What women used instead of cosmetics 100 years ago?

The first decade of the 20th century was a turning point for women in terms of using cosmetics. During the Edwardian period, which lasted from 1901 to 1910, women with pale skin were idealized, while bright make-up was considered the lot of actors and women with a bad reputation.

Ordinary women, of course, also applied make-up, but used home remedies for this. Their main goal was to make the makeup emphasize the appearance, but at the same time did not attract attention. But after a decade, make-up became more acceptable, as many companies began to develop and sell new cosmetic products. Nevertheless, women continued to use questionable drugs, because they were available, often ignoring the side effects (or perhaps not knowing about them).

The remedies that women used 100 years ago may surprise you, but you will also find some familiar names and ingredients.

Lemon juice

Throughout the Elizabethan and Victorian era, and also in the early1900s, pale skin was a sign of a rich and carefree life, while tanning was associated with people of a lower class. That's why women went to anything to lighten their skin. One of the most popular means was lemon juice. Women used it in combination with other agents, such as rum, vinegar and glycerin, to soften the skin and remove the tan. Lemon juice is still used to improve the condition of the skin, and this is definitely not the craziest ingredient in our list.

Petrolatum

It has long been known that with the help of Vaseline can solve many problems with appearance. A hundred years ago, women used it to make the skin smooth, heal the cracked lips, remove makeup, get rid of cuts and burns, and even remove stains left by make-up on clothes. In 1917, the chemist TL Williams developed Maybelline mascara. He saw the idea with his sister Mabel, who mixed petroleum jelly with coal dust to stain this eyelash. The name Maybelline appeared as a result of a combination of the name of the girl "Mabel" and the word "Vaseline".

Shredded insects

In the early 1910s, lipstick began to gain popularity. First and foremost, this was due to the fact that the leaders of the movement of suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Charlotte Perkins Gilman began to paint her lips, speaking at rallies. Thus, in the minds of women, lipstick was associated with emancipation and rebellion.

The main ingredient of red lipstick was carmine, which is made from insects cochineal. Carmine is, in fact, the blood of crushed insects. Sounds disgusting, does not it? However, it is still used as a part of makeup.

Henna

Women used henna, a dye derived from the plant of the same name, which is distributed in North Africa, Western and South Asia and Australia, for hair dyeing and body painting, since the end of the Bronze Age. Throughout the era of King Edward, women applied henna to their hair with toothbrushes to give them different shades. However, in 1914 an article appeared in Vogue about Turkish women who emphasize the eyes of henna. This "discovery" led to the creation of commercial eye shadows, which began to sell the company Max Factor.

Belladonna

Belladonna is a plant that contains chemicals that can block the functions of the nervous system. Nevertheless, in the right amounts, belladonna is used as a soothing and analgesic, and is also added to various ointments. It even exists in eye drops used for eye dilatation, but this remedy is sold only on prescription.

Nevertheless, in the 1910s, women used belladonna to widen the pupils and make the eyes look softer and darker. This practice was particularly common in Italy. But, as you understand, the extract of belladonna is very poisonous. Prolonged use of it can lead to blurred vision, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, hallucinations and other not very pleasant consequences.

Benzoin

In 1910, women began using a "magic potion" to get rid of wrinkles. This tool was a tincture of benzoin - a kind of woody juice, which was recommended to mix with floral water. Although this tool may seem organic, you can not joke with it. Benzoin is for local use only, to treat small cuts from infections. But you certainly should not put it around your eyes, and also use for a long period of time (for example, regularly in the morning and in the evening). Benzoin can cause burning or redness, and even more dramatic reactions, such as dizziness and swelling. In other words, do not use benzoin without a doctor's recommendation.

Worst remedy for freckles

At the beginning of the XX century in fashion was not just pale skin, but also clean. This means that women were ready to do anything to get rid of the "errors" on the face, especially when it was a question of freckles. In the course were such home remedies as lactic acid, vinegar, sour milk and horseradish. But if all this did not help, the doctors recommended hydrochloric acid, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, as well as special creams that were 15% mercury. With regular use, mercury can lead to muscle atrophy, decreased cognitive function and insomnia.

Radium

In some cases, radium is a salvation, for example, in the treatment of cancer. But to introduce it into the composition of products for daily use, such as cosmetics, is certainly a bad idea.

In 1917, Radior began to produce a line of cosmetics and toiletries with the addition of radium. It was believed that this would help the body "shine". This line of cosmetics included soap, blush, powder and even special pads, which should be tied to the face to remove wrinkles. But the popularity of this cosmetics fell sharply in 1925, when the newspapers started talking about the necrosis caused by radium. It turned out that the girls who used this make-up began to die of jaw tissue.

Wax

Use wax to remove unwanted hair began in ancient Egypt, but in the early 1900s, women moved on. They used numerous types of wax, and not just to get rid of hair. At that time, for example, recipes for creams and hand lotions, which included white and beeswax, were popular. Moreover, women applied hot wax to the tips of the eyelashes to make them longer and thicker before mascara became a commonly available remedy.

Bura

Bura is a natural mineral that is a part of detergent powder, hand soap and other cleaning products. "Why not use it to cleanse the face?" - women thought at the beginning of the last century. Buru was recommended to mix with floral water before applying to the face.

The problem is that the drill is a pesticide that can cause skin irritation. Prolonged exposure can lead to rash, vomiting, ulcers, abdominal pain. In addition, this mineral causes "reproductive toxicity" in rodents, reducing testosterone levels.

Spermaceti

Spermaceti is a wax-like substance that is obtained from the head of a sperm whale. It has no smell and taste, so it was widely used in the production of candles, textiles and, as you may have guessed, cosmetics, in particular cream.

Beetroot juice

It was used as a rouge and lipstick until about 1914, because these cosmetics were considered something obscene.