Some trends fade for a reason. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most dangerous older beauty practices that have thankfully been lost to time.
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00:00 Want to add a youthful glow to your skin?
00:02 How about a radioactive substance like radium?
00:04 Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most dangerous older
00:09 beauty practices that have, thankfully, been lost to time.
00:20 10.
00:21 Cinnabar Blush
00:22 Rosy cheeks have always been a staple in makeup routines throughout history.
00:26 While we have access to blush now, people in ancient Rome turned to other methods.
00:37 To attain that sun-kissed look, they would use powdered cinnabar, which is another form
00:42 of the mercury sulfide.
00:44 While it's a vibrant shade of scarlet, it's also very toxic.
00:48 After wearing it, the toxin would absorb through the skin and poison the wearer, which resulted
00:52 in all sorts of nasty symptoms like muscle weakness and even memory loss.
01:02 What's interesting is that the cause of these symptoms was known even then, but that still
01:07 didn't deter people from wearing it.
01:09 Cinnabar isn't the only noxious blush.
01:11 Red lead was also used to obtain that hue, and also led to deteriorated health.
01:19 9.
01:22 Kohl Eye Makeup
01:24 While graphic liner looks are all the rage now, in ancient Egypt, they kept it classic
01:28 with a thick cat eye.
01:32 However, to create that look, they required something called kohl, which is made with
01:38 galena, otherwise known as lead sulfide.
01:41 While it did help them achieve that dramatic eye look, and helped protect the eyes from
01:45 disease, bugs, and sun rays, it also had plenty of negative results.
01:59 Lead-contaminated kohl meant that wearers could suffer from lead poisoning, symptoms
02:03 of which include harm to neurological development, delirium, and hallucinations.
02:08 What's more alarming is that there wasn't a movement to remove the dangerous element
02:11 from the product until the 1990s, meaning that there are still people alive today that
02:16 could be dealing with ramifications of kohl.
02:24 8.
02:28 Lashlore's Brow and Lash Dye
02:30 This product may not be so ancient, but it has been proven to be deadly.
02:35 In the 1930s, a company called Lashlore released a dye that was intended to be used on the
02:40 eyebrows and lashes.
02:42 While some were able to use it normally, others weren't so lucky.
02:45 In the moments following her visit, her eyes began to sting with pain.
02:50 Two hours later, she could hardly see.
02:52 It was made with paraffinilamide, a chemical derived from the compound aniline, which can
02:58 cause severe allergic reactions ranging from dermatitis to blindness.
03:03 The Journal of the American Medical Association reported at least 17 similar incidents, and
03:08 it's possible many more were not reported.
03:11 In one case, someone plucked her eyebrow prior to application, which led to a fever, swollen
03:16 eyelids, and an infection that ultimately caused her death.
03:20 After the passage of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act in 1938, the corporation
03:26 faced swift repercussions.
03:28 Lashlore was the first product confiscated once the act was passed, and the FDA issued
03:33 a statement saying PPD in eyelash tints was considered contamination.
03:37 A rule the FDA still adheres to to this day.
03:40 7.
03:41 Arsenic Baths
03:42 In Victorian times, one beauty objective was to have the fairest pigmentation possible.
03:52 While the rich were able to accomplish this by staying inside more often, working class
03:57 women were forced to resort to more intense means.
04:05 One method was to bathe using arsenic soap.
04:08 Although the chemical did help them get the desired effect, it was also obviously dangerous.
04:24 Arsenic contamination has a wide array of potential health issues, including heart failure
04:29 and the swelling of the brain.
04:30 Worse still, if arsenic was hard to come by, some women would take radium baths instead,
04:36 which would cause radium to remain in the bloodstream and lead to radiation poisoning.
04:41 The fact that they went to such lengths proves how toxic beauty standards were, even back
04:47 then.
04:48 6.
04:49 Contracting Tuberculosis
04:51 Illness as a beauty trend has been around for a long time, apparently.
05:04 Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, it was found that some of the outward side effects
05:08 of tuberculosis, such as a slim waist, pallid tone, and reddened lips, matched the ideal
05:14 beauty look at the time.
05:15 This led to people attempting to contract it themselves.
05:18 They would romanticise the disease, focusing only on the short-term results.
05:35 This was not only short-sighted, but obviously extremely unsafe.
05:39 When left untreated, the sickness would lead to severe weight loss, fatigue, and death.
05:47 Spoiler alert, tuberculosis is not an easy death.
05:50 In fact, it's absolutely terrible.
05:53 5.
05:54 Radioactive Makeup
05:55 In the early 20th century, radioactivity was all the rage.
06:13 There was even a French brand called Thoradia that specialised in radioactive products.
06:18 These ranged from powders, to creams, to blushes, meaning that women who partook in applying
06:24 this makeup were subjecting themselves to several sources of radiation.
06:28 Even if the traces were minute, direct exposure over long periods can cause adverse outcomes
06:33 such as cancer.
06:34 "Radioactivity occurs when the nucleus of an atom is unstable.
06:35 Unstable atoms have a high probability of ejecting a particle from the nucleus, like
06:36 another element, and this is why they are called radioactive particles."
06:37 Advertisers made it seem like it would result in glowing skin, and customers happily bought
06:59 into it.
07:00 Of course, there was no proof to these claims, and eventually, companies were forced to remove
07:04 them from the packaging.
07:05 Luckily, we have less detrimental methods of achieving that glowy look today, such as
07:10 highlighter and dewy foundations.
07:13 4.
07:15 Bloodletting
07:17 How far would you be willing to go to conform to beauty standards?
07:27 With paleness being all the rage in the European Middle Ages, some went so far as to drain
07:32 their own blood.
07:36 In a medical setting, this was done by either drawing fluid through a large vein, or by
07:41 puncturing an artery.
07:43 In cosmetics, it was sometimes achieved by applying leeches to the body.
07:47 The process was physically draining, in more ways than one, and if done improperly, led
07:53 to shock and hemorrhages.
08:03 In some cases, excessive blood loss could even culminate in the patient dying.
08:08 Thankfully, the practice has been abandoned by most practicing doctors.
08:12 However, it goes to show that the never-ending chase for perceived perfection has been a
08:17 constant in human society throughout history.
08:26 3.
08:28 Deadly Nightshade
08:29 It may sound crazy, but at one point, wide, teary eyes with dilated pupils were considered
08:41 beautiful.
08:42 To reach this completely unnatural standard, people would squeeze drops of nightshade into
08:47 their eyes.
08:48 The outlandish practice was done with the goal of having a seductive gaze.
08:58 When used, the nightshade in the drops would block receptors that keep the pupils from
09:03 expanding, creating the desired look.
09:06 This had short-term ramifications as well as long-term repercussions.
09:10 In the moment, it could cause distorted vision and over time, lead to blindness.
09:15 It was a huge risk for very little payoff.
09:18 This cosmetic practice was so widely known that it ended up playing into the plant's
09:23 scientific name.
09:24 Belladonna is a direct reference to the method itself.
09:40 2.
09:42 Arsenic Wafers
09:43 After arsenic baths became trendy, some companies realised they could put the toxin into other
09:48 practices as well.
09:49 This led to the invention of arsenic wafers, a product with the goal of maintaining a death
09:54ly pale skin tone.
10:12 The direct consumption of it meant that the side effects were even more severe, ranging
10:16 from digestive issues to comas.
10:19 The most ominous aspect about these wafers is the advertisements that came with them.
10:23 They directly preyed on the insecurities of women, claiming that the wafers would also
10:28 remove any other "so-called imperfections" on the face.
10:40 It was a predatory tactic that unfortunately worked, given their prevalence.
10:45 While harmful ads still exist today, at least they aren't trying to sell us literal poison.
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11:14 1.
11:15 Mercury and Lead Face Makeup
11:17 The lengths people went to to try to emulate royalty seemed to have no end.
11:22 Besides being used as blush, both lead and mercury were used as face paint to acquire
11:28 a one appearance throughout the 16th century.
11:42 When women saw monarchs like Queen Elizabeth I with a ghost-like appearance, they were
11:47 inspired to try and recreate it on their own.
11:50 The heavy metal was known as Venetian Ceruse and was considered to be a quality product,
11:56 you know, despite the risk of dying.
12:06 Meanwhile, Quicksilver Cosmetics led to the same fate.
12:10 Both chemicals had the ability to easily breach the flesh and enter circulation.
12:15 Despite the unpleasant consequences being known, people still continued to use them,
12:21 taking the phrase "beauty is pain" to an extreme level.
12:30 Which of these trends do you think was the most harmful?
12:33 Let us know in the comments below.
12:54 -END-
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