Photo Courtesy of Guerlain
Were you aware that beauty spans at least 6000 years, and is a concept that exists in almost every society on earth? It all started in ancient Egypt and Greece, when castor oil was used as a protective balm, then came the turn of the Romans to create skin creams from beeswax, olive oil and rosewater.
From lead-based formulas to whiten the skin, to kohl to line the eyes, women have long been real beauty gurus. To treat wrinkles, ancient Egyptians used ingredients such as gum of frankincense and fresh moringa, while the treatment of scars and burns required red ochre, kohl and sycamore juice blend.
In the Middle East, an early Persian teacher in the 10th century called Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi considered cosmetics a branch of medicine and dealt with perfumes, scented aromatics and incense to create perfumed sticks rolled and pressed in special molds – forming what we call today lipsticks and solid deodorants. He also used oily substances for beautification.
The history of skincare kept progressing until Gabrielle Chanel adopted a suntan, starting a revolution in beauty just like in fashion. While in Asia skin whitening continued to represent the ideal of beauty, new fake tan products were produced to help both men and women achieve that sun-kissed look. Then came the rise of plastic surgery after the First World War, when the 1920s witnessed the rise of face-lifts and African Americans found skin bleaching a way to lighten their complexion and appear whiter.
From 1939 to 1945 during the Second World War, cosmetics were in short supply. However, the post-war period witnessed a phenomenal boom and cosmetic developers such as Yardley, Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein knew that and began preparing. This is when the beauty world took a turn to the best, and began producing novelties all the time, and the rest is history! Today our favorite beauty creams are widely available and we couldn’t be more grateful!
Mirella Haddad
