Cosmetic is synonymous to women and we say this because billions of dollars are usually now being spent by women on cosmetics to increase their beauty quotient. Cosmetics are an essential part of a woman’s life – the love for beauty-enhancing elements cuts across all strata of society. In my effort to dig into the سایت قهوه دکتر بیز cosmetic history and explore the relationship between women and cosmetics, I discovered many interesting facts that I wish to present to all my readers.
Delving into the history of the use of cosmetics, we know that the Egyptians were the ones who started it all (sometime around the independence day century BC). There are historical evidences of the Egyptians using eye paints, fragrant oils and even animal fat based creams. These cosmetics were searched by the women of the higher class in order to improve the beauty of their facial skin and even treat skin problem like lines, stretch marks, surgical marks, hair growth etc. This brings us to an interesting conclusion i. e. there will never be any major shift in the purpose behind the application of cosmetics.
The Western perhaps the world was a late entrant into cosmetic history and the use of cosmetics and it all started during the old. Here too cosmetics were an elite affair and the commoners were bereft of this luxury. The use of cosmetics was not taken in a very positive way by the Church and it ultimately banned its use. Queen Victoria extended her support for the Church’s position. Thus cosmetics found its new lovers in the brothels where it adorned the faces of prostitutes. An interesting twist to the story came with Hitler declaring that cosmetics were better suited for the faces of Clowns and women of this master race should shun its use.
The next 250 years witnessed a rapid growth in cosmetic usage and even women of this lower strata of the society begun to use cosmetic products. The 18th century was very significant in terms of the changes in technology for the production of cosmetics. The French begun to use new methods, chemicals and natural ingredients. Safer chemicals like zinc oxide were being used as the base and the use of lead or birdwatcher was removed. At the end of the 19th century, the first beauty salons were set up.
Rapid use of makeup cosmetics started from the early 1930s; actresses and theater artists begun to use make up in their films. Darlene Bernhardt and Jean Harlow spearheaded the so-called cosmetic movement and made the use of cosmetics fashionable. After World War II, there was rapid growth in the cosmetic industry where more and more women started using cosmetics. Soon with the introduction of electronic media like TV and Radio, cosmetics became a part of every woman’s life.
To date the value of cosmetics have not reduced, but in fact, increased in the life of women. It is now over a 50 thousand dollar industry. However, as its history evolves, cosmetics will take on new meaning. Past cosmetic history focused on women’s beauty and the culture of anti-aging. The future will focus on the dangers inherent in the continued use of synthetically created cosmetic products. These unnatural chemicals have proven to be toxic in nature, and over time, clinical studies will prove them to be hazardous to one’ health. Many of these toxins have already been related to cancer, birth disorders, infertility, hard working liver and kidney does not work properly, and much, much more.
Recently, a lecture was presented by the Environmental Working Group, the EWG. Their mission is to protect children from the effects of toxic chemicals in the food, water, air, and products we use daily. Without getting into too much detail here is a summary of the findings of the EWG as it relates to cosmetic products.
Women, typically, use 12 personal care products daily that expose them to 160 toxic chemicals; 10 babies, still in their single parent’s womb, were tested for chemicals in their bloodstreams using these results; 287 toxic chemicals were found of which 134 were related to cancer; 151 were related to birth disorders; 186 were related to infertility; 130 were linked to the immune system, and so on.
Now, if one questions what this all means, consider the following statistics; there was an 84% increase in Good Lymphocytic Leukemia in children from 1975 to 2002; a 57% increase in brain cancer during the same period; a doubling of Hypospadias (birth defect of the urethra in males) in infant males in the same period; sperm counts in men are dropping at a rate of 1% annually; 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer; 1 in 3 women will experience some form of cancer in their lifetime; 1 in 2 males will experience some form of cancer in their lifetime.
That is enough statistics to give you temporarily halt in the cosmetic products used daily. Past and future articles will delve deeper into this subject. For now, traditionally, we have presented the two sides of cosmetic history. The past highlighted the beauty issues with personal care products, while the future should and hopefully focus on the dangers inherent in the daily use of toxic-laden cosmetic products.