Did you know that women during the Middle Ages shaved their eyebrows to be prettier? And Victorian women, instead of using lead in their makeup, nibbled on wafers with arsenic to achieve bright eyes and a translucent complexion. Some of them even put a few drops of poisonous belladonna in their eyes to make them look bigger. Women wore corsets for almost 400 years because comfort was judged less important than social status, feminine beauty, and respectability. The corset was a status symbol because it constrained the wearer’s physical mobility, thus supposedly demonstrating that she could afford servants.

So we can all agree that women are used to doing some pretty crazy things to look more beautiful. And when we look back on the beauty trends they used to follow back in history, it seems that we would never do it today. We like to think that we possess more common sense than before. Not to mention that the achievement of technology and human development can point us in the right direction to choosing beauty trends that are beneficial to our bodies and health. But is it really so?

Beauty trends of the past

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but some people went to extreme and bizarre lengths to attain “beauty” throughout history and used some methods that were outright deadly.

Venetian Ceruse for Dead White Skin

Nowadays people seek tanned skin, but once upon a time pale or porcelain-like skin was all the rage in the Venetian era around the 17th century, and so was a potentially deadly skin treatment. Venetian ceruse was an application made with water, lead, and vinegar and used to rub on faces to provide ghostly-pale perfection. But of course…lead. 

Use of ceruse, or white lead, caused hair loss, skin decay, and organ damage. It’s said that ceruse led to the death of Mary Coventry, Countess of Coventry, from overuse of the skin cream in her quest for the best skin. Not a pun you want to be known for. 

Egyptian Eyes with Poisonous Dyes

It turns out that eye makeup, and current trends like cat eyes, can be traced back to Ancient Egypt — though this was nothing to post or boast about. To darken their eyes, Egyptians used a mixture of malachite (a colourful copper ore that`s poisonous as a powder), galena (a lead-based sulphide) and a lead-based kohl to create a smokey and mysterious complexion. These were also quite deadly if ingested or absorbed through the skin.

Broken Hourglass Bodies with Corsets

Extreme weight loss trends were VERY extreme back in the day. Women, to achieve an hourglass-shaped physique, would twist and contort their bodies into the desired shape with metal corsets cinched so tight they’d often pass out. Worse, this caused organs to shift out of place, and even shattered ribs! 

Bad Baths in Bavaria

Pale skin was in, but methods to achieve this varied. The outcome was usually bad. Back in the day, Bavarian women would submerge their bodies in arsenic baths that would give their skin a supremely pale and ethereal appearance. But this toxic bath, though it provided the pale skin, also poisoned many. 

Dedicated to Dung Baths

We know that the Greeks and Romans loved their appearance and utilised essential oils for health, but one method that has us holding out noses are their use of dung baths. Yes, the Greeks and Romans believed that crocodile dung rejuvenated their skin and often rubbed themselves in a mixture of mud and dung. Then again, these days there are expensive Japanese bird dung facials up for offer

Sulfuric Cinnabar Blush

Romans were all about rosy cheeks, and to get the blush colour they wanted they applied cinnabar (mercury sulphide powder) and red lead. This may have given their faces a light-pink complexion, but because mercury is now known as one of the most poisonous elements on earth — it also caused tremors, confusion, and death. Let’s pass on that trend!

X-Rays for Days

When X-rays were discovered in the early 20th century, doctors marveled at the potential. And they noticed the potential for hair removal. It quickly became a popular option to remove unwanted body hair, and patients would spend up to 24 hours exposed to X-rays for it. As it turns out, that is not healthy AT ALL and caused atrophy, cancers, ulceration and eventually death.

Deadly and toxic ingredients

A lack of medical and scientific understanding meant that life-threatening beauty treatments, some of them going back to ancient times, were still relied on in the 20th century. Indeed, new and yet more dangerous ones were still being discovered.

The discovery of radium in the late 19th century by the Curies had prompted a flurry of experiments to scope the limits of its potential applications. Scientists and, in turn, medical practitioners and entrepreneurs, would struggle to understand the complicated properties of radioactive elements. By the early 1900s, the curious and still mostly unfathomable properties of radium would find expression in a wide range of goods and services aimed at the general consumer.

Most of these products were grounded in the theory of mild radium therapy, proponents of which argued that exposure to radium in minute doses (usually administered through radium- laced water or by breathing in radon gas) caused a small amount of stress to biological organisms. This strain would trigger a chain of psychological reactions that worked as a potent metabolic catalyst to improve joint movements, boost the immune system, and trigger a whole host of other positive changes in the body.

While the dangers of radium are now much better known, there is little evidence that these products caused great harm to the general public, as the amount of radium (a hugely expensive substance) they contained was minuscule. One victim, however, was the wealthy US socialite Eben Byers (1880–1932), whose excessive consumption of a pain-relief drug named Radithor led him to die an agonising death from multiple radiation-induced cancers.

Mercury – also commonly referred to as quicksilver – has a long history of being used to treat skin problems. In the 1300s, the metallic element was typically added to animal fat to form a thick cream, which was then slathered on by patients affected by psoriasis and leprosy.

But the problem with mercury is that it accumulates in the body – the more you use, the more it affects you. It spreads rapidly through tissue, loosens teeth, causes stomach ulcers, damages the nervous system and ultimately causes death.

Are we any different now?

Many of us can agree that one of the most influential developments (if not THE most influential development) over the past decade has been the rise of social media platforms. Social media has undoubtedly had a hand in pushing the beauty industry up to where it is now. We have social media to thank for a lot of helpful beauty trends like contouring, strobing, and for highlighting different types of facials.

Botox

Botox, or onabotulinumtoxinA, is a toxin that is derived from bacteria that causes Botulism (paralysis in muscles). Botox works by preventing nerve activity in muscles, causing them to relax and remain still. Though Botox is widely used for cosmetic procedures, there are many medical cases that are treated by this drug. People with chronic muscle spasms, migraines, underarm sweating, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and impaired bladder function have benefited from the use of Botox.

In a cosmetic setting, Botox is commonly applied to the forehead and eyes to settle fine lines and wrinkles. After a consultation, a cosmetic nurse injects a number of units of Botox into the patient, depending on their needs and desired look. 

BBL

A Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is a surgery where a doctor transfers fat from your belly, hips, lower back, or thighs to your buttocks. The result is more of an hourglass-shaped figure, with larger buttocks. It’s not an actual “lift” because it doesn’t try to raise your buttocks. Instead, it increases volume. A BBL can give you a smaller-looking waist if the fat comes from your belly or lower back.

It’s a two-step procedure. Doctors remove the fat using liposuction. This is a cosmetic procedure that sucks out fat with a small plastic tube called a cannula. Then the fat is injected into the buttock area.

Vampire facial

A vampire facelift, or PRP facelift, is a procedure to rejuvenate your facial skin without surgery. This procedure uses injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and a temporary dermal filler (hyaluronic acid filler). It’s known as a vampire facelift because the main ingredient in the filler is your blood.

Platelet-rich plasma is part of your blood. Plasma is the liquid portion of your blood. Platelets are cells within your blood that contain growth factors and help your blood clot to prevent bleeding. PRP is blood that contains only growth factors, platelets and plasma. 

A healthcare provider will collect PRP by drawing your blood and putting it through a centrifuge. This is a machine that spins your blood at high speeds. The centrifuge separates your blood into different components:

• Platelets and plasma.
• White blood cells.
• Red blood cells.

Once your blood finishes spinning in the centrifuge, your provider will remove the platelet-rich plasma component to be injected into your face.

Salmon sperm facial

A salmon sperm facial is a unique skin care treatment that uses the proteins and nutrients found in salmon sperm to nourish and rejuvenate the skin. In Asia, these ingredients are typically injected into the skin. In the U.S., they usually come in the form of a mask or serum, often paired with microneedling or laser treatments—and it’s best to have two or three treatments.

A salmon sperm facial is also known as a PDRN treatment. It harnesses polynucleotides, DNA-building compounds found in salmon sperm. Salmon sperm facials are often combined with other ingredients like hyaluronic acid or peptides, which can enhance the facial’s hydrating effects.