Cosmetics History and Facts

With over 10 thousand years of experience, chemists, cosmetologists, fashion designers, religious leaders
and governments had incredible impact over the world of cosmetics. Because it is in human nature to
always strive to perfection and new ways to express ourselves, cosmetic played a really big role in our
advancements from ancient civilization to the modern way of life. Cosmetics helped us change the way
we look, fixed out bodies in time of sickness and enabled us to express our religion and beliefs.

All that started some 12 thousand years ago when Ancient Egyptians discovered healing abilities of
scented oils. From that point, their cosmetic industry rose higher and higher to the point when it became
important part of their religion. Gods were honored by entire population with large use of cosmetics,
almost everyone used oils, eyeliners, and similar products to enhance their look. Even though some of
their ingredients were poisonous, allure of cosmetic did not lessen. However, when cosmetics found their
way outside from Egypt, there reached resistance in Greece and Rome. There cosmetic reached broad
popularity, but it was viewed as extravagant and unneeded by many. In Rome, there was a period when
women were not considered beautiful if they did not wear cosmetics. This lead to the inflation of the
prices, and few wealthy women managed to gamble large fortunes on expensive cosmetics from India
and Middle East. To combat this epidemic, Roman Senate declared the (short lived) law that prevented
public exhibitions of cosmetic products and extravagant female clothing in all of the cities of Roman
Republic. In the other civilizations, cosmetics also received similar harsh treatment from time to time. In
china for example, common people were executed if they were caught wearing nail polish in public (that
was only the privilege of the rich), and in Japan, noble women were forbidden to walk in public without
full body cosmetic treatment.

European Dark Ages was the time when cosmetics almost disappeared from public knowledge. Because
of the tradition of prostitutes to use excessive amounts of cosmetics to hide their age and exaggerate
their beauty, for the longest time cosmetics were totally abandoned by majority of the European
population. Kings and queens made public statements that wearing cosmetic was not decent, Church
officials spread the belief that cosmetic is used only by heathens and satan worshipers, and for the longest
time only stage actors were allowed to use them, but only during their performances.

Cosmetic History
Cosmetic products that you use today were not all created in recent history. Some of them have long and
storied history that reaches the very beginning of the modern human civilization. Here you can witness
that journey of cosmetics like never before.

Makeup Products History

The long and interesting story of makeup history can change the way you look at your cosmetic products
forever, and here is the perfect place to see for yourself how was Makeup introduced to the modern world
of fashion.

Cosmetics Facts

Cosmetic products have managed to have really great impact on our lives, fashion, culture and history.
Here you can find out more detail about them, their types, way they are made and much, much more.

Historical Development

Change finally happened after European soldiers returned from the Crusades in the Middle East, bringing
home new exotic products and knowledge. Among those products were many types of cosmetics, which
were in first adopted only by nobility and high-class citizens. After Renaissance managed to spread across
entire Europe, cosmetics found their foothold, but were still not publicly accepted, except during few
fashion swings (such as during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1559-1603) in England).

Advancements in industry, chemistry and medicine in 18th and 19th century brought significant
advancements in cosmetics. They were still not accepted fully, but new Victorian style that arose in 19th
century brought the cosmetic-centric fashion that demanded that all ladies must present themselves as
beautiful and fragile, with elaborate clothes and precisely defined facial features. For that purposes, eye
shadows, lipsticks, nail polish and other products started gaining traction.

Early 20th century was without a doubt dawn of the modern cosmetic industry. Rise of film, photography,
fast communications, countless innovators, and support from large industrialists managed to introduce
cosmetic products to every household in the western world. During first few decades of 20th century,
cosmetic companies (many who would soon become international powerhouses) introduced solid
lipsticks, lip gloss, mascaras, eyeliners (propelled to mass popularity by the incredible discoveries beneath
Egyptian pyramids), suntans, hair colors, gels and powders of all types. With such advancements, it was
not strange to see that old Victorian styles were soon forgotten. New international fashion moved rapidly
after 1930s, introducing new styles with each passing decade.

Large departure from traditional styles happened in 1960s and 70s with the introduction of hippie
movement (natural-looking cosmetic), punk (darker and sinister style that aimed to shock) and glam
(extravagant and colorful style). From them, many new styles emerged that have changed and molded
fashion to its current state.
History of Cosmetics

Cosmetic products are today part of our regular culture and fashion, but that was not always the case.
The first human made cosmetics appeared in early modern civilizations some 6 thousand years ago as the
way to enhance the appearance and odor of the human body, but the difficult manufacturing processes,
harmful ingredients and their connection to the high ruling classes created the aura of exclusivity around
them. For the long periods of time, cosmetic products were frowned upon in Western history, and even
actively forbidden to be used by many organizations. This dark period of cosmetic use finally ended
during the end of the 19th and early 20th century, when great advancements in manufacturing, new
entertainment industries and faster changes enabled the rise of famous cosmetic brands and their
widespread use.

The first archeological evidence of cosmetics comes from the excavated tombs of Ancient Egypt pharaohs,
but historians are convinced that first natural made cosmetics were used by our prehistoric ancestors
much before rise of modern civilizations. 6 thousand year old relics from Egypt tell us that their royalty
and high class enjoyed several cosmetic products, such as face creams, perfumed oils, eyeliners, hair
paints, castor oil, lipsticks, and lip gloss. As the centuries and millennia went, Egypt chemist found a way
to simplify the manufacturing process of cosmetics, but that did not manage to remove the aura of their
exclusivity. One of the most important causes for that were their badly formed recipes, which often
included poisonous ingredients that could cause serious illnesses. However, even with that, cosmetics
remained important part of the Egyptian culture and especially their burial rituals. Among all cosmetic
products, cedar oil was considered to be the most sacred one, because it was used in the process of
mummification. That process used 7 types of oils, which were also the basis for the Egyptian ritual magic
and medicinal remedies for various illnesses.

Even though Egyptian priest guarded their cosmetic recipes from the neighboring primitive civilizations,
Mediterranean trade of the 1st millennia BC soon brought Egyptian cosmetic products to the shores of
the newly formed Greek and Roman civilizations. There, high fashion was important and many wealthy
people wore wigs, white face powder, and women used red lipsticks and red oils to make their palms
more younger. In Rome, woman was not considered beautiful if she did not use face cosmetics. Lipsticks,
skin creams made from beeswax, olive oils and rosewater, powders, hair colors and many other beauty
treatments were widely used in the period of 100 BC and beyond. They even had special type of female
slaves whose only task was to help their masters to be more beautiful. Their names lives with us even
today, Cosmetae.

When Christianity rose, Christian woman started to celebrate their religion with jewelry and cosmetics.
Even the Old Testament mentioned two kings who painted their eyelids sometimes around 840BC.
However, with the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe entered into dark ages where harsh living conditions,
poverty, illnesses and constant wars prevented the spreading of expensive and extravagant fashion
trends. This meant that almost all traces of cosmetic product disappeared from the European culture, not
only because of its scarcity but also because Christian church actively prevented its spreading. Isolation
of Europe finally came to the end in the 12th and 13th century, when warriors returning from the crusades
brought with them exotic cosmetic items from the Middle East where they never went out of fashion. This
new influx of riches and knowledge from the east soon kick-started European renaissance, which
transformed the Europe into advanced civilization. Fortune started moving from the wealthy down to the
middle classes, industry was rising, sciences and arts received much needed funding, and trade routes
started spreading new fashions much more quickly than before.

Even with all the advances of Renaissance, cosmetics received little attention from general population.
Some used hair coloring, painted eggs on their faces to remove wrinkles and used similar old age
removal techniques, but widespread use of face and hand cosmetics never took hold outside aristocracy.
The only really popular period of time when cosmetics was well received was during and shortly after the
reign of English Queen Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603). Her unique fashion style of stark white faces and brightly
colored lips captured the attention of royalty and aristocrats across England and France, but that lasted
only for a short time. Soon after that cosmetics (especially highly visible facial and nail paints) became
common among low class women, such as prostitutes. Nothing changed much between late 17th century
and mid-19th century. Cosmetic products were uncommon among majority of European civilization, in
some cases receiving status of banned and absolutely inappropriate merchandise. The only exceptions
were medical cosmetic remedies that were used by everyone but the poorest in 18th century.

The dawn of cosmetic use finally arrived in the second part of 19th century when industrial revolution and
great advances in chemistry (chemical fragrances) enabled much easier and varied production of various
cosmetic products. With much lower price and chemical ingredients that were much less dangerous for
health, cosmetics started gaining serious foothold. Some of the most famous cosmetic products from that
time were rogue red lipstick (it symbolized health and wealth), zinc facial powder (much safer than
previous lead and copper based powders) and eye shadow and eye sparklers.

The turning point in the western fashion came in 1920s when mass marketed cosmetic products finally
became financially viable. And where profit can be found, there is the will to market and sell it.
Photography, cult of film actors and big marketing campaigns soon brought the fall of traditional Victorian
fashion, enabling women of all ages to start wearing cosmetic products in the public. Early decades of
cosmetics popularity in the west brought us many inventive products, such as Lip Gloss by Max Factor,
synthetic hair dye and sunscreen by L'Oral, suntan and red nail polish by Coco Chanel, and others.

After the World War II and its period of heavy material rationing, cosmetic industry experienced its second
renaissance. Countless new fashion trends were adopted, mostly being popularized by various movie
actresses and musicians. Today, cosmetics industry is a multi-billion dollar business that stretches across
entire world, always finding new ways and fashion trends that sustains and ensures its growth.