Unusual beauty products from the past

At the time of purchase of cosmetics, not all women think about, from which produce their favorite lipstick, eye shadow and creams. The more so that today it is already possible not to worry about the composition of the favorite foods, because now the requirements for production standards are high as ever. However, in the past women were due to worry that, as many of cream, blush and other means were made of a very terrible ingredients, which were sometimes even deadly health hazard.

10. Lipstick beetles from

appetizing bright red lips have always been considered one of the most sought-after features in women's appearance, so it is not surprising that we are enthusiastic search for the perfect ingredients to get the most saturated color for lipstick. Unfortunately for the beautiful ladies, in the past the main ingredient of the dye of red lipstick was the cochineal, an insect that lives in the Middle East, Europe, South and Central America.

In the West, the females of this beetle feed on cactus red berries, and it is their ability to produce the carminic acid and made these insects in such a valuable raw material in the cosmetic industry. From time immemorial people knew that carminic acid is easy to obtain by crushing koshenilnogo beetle. Of its secretions then produced carmine - the same red dye, which is so widely used and is still used in almost all spheres of life.

In the 20th century, when so much increased demand for red lipstick to satisfy the most demanding fashionistas, manufacturers make-up began to use it carmine. Perhaps if the women knew that their lipstick made from crushed beetles almost, they would think twice before lipstick red. However, the lipstick of the beetles was not a novelty or purely achievement of the 20th century. Even the queen of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra used the recipe for red lipstick, which consisted of crushed ants and bugs.

9. Eyebrows goatskin

Fashion on the brow is constantly changing, and popular are the subtle strings of medieval paintings, the thick dark eyebrows and 1950s, like the legendary Elizabeth Taylor. Sometimes eyebrows even became part of the ritual of the image, and able to testify about certain emotions. For example, in ancient Egypt, owners of cats shaved off their eyebrows as a sign of mourning for the dead pets. However, one of the most bizarre trend was the ancient Greek fashion monobrov.

Greek women believed that pristine, natural eyebrows spoke about the purity and innocence of their mistress, and monobrov and did was the ultimate manifestation of beauty and intelligence. Those who are not lucky to be born with blond and thin or sparse brows, coloring them with antimony, and the most desperate girls and all glued itself false eyebrows goatskin. To hide this not drop off, the skin pre-plastered wood tar. Fashion on the goat skin was pretty fast, but in the 18th century there was one even more is the trend. Fashionistas Georgian era favored completely tweeze eyebrows home, then to glue them in place of the fake. Satirist joked that false eyebrows girls were made of mouse skins.

8. Blush cinnabar

At some point in history, bright and radiant glow was considered a real rage. Even today, girls like to apply blush to look younger and healthier, but at least they are relatively safe cosmetics, held a bunch of checks and tests, can not be said about their predecessors, who lived many centuries ago. In the past, women hoping to get an attractive blush applied to a variety of means, until the queue is reached and cinnabar. Cinnabar - mercury is a mineral of volcanic origin of bright red color, which once seemed enterprising manufacturers of cosmetics just the perfect ingredient for lipsticks and powders. Mixed with other components of cinnabar fine fell on the skin in the form of rouge. As it turned out, mercury - extremely toxic metal, which is very harmful to the nervous, immune and digestive system, and the muscles, kidneys, lungs, liver, eyes. Of course, nowadays the use of cinnabar in the cosmetic industry is prohibited, although it is nothing will change for generations of women who died too early because of mercury poisoning in absolute ignorance of its toxicity.

7. Face Powder with lead powder

For centuries, pale skin was considered a sign of elegance, beauty, and was associated with the highest position of the ladies, it is not surprising that the ladies of past centuries would have been shocked by the modern fashion for a tan. In the 18th century the fragility and pallor are the necessary qualities to admire the girl and to get the attention and adoration of some fashionistas had abused a white powder. The composition of such cosmetics were also quite safe ingredients, including vinegar and bismuth, but the greatest popularity it enjoyed a lead.

He lay perfectly on the skin thick and opaque layer, giving a person the desired hue. At the same time in Europe, just a raging smallpox, so it is not surprising that so many women are trying to hide the scars of this disease with the help of lead powder. Moreover, this tool is so well able to cope with its task, that they began to use even the men. Powder Europeans are not only individuals, but also the neck, shoulders and chest to look healthy and definitely the fashion faint. Naturally, the use of lead have their own side effects, the true source of which no one knew for a long time. Fans of lead powder were suffering from baldness, they have inflamed eyes, they began to rot the teeth, and eventually skin was black, because of what had harder powder, aggravating the situation even more. One of the most famous victims of lead powder, who died because of his passion for fashion trends, Katherine "Kitty" Fisher (Catherine "Kitty" Fisher), known in the 18th century beauty, and courtesan, who died in 1767 at the age of 25 years . It was said that the cause of her death was smallpox, but according to another version the girl died from lead poisoning.

6. The black paint to the teeth

In the modern world, regular visits to the dentist - it's just a mandatory practice, because there is nothing more important than a healthy, clean white teeth. Hollywood smile - that's what all the rage, and for many it specifically bleached his teeth. However, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in Europe on this issue we looked somewhat different.

Then the manifestation of the highest status is considered black teeth, because sugar is harmful to the teeth was a very expensive product, which could afford only the most wealthy people. It is said that Queen Elizabeth I loved so much sweet, that most of her teeth literally completely blackened from decay. Many of the ladies were quick to support his queen, and even started a specially painted black teeth, to show that they have enough money for sweets, and that they belong to the upper class.

However, the British do not really even have been the first who began to paint the teeth black. For example, Japan has for several centuries before Elizabeth had a tradition ohaguro. It implied teeth blackening using dark brown varnish which was prepared from iron in acetic acid solution. ohaguro tradition was very popular among the fashion lovers from among the aristocrats.

5. Nail polish with radium

At the beginning of the 20th century radium was often used for the manufacture of luminous paint, which is applied even in the face to be visible in the dark. The most dedicated fans of this radioactive substance in Europe, even got a nickname radium girls, and they were among the first victims of involuntary progress in the field of chemistry and physics. From 1917 to 1926, the factories for the manufacture of watch dials used radium-based paint.

A worker of the plant said that this substance is completely harmless, so many of them for the fun started messing with luminous paint, mixing in it in their lipstick and nail polish. Unfortunately, after several years of use of such cosmetics woman began to suffer from a whole bunch of diseases, including anemia, spontaneous bone fractures, osteoporosis, cancer and many other ailments. As a result, scientists have found that the cause of all these problems have been poisoned by radium. Alas, this discovery was made already after one poor girl went to the dentist to remove one tooth, but in the end she accidentally fell off a piece of the jaw.

4. Lipstick from whale oil

Today cosmetics have been tested on animals, have become so blameworthy that they have almost ceased to produce. However, in 1970 the most fashionable women around the world and did not know what use lipstick made from whale oil. Throughout the history of whale oil was used in many different areas of our lives, including the treatment of skin diseases and production of conventional soap. In the 20th century this raw material has become very popular with cosmetics manufacturers. If women of that time knew that they spread on their faces tallow giant sea creatures, perhaps many of them would give up their lipsticks. The truth came to light immediately, but when it happened, the public has forced manufacturers to find alternative ingredients for their products. Whale oil for a long time is not used in lipsticks, but the network is still from time to time there are rumors that the famous brands are still secretly added it to their cosmetics. However, it is more urban legend than truth, because today in the course of more coconut oil, beeswax, jojoba oil, and lanolin.

3. Eye Drops of belladonna

Beautiful and luminous eyes have always been considered a sign of beauty and health, especially among women in Renaissance Italy. Italian ladies have even begun to moisturize your eyes drops of belladonna, their pupils dilate, which, in their opinion, does look particularly expressive and seductive. Word belladonna means "beautiful lady", but in fact it is the name of the deadly plants. Drops based on it really did look very attractive, but they also cause a lot of trouble and side effects.

We lovers of money spoiled vision, constantly sick and dizzy, appeared hallucinations, their sick, disturbed heart rhythm, and some women are and do is completely blinded. In short, belladonnovye drops were definitely very dangerous. Now you will be surprised, but atropine, which is present in the composition of belladonna, and because of which the pupils dilate fashionistas, is still used in today's drops. However, not for the sake of beauty, but strictly during medical procedures to check the eyes.

2. Wax Eyelash

Before the invention of false eyelashes dancers, actresses and other actress have tried many ways to make your eyes more expressive as possible, as long eyelashes, dark and thick. At one time in vogue even entered the so-called build-up of wax beaded eyelashes. This practice has become so popular that even after the appearance of false eyelashes, many women continued to use wax, especially actresses.

In addition, false eyelashes were initially very expensive, so it is more effective and cheapest way to increase eyelashes were just wax. By the way, build lashes wax it was not so easy. First you need to find a dark brown or black make-up, then melt it in a saucepan together with wax, and then using a special applicator applied to the tips of lashes on a droplet (beads) of the hot solution and wait until it hardens. In most cases, the women were doing this procedure with matches, wax extracted from the candles, but instead the desired pan melted mixture directly in the usual spoon.

The worst thing is that because of all this procedure is often inflamed the whole fire, and people received serious injuries. For example, a case is known, in which Joan Berger (Joan Bergere) from the show "Circus brothers Cole and Clyde Beatty" (Cole Brothers Clyde Beatty Circus) burned because that accidentally set fire to his own skirt.

1. Blush beet

Surely in the 21st century in the beautician and on the dresser modern women, no one expects to meet the bright vegetable tuber, and in fact in the early 20th century a simple beet was practically indispensable cosmetic means any lady. Everyone who has ever soiled light things beet juice, know what his bright, saturated and lasting color. Women of the early 20th century also noticed it and decided to use the potential of the beet itself for the benefit. Juice of this root in the West was a very popular ingredient of rouge and lipstick until 1914, while the big brands such as Max Factor, and Elizabeth Arden, not showed to the world its new cosmetics, finally allowing the fashionable ladies to abandon beet dye.