Some of the Dangerous Cosmetics in European History

Some of the Dangerous Cosmetics in European History
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Some of the Dangerous Cosmetics in European History             Cosmetics have been around for centuries and are mostly associated with women’s quest for beauty. However, some of the products involved in cosmetics can have detrimental health implications. Today, there is frequent news of makeup products causing physical bodily harm and other associated with such health issues as cancer. These problems are old as the history of cosmetics, which means that there are historical incidences of dangerous makeup products that have ruined lives. The focus of this paper is to explore some of the most dangerous cosmetics in European history, which will include such famous cases as Queen Elizabeth I and other common examples in the Victorian era. Queen Elizabeth I – Venetian Ceruse             Queen Elizabeth I is perhaps one of the most popular cosmetics cases proving to be extremely dangerous. The Queen had become ill from a fever and a pox, which damaged her skin. When she recovered, she set out to restore her beauty, which meant using ‘face paint’ to cover the scars (Carlton, 2020). The cosmetics she used were known as the Venetian ceruse, which comprised a mixture of vinegar and lead. This mix is labeled a potential killer since it contains lead (Charleston, 2019). Face paint was a popular cosmetic around the time and was craved by upper-class women dating as far back as ancient Greece. During Queen Elizabeth’s reign, a totally white face was associated with youth and fertility, which explains the archeological findings of lead substances in the graves of white upper-class women of ancient Europe.             The cosmetic can be described as a toxic chemical mix since it causes such problems as skin discoloration, hair loss, illnesses, dental enamel, and erosion. As shown in figure 1, the makeup had to be applied in thick layers to cover the entire skin and any blemishes on it. The lead made the people such and caused death on multiple occasions. A makeup pot comprising modeled tablets of white lead used in the 5^th BC is shown in figure 2, which was the typical Venetian ceruse used by the queen and other wealthy women at the time (Strange Remains, 2017). In essence, Queen Elizabeth I may have died from the use of cosmetics, which makes Venetian Ceruse one of the most dangerous cosmetics in European history.   Figure 1: The Rainbow portrait of Queen Elizabeth I by Isaac Oliver (Charleston, 2019).   Figure 2: Venetian Ceruse makeup pot (Strange Remains, 2017). European Eye Drops: Bella Donna             The European eye drops made from the belladonna plant are another dangerous cosmetic that was rampantly used across Europe in the 16^th century. According to Meriney and Fanselow (2019), this cosmetic was commonly used in Italy by women to dilate the pupils, which was thought to make them look more beautiful. Ophthalmologists still use eye drops to dilate patients’ pupils to get a better view of the retina during an eye exam. In the 16^th century, the women risked health complications considering the deadly nature of the nightshade. Belladonna is a perennial herb with soft stems and large simple leaves, as well as yellow-brown tubular flowers. The main active ingredients are the tropane alkaloids, which are responsible for the pharmacological effects associated with the plant. The effects include depressant and sedative effects when used mildly. The hyoscyamine in the plants inhibits the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, which makes it parasympatholytic (Wyk & Wink, 2018). In other words, this cosmetic can be associated with such effects as blocking muscles in the pupil. It was a highly toxic cosmetic, and long-term use by the women caused hallucinations and blindness.   Figure 3: Atropa belladonna (Masterson, 2017).             The idea of beauty in ancient Europe may differ from modern times, but the idea is that women were susceptible to using dangerous substances in search of beauty. Belladonna was an extremely toxic plant, which is manifested through the fact that assassins of the time used it to kill their targets. The roots were the most potent part of the plant, but even a single leaf was known to be fatal (Lakritz, 2018). Atropa belladonna was named after some Greek mythology known for cutting the life threads of mortals, which explains the fact its toxicity was well-documented in history. The plant was responsible for a high number of poisoning cases, mostly among the women using the eye drops and in the military, where its toxins were used as weapons (Fatur & Kreft, 2020). Overall, the European eyedrops from belladonna are also classed among the deadliest cosmetics in the history of Europe. Mercury in Lipstick             Some of the earliest cases of human poisoning from mercury also date back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In this case, it was a lipstick that was laced with mercury, a product that was also used by the Queen. The lipstick was made from cinnabar, which was a toxic mineral that contained mercury. Therefore, Queen Elizabeth’s demise was a combination of the lead from facial makeup and mercury from her lipstick. Individuals who used this lipstick were prone to ingesting it, which caused poisoning. Among the key symptoms of mercury poisoning include memory loss, depression, and irritability. It is argued that Queen Elizabeth was known to display all these symptoms towards the end of her life (Carlton, 2020). This observation was common across all the women who used the product. In figure 4 below, the portrait of Queen Elizabeth I displays some of the extreme makeup she used to restore h...