Hope In A Jar: History Of Beauty
Ancient Times
The first evidence of face and body adornment can be found on preserved bodies dating back to 5,000 BCE in the form of tattoos. You may have seen images of these: the most famous were found in National Geographic magazine, of the tattooed "ice mummies".
Even earlier, powdered pigments of red and yellow ochre, charcoal and chalk have been found in burial sites as old as 15,000 BCE. As with the tattoos, it's not known if the the pigments were done for simple adornment or (most scholars agree on this) ceremonial purposes. One may have led to the other.
A few thousand years later, in Mesopotamia and Egypt, we find abundant use of eye liner & shadows, lip color, exfoliant scrubs--even ointments that were supposed to cure baldness. Civilizations all around the Mediterranean used moisturizers in the form of scented oils. Certain substances--like frankinscense and myrrh--were known to have healing and anti-inflammatory properties as well as a pleasing fragrance.
Around the Greek and Roman eras, a form of white lead, usually mixed with vinegar--known as "ceruse"--began to be used as face paint. Although other substances--such as powdered orris root, talc, rice powder and talc--became available, ceruse was preferred because it could be applied in a thin layer that evenly covered the skin. White lead continued to be used for several centuries, despite its known toxicity. Ironically, some women--Queen Elizabeth I of England, for example--were so vain that their use of the concoction ultimately ruined the skin they were trying to enhance.
Then, as now, soft smooth skin was highly prized; but if you were no longer young enough to have it, there were several methods by which you try to achieve it. The most commonly used was (and still is, though by different methods) exfoliation, which consists of removing the top layers of skin--where most damage occurs. Today we have lasers and chemical peels to do the work for us, but prior to that physical abrasion or facial masks with acidic ingredients were used.
One source from Roman times reports that crocodile dung was an effective skin beautifier. In fact, it was so sought-after that dung from other animals was sold as a counterfeit product. More common methods involved adding abrasives like sand or salt to a base of oil or liquid. The skin was scrubbed with the mixture, rinsed clean, then covered with an oil or ointment.
Medieval - Modern Times
Other substances used over the years to improve skin texture, remove spots and blemishes or otherwise restore a youthful appearance include:
- honey
- rosewater
- almond oil
- lemon juice
- egg whites
- milk
- olive oil
- bear "grease"
- various herbs, especially members of the mint family (lavender, rosemary, peppermint, etc.)
By the 17th century (after those pesky Puritans were out of the way), women had a variety of cosmetics, potions, salves and dyes available to them. Rouge was, for centuries, the most commonly used make-up and came from many different sources. Plants such as madder and roses; fruits such as blackberries and chokecherries; minerals such as red ochre (an iron oxide) and cinnabar, have all been used as rouge (and have also served as lip color and nail stains). These were used as is--crushed, one way or another--or mixed with a fat or oil as a base.
Around the 16th & 17th centuries, women with money also had squares of Spanish leather (which had been dyed red) that they could rub on their cheeks. Even more convenient--and portable--was "Spanish Paper", which consisted of small pieces of paper imbued with powdered vermillion and bound into a little book. We take such items for granted now, but at the time it was quite an innovation. In addition to foundation and rouge, the fashionable woman could "patch".
Patches made from gummed black fabric were cut into a variety of shapes by talented fingers wielding tiny scissors. As with today's fads, certain shapes were "in" more than others. Hearts, crescent moons and stars were popular shapes; but at certain times women also wore patches in the shapes of birds, flowers--even horse-drawn carriages. Initially, they served two purposes: to highlight a well-shaped mouth or eye or to cover a blemish. Later on, placement of patches became significant and could signify ones's political alliance, marital status or sexual availability.
If darker brows or lashes were desired, one could use elderberry juice as a stain or apply singed cork or soot for a more dramatic--if messier--application. In addition to or instead of foundation, women (and some men--known as "fops" or "dandies") could apply powder to their faces. Face powders were made from bismuth, chalk, talc, pearls, flour--even arsenic. Today's "minerals" make-ups would seem to claim they invented the use of mica and other minerals to enchance the face--but it just ain't so.
The Modern Era
In the 19th century, beauty aids began to be commercially produced. Endorsed by celebrities, from actresses like Lily Langtree to Queen Victoria herself, soaps, lip salves, tooth powders and cold creams could all be conveniently purchased from a nearby chemist, apothecary or general store. Many women still made their own beauty products at home, however--either because it was cheaper to do so or because they didn't want a disapproving husband to see the offending purchase. The use of make-up was still frowned upon by "good" society and a woman who got caught wearing it would very quickly acquire a reputation as an immoral woman--on a level with actresses and prostitutes. In fact, until bathrooms and dentistry became widely available, clear skin, shiny hair and good teeth were enough for a woman to lay a claim to beauty.
It was until after World War II, in the age of flappers and silent movies--when women discarded their corsets and chopped both hair and hemlines--that make-up gained acceptibility. Although those born before 1900 continued to frown upon it, women were no longer branded as harlots or hussies if they painted their faces. Small tins of rouge, powder compacts and a new innovation, lipcolor in a twist-up tube, could be found in the purses, bags & pocketbooks of many women.
Another change that occurred in the 1920s/30s was the desirable shade of skin color (I'm referring to the pale caucasian woman). For centuries, pale--even anemic--skin was desirable; it meant you were a member of the upper echelons of society: a woman who didn't have to expose her skin to harsh winds and sun that would roughen burn and spot it. Ruddy, tanned skin equalled outdoor labor. Things flipped when agriculture became mechanized, forcing the working class woman into factories, offices and shops. Transatlantic liners and passenger planes added another element: travel to exotic locales. And, of course, only the wealthy could afford to travel, lounge about on the decks of a cruise ship, play golf or tennis or sun themselves on the veranda of a Mediterranean villa. Enter the era of tanned skin.
Newly formed cosmetic companies, such as Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubenstein or Charles Revson came out with foundations in the newer, sought-after colors (with exotic names like "Egyptian Sand" and "Riviera Bronze") as well as the paler standards. These same companies applied chemistry and research to their beauty products and mass production began on a variety of lotions, creams and serums designed to soften, moisturize, firm, de-wrinkle and de-spot skin. Charles Revson (founder of Revlon) called it "Hope in a Jar".
The last decades of the 20th century saw an interest in "natural" cosmetics and--as the damaging effects of sun exposure were discovered--products to correct and prevent skin damage. (The introduction of sunscreens into lotions and foundations was one result of this.) In recent years, the youth-bestowing properties of certain plants and minerals has been rediscovered--bringing the quest for youth and beauty full circle.