Do you think the beauty practices we follow now are crazy and insane? To be honest, Botox and plastic surgeries we follow now are nothing when compared to beauty practices that were followed once in our ancient history. The “Beauty is Pain”, this concept was widely followed since ancient times. If you think the make-up products we use now are bizarre and can heavily damage your skin, then these scary beauty practices in history can make you go crazy. Mostly, women are forced to follow the beauty standards developed by society but you cannot believe how far people went to reach the pinnacle of beauty. The history of beauty standards is scary and horrifying. People went to extremes to fulfill beauty standards.
Women’s makeup through history underwent several changes and what we follow today is actually safe comparatively. Have a look at these top 5 bizarre beauty practices throughout history!
1. Crocodile Dung Bath
It is one of the disgusting ancient beauty practices. In ancient times, people believed that the crocodile dung had beautifying and anti-aging properties, hence the dung was used in facials by mixing it with mud. It was claimed to improve skin complexion, prevent aging, and remove toxins from bodies. They filled their bathtubs with crocodile dung and mud and allowed it to soak for hours and then took bath in it. Facemasks made with excrements were so popular especially the crocodile dung masks was one of the most famous beauty practices followed. It was even followed today in many places claiming to slow down the aging.
1. The Crocodile Dung Bath Was Claimed to Remove Stretch Marks.
- A. True
- B. False
2. Painful Foot Binding
Foot binding was one of the popular beauty practices followed in China. Girls at a young age were supposed to do this, in which the dead skins were completely scrubbed off and the toenails were clipped off as much as possible. Cotton bandages were soaked in hot water for hours and before beginning, they usually sprinkle alum between the toes to prevent perspiration. Except for the big toe, the other four toes of the young girls are folded under the feet and were wrapped with the soaked cotton tightly and they must only use small size shoes given to them. They called it lotus feet and it was considered a mark of beauty.
3. Dimple Machine
Even though having dimples is hereditary and depends on one’s facial structure, people still try hard to have dimples as they are considered a mark of beauty. In 1936, Mrs. Evangeline Isabella Gilbert invented a machine that could dent the face and create dimples. It was patented as a face shaping device in 1923. The machine should be worn over the cheeks to create dimples. It was claimed if the machine was used continuously, it could create permanent dimples but unfortunately, it could not last as they expected. The dimples started to fade after a period of time and it was also extremely difficult and painful to wear it, hence it was not a huge success.
4. Portuguese Urine Mouth Water
White teeth are considered an important factor of beauty. In ancient times, people followed several techniques to keep their teeth bright and healthy. One such technique is the urine mouthwash, the urine of Portuguese people was considered to have powerful cleansing properties. Urine is usually said to have more ammonia and is good for disinfection, hence people started using it as a mouthwash. Urine bottles were shipped from the Portuguese to use as a rinse. Later, it became so popular that the emperor Nero taxed the trade. This remained a popular mouthwash until the 18th century. It was one of the important parts of 18th-century beauty standards. Romans also used urine as a mouthwash, toothpaste, and laundry detergent. They had a separate process to remove the stinky odor.
5. Lead for Face
Skin color was considered one of the important factors to be beautiful. The whiter your skin the richer you are considered. But it went to an extent that it appears unnatural, people started opting for pale skin colors. Pale faces were very popular in ancient times. People followed several techniques and methods to look pale and white. Even now, if you imagine it is considered to be ghostly but people were huge fans of the pale look. They used white lead, vinegar, calcium carbonate, and hydroxide on their faces to achieve the pale look, it is also claimed that it whitens their faces by removing the freckles. The red lead powder was also used to get the rosy cheeks effect. Though the effects of the harmful white lead and other chemicals were not visible immediately overtime, it resulted in skin inflammation and baldness.