The human being discovered very soon the use of makeup, many ancestral tribes painted their faces to scare the enemy or simply to perform mystical rituals. Nevertheless, the cosmetics as we know it today it developed at Ancient Egypt . During this article, we will take a tour of all the history of cosmetology and we will tell you the most outstanding curiosities of makeup through the ages.
Cleopatra was one of the greatest exponents of makeup and beauty rituals In ancient times, the numerous treatments he invented to help him to be always radiant are famous. Greece and Rome continued with the tradition introduced by Cleopatra, although in the Middle Ages hygiene and care went into the background. If you want to know the best anecdotes in the history of cosmetology, this article is made for you. Uncover them!
History of cosmetology | 5 curiosities of makeup
1. Everything came from nature
Obviously, the first civilizations that used a basic makeup did not have the tools that we have today for the manufacture of cosmetics. All the ingredients came from nature, had to sharpen the wit and know well the properties of each element for its use was appropriate. The first cosmetics were made of vegetables, although animal fat was also used to make the first sunscreens . Already in Ancient Egypt, they used henna for hair, milk for skin and antimony to dye their eyes blue.
2. Greece developed the Egyptian method
If the Egyptians empowered and made use of makeup related to beauty, the Greeks expanded cosmetology to all other cultures. According to Apollonius of Herophila, no ugly woman existed in Greece. One of the differences between Greece and Egypt by which the first took the cosmetology to another level, was that it did not matter what social status you had to use makeup. Both women of royalty, and those of a lower class, were painted with black and blue colors. The canons of beauty were very marked in this civilization, the skin had to have a pale tone and aromatic oils were the order of the day . The perfect breasts were small and the neck graceful and stylized. Greece is considered the cradle of beauty and body worship, we should only realize that they were the propellers of the Olympic Games.
3. In Rome the obsession with cosmetics increased
The passion for makeup in the Roman Empire reached new heights of popularity as both genres began to use it to enhance its beauty. Both sexes shaved and used cosmetics equally. Unlike in Greece, there was no unique ideal of beauty and the inhabitants of the empire were the first slaves of fashion . After the return of Julius Caesar from Egypt, all attended astonished to their tan so they began to circulate cosmetic formulas to darken the skin tone.
4. Retreat in the Middle Ages
As in many other facets of society, cosmetology and hygiene suffered a brutal setback during the Middle Ages. The majority of makeup was used to keep the skin white, since the brown skin was frowned upon because it identified the peasant classes. Everything changed little by little with the arrival of the illustrated period, until reaching the industrial age in which they began to manufacture cosmetic products on a scale that had not been seen until then . As we have said before, beyond European lands, makeup did not evolve until many years later, except for Egypt. It was used for more practical uses such as protecting the skin or performing tribal rites.
5. Geishas and Maikos
Another great example of the use of makeup in the history of cosmetology, we find it in the Asian continent, specifically in the geishas and maikos. These traditional Japanese figures, look a stunning appearance topped with a long wig and kimono. His pale face was achieved in the beginning with white paste that came from rice powder, after throwing oil on the skin ended up shaping his eyes in that unique way. If the girls were wrong somewhere in this rigorous makeup, they had to go back to the arduous task until their face was perfect .
As you will have seen after reading this article about the history of cosmetology, from the Ancient Egypt Makeup has been very important in all civilizations. Its use has always been the same, to highlight beauty over the rest and take maximum care of the body. Now we would like to know your opinion. What do you think of the makeup of the geishas? Do you think the Romans were obsessed with their cult of the body? Did you know the ancient methods of Queen Cleopatra? We are looking forward to reading your comments!