included everything from chalk powder to crocodile dung, but perhaps one of the most dangerous ingredients was white lead.
By the 18th century women were mixing white lead with vinegar to make ceruse. The concoction not only helped create the extremely pale look that was so popular at the time, but it also helped smooth out the skin’s texture – a huge benefit, considering the pervasiveness of facial scarring due to the smallpox epidemic. The downside was lead poisoning, which resulted in such unpleasantness as constipation, dry skin, prematurely gray hair, severe abdominal cramping and pain, decreased libido, mental confusion, high blood pressure, miscarriage and mood disorders.
Other common ingredients in popular cosmetics from the past include arsenic, mercury, nightshade (belladonna) and radium. But before we cast too many stones at our ancestors, let’s keep in my that the Number 1 non-invasive cosmetic surgery procedure in 2015 involved injecting potentially deadly toxins (Botulinum Toxin Type A) into our faces to reduce wrinkles.
If you’re looking for quality skin care products that do not contain any forbidden ingredients and known toxins, consider those produced by Skin 2 Skin Natural Skincare. They include: NO Animal Ingredients, Human Stem Cells, Toxic Preservatives including, Formaldehyde Releasers, Parabens, and Benzyl Alcohol, Talc, Petrochemicals (Petroleum Derived), Mineral Oil, Synthetic Fragrance, Color or Dyes, Sulfates, Chemical Sunscreens, PABA, Nanoparticales, Hydroquinone, PEG/Polyethylene Glycol, Resorcinol, Toluene, Tritethanolamine, BHA/Butylated Hydroxyanisole, Ceteareth Glycol, Cocamide DEA, PEG, Triclosan, Phthalates, and 1,4 Dixane.
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