I'M Not Making it Up
Wednesday 30 April 2008 at 11:29 am Ever wondered how cosmetics started? We have been going to classes and learning about products and techniques with Jane Iredale Cosmetics. During all this I started thinking about where all this start and how much have we improved or changed. I want to share with you what I found.Cosmetics are substances used to enhance or protect the appearance or odor of the human body. The U.S. FDA defines cosmetics as: "intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the body's structure or functions." The FDA specifically excludes soap from this category.
HistoryThe first archaeological evidence of cosmetics usage is found in Ancient Egypt around 4000BC. The Ancient Greeks and Romans also used cosmetics. The Romans and Ancient Egyptians used cosmetics containing mercury and lead.
In the western world, the advent of cosmetics was in the middle ages, although typically restricted to use within the upper classes.
Henna has been used in India since around the 4th or 5th centuries. It is used either as a hair dye, or in the art of mehndi, in which complex designs are painted on to the hands and feet, especially before a Hindu wedding. Henna is also used in some North African cultures. African henna designs tend to be bolder and Indian designs more complex.
Chinese people began to stain their fingernails with gum, gelatin, beeswax and egg from around 3000 BCE. The colors used represented social class: Royals wore gold and silver but later they wore black or red. The lower classes were forbidden to wear bright colors on their nails.
In Japan an apprentice geisha would pain her lips very small in the middle of her actual lip line this style of the lipstick indicates that she is still new. Black paint was used to color the teeth for the ceremony when maiko (apprentice geisha) graduate and become independent. Just look at how much we spend on teeth whitening today.
In the Middle Ages, Renaissance and up until the Industrial Revolution, the lower classes had to work outside, in agricultural jobs. The typically light-colored European skin was darkened by exposure to the sun. The higher class a person was, the more leisure time he or she had to spend indoors, which kept the skin pale. Thus, the highest classed of European society, able to spend all of their time protected from the sun, frequently had the lightest-looking skin. As a result, European men and women often attempted to lighten their skin directly, or used white powder on their skin to look more aristocratic. A variety of products were used, including white lead paints and as if the toxic lead wasn't bad enough, notoriously also contained arsenic. Queen Elizabeth I of England was one well-known user of white lead, with which she created a look known as the Mask of Youth. I would be safe to say it was the Mask of Death.
Cosmetic use was frowned upon at some points in history. For example, in the 1800s, Queen Victoria publicly declared makeup improper. It was viewed as vulgar and acceptable only for use by actors.
The Native American tribes painted their faces for ceremonial events or battle.
During the early years of the 20th century, make-up became fashionable in the United States and Europe owing to the influence of ballet and theatre stars. But the most influential new development of all was that of the movie industry in Hollywood. Among those who saw the opportunity for mass-market cosmetics were Max Factor, Sr., Elizabeth Arden, and Helen Rubinstein. Modern synthetic hair dye was invented in 1907 by Eugene Schueller, founder of L'Oreal. He also invented sunscreen in 1936.
After the First World War, the flapper look came into fashion for the first time, and with it came cosmetics: dark eyes, red lipstick, red nail polish, and the suntan, invented as a fashion statement by Coco Chanel. Previously, suntans had only been sported by agricultural workers, while fashionable women kept their skins as pale as possible. In the wake of Chanel's adoption of the suntan, dozens of new fake tan products were produced to help both men and women achieve the "sun-kissed" look. In Asia, skin whitening continued to represent the ideal of beauty, as it does to this day.
By the middle of the 20th century, cosmetics were in widespread use in nearly all societies around the world.
Cosmetic deodorant was invented in 1888, by an unknown inventor from Philadelphia, and was trademarked under the name Mumm. Roll-on deodorant was launched in 1952, and aerosol deodorant in 1965.
The Cosmetics Industry Today
The cosmetics industry is a multinational, multi-billion-dollar industry. Of the major firms, the oldest and the largest is L'Oreal, which was founded by Eugene Schueller in 1909 as the French Harmless Hair Colouring Company. The market was developed in the USA during the 1910s by Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Max Factor. They were joined by Revlon just before World War II and Estee Lauder shortly after.
Today with all the knowledge of carcinogens, sun screens, green products, etc. we strive for the same thing as in the beginning but with a safer outcome. I hope all of you that have read this will start reading the ingredients in your cosmetics and be safe.
