HISTORY OF COSMETICS

History of Cosmetics - The light that has always been there, to look beautiful and be wanted.

For centuries, various forms of cosmetics have been used to enhance beauty, promote better health and in religious rituals. The great Pharaohs wore eye makeup to exert their power and women wore it to enhance their beauty. Cosmetic products have evolved from using sometimes dangerous and deadly ingredients, but the overall concept of using makeup hasn’t changed. People have been altering the way they look for generations, to become more appealing, to assert their stature in society and to feel better about themselves. The positive thing about makeup is that it doesn’t physically change your appearance. Both men and women in Ancient Egypt used ointments and scented oils, to mask their body odor and soften their skin. Natural substances such as: thyme, myrrh, marjoram, lavender, lily, peppermint, chamomile, rosemary, rose, aloe and cedar and oils such as sesame, almond and olive oil, were used to make perfumes. Oils and creams were used to protect people's skin from the hot sun and the dry winds. Castor oil was likely used as a balm, to protect the lips and skin and was used in many of the skin creams. 

Women in Egypt used Galena Mesdemet - a bright green paste made of lead ore, copper and malachiteon - on their faces, for definition and color. To create the appearance that their eyes were an almond shape, women in ancient Egypt used a combination of oxidized copper, burnt almonds, copper colored ores, ash, lead and ochre. People in ancient China used gum Arabic, beeswax, eggs and gelatin to stain their fingernails; this would represent their social class. The lower class, were not able to wear nail colors. Ancient Grecian women would use white lead to cover their faces and then use crushed mulberries as blush. Oxen hair was used for fake eyebrows.Rice powder was used to make the faces of Japanese and Chinese citizens, white. Henny dyes stained the face and hair, teeth were painted black and gold and the eyebrows were shaved off. Lead powder or chalk were used by Grecians to whiten their faces. Ochre clays with red iron, were used as lipstick. Barley flour and butter were used by the Romans to cover/treat pimples. They used sheep fat and blood to paint their nails. Mud baths became popular with Romans and some men dyed their hair blonde. People in Elizabethan England dyed their hair red. They also used egg whites spread on their faces, to create the look of a paler complexion.

Cosmetics were used by the aristocracy in Europe. France and Italy began manufacturing cosmetics. In Elizabethan times, blonde hair was considered to be "angelic". They would mix alum, black sulphur and honey, which would be painted onto the hair and then dried in the sun. Pressures to create a younger look for middle-aged women in Edwardian Society, lead to the increased use of cosmetics. Salons began to increase in acceptability and popularity. Max Faktor (later changed his name to Max Factor) moved to Los Angeles from Poland, in the early twentieth century and began producing and selling his makeup line, which was very popular because it didn’t cake on the skin or crack. Many movie stars used it, because it worked so well under the hot studio lights.By the 1920’s, the cosmetics industry was growing and the expenditure on advertising rose dramatically. In 1927, it was around $390,000 and rose to $3.2 million by 1930. Tube mascara made its way into the mainstream in the 1950’s. During the late 1960’s and 1970’s, the second-wave of feminism swept across the United States. Feminists pushed for women to give up on anything that allowed them to be objectified by men. Many women wore makeup to get ahead in the workplace. It gave them the edge that they needed to be taken more seriously. Some people are critical of the marketing techniques of cosmetics companies and the sexualization of women.