The History of Skin Care June 2, 2008

The fascinating history of skin care. 

 Natural and Not so much.

The history of natural skin care is a fascinating tale that has its roots in ancient Egypt. But, contrary to popular myth, Cleopatra was not the first to experiment with herbal skin care formulas.

In 1000 B.C., the Egyptians developed perhaps the first natural skin care treatment for dry skin. This was a natural treatment of bullock’s bile, whipped ostrich eggs, olive oil, dough, and resin mixed with milk.

Cleopatra’s herbal skin care formula

The legendary Queen of Egypt was known for her exquisite complexion. One of her most well known beauty secrets, the milk and honey bath, is still being used today.  Few acknowledge though that Cleopatra’s favorite was a natural skin care routine consisting of a mud pack made with crocodile manure. Very exotic!

Not to be outdone, the Romans also practiced a form of herbal skin care. For example, if a Roman had acne, he spent hours baking a primitive natural formula composed of a mixture of beans and lupines, which he carefully applied to his blemishes.

The use of toxic chemicals in the name of skin care is not a completely recent phenomenon. The ancient Greeks were in fact the first to experiment with toxins in skin care.

The desire for a pale face look led to the use of lead paint. This mixture was used for only a short period of time though.  The subjects got their wish for a pale face, but they also lost their teeth and hair and got severely pitted skin.

Lead paint and beauty?

You would think most people would have learned their lesson about using toxins in skin care. However, the use of lead paints continued into the Middle Ages.  As hair and teeth fell out, eyebrows made from mouse hair and cheek “plumpers” made from cork became a necessity for beauty.

In the 17th century, the rosewater/urine face wash was introduced. This was a hybrid herbal skin care product mixed with a known toxin.  The resulting rosy glow, combined with cerise – a poisonous mixture of lead paint and cochineal – quickly replaced the urine face wash as the new trend.

Combined with poor health and hygiene, the use of toxic cosmetic materials often spelled an early demise.

How far have we progressed?

So, what have we learned? We are now in the 21st century.  How far have we progressed with modern cosmetics and natural skin care product formulas?  Well, skin care is now a 200 billion dollar a year industry.

Therefore, due to modern advances in the cosmetic industry, skin health must be at an all time high, right?  Not so fast, there are now over 80 known skin diseases – everything from acne to lipoma to warts.  Also, recent phenomena such as psoriasis and eczema both are the direct result of chemical irritants.

Is there a connection between toxins in cosmetics and skin diseases?  That is the 200 billion dollar question.  The cosmetic industry will not volunteer a straight answer if they can help it.  The FDA is missing in action.  We are left to our own devices for the decision.

For where we’re concerned, we like to play it safe.  There is something extremely soothing about the idea of slathering wonderfully smelling organic products from Mother Nature’s cupboard on our skin and hair.  Also, extracts of flowers, herbs, plants, and fruit not only make for some very good products to be applied externally, but are well known for the great benefits they bestow upon us when we take it internally.

It turns out that mom was right when she insisted that we eat our vegetables. What most people forget is that foods also affect our skin. Premature skin aging is associated with inflammation, and an imbalance in the diet is one cause of inflammation.  Keep on reading our blog to discover which vitamin-rich foods play an important role in skin care.