1Microbeads: Plastic Pollution in Cosmetics
Microbeads, widely employed in cosmetics as exfoliating agents, are made of plastic and can persist in the environment for up to 50 years after passing through water treatment plants.
2. In Italy, it is common for dwarfs to undergo painful limb-lengthening surgery, involving the repeated breaking and pulling apart of bones over 2-3 years, due to societal pressure. Notably, 90% of Italian dwarfs undergo this procedure, a rate significantly higher than the 8% observed in the rest of Europe.
3. Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) have a mortality rate 10 to 20 times higher than the average cosmetic procedure, making them the cosmetic procedure with the highest death rate.
4. As of 2012, South Korean men were using 21% of the world's men's cosmetics and makeup.
5. In 2004, Jessica Simpson's line of edible makeup, perfume, and body wash faced discontinuation after several lawsuits. Customers reported issues like yeast infections brought on by Butterscotch Toffee Body Wash and bees following them after using Belly Button Love Potion.
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6Vietnam's Health Crisis from Injections
Vietnam grapples with rising medical issues caused by fat-dissolving injections sold by dubious beauticians and cosmetic treatment clinics. The FDA in the United States has banned a hormone that is present in the urine of pregnant women, which is what these injections contain.
7. In 1915, a farmer witnessed his sister making mascara with coal and petroleum jelly, inspiring him to create a more user-friendly product. His invention, named Maybelline after his sister Maybel and the base material Vaseline, was easier to apply and gentle on the eyes.
8. Moisturizers don't moisturize the skin but prevent it from losing hydration. Additionally, there is a technical distinction between creams, ointments, and lotions.
9. In Britain's Victorian Age, when wearing makeup was linked to low morals, women pinched their cheeks and bit their lips to make them appear red.
10. In 2017, the world's fastest-growing cosmetic procedure was labiaplasty.
11Arsenic: Beauty's Deadly Past
Arsenic was sold as a beauty product in the late 1800s. Women would nibble on wafers or wash with the poison, hoping to achieve an ideal complexion free of "freckles, blackheads, and pimples."
12. Cleopatra's eyeliner, containing lead salt, served both beauty and medicinal purposes, protecting her against eye diseases by eliciting an immune response that killed bacteria. The use of lead in ancient Egyptian eyeliner also contributed to the origin of the color Kohl.
13. The most effective lip balm or ointment includes petrolatum to lock in moisture and dimethicone to seal off cracks in dry lips. Lip balms with menthol, camphor, and fragrances can exacerbate lip issues.
14. NASA engineers designed a makeup kit for female astronauts, anticipating their desire for makeup in space.
15. The spa and beauty industries coined the term "cellulite" to market their goods. Many in the medical community view it as the "normal condition of many women" rather than a disorder.
16Sarah Breedlove: Trailblazing Millionaire
Sarah Breedlove, an orphan born to freed slaves, achieved the distinction of being the first self-made female millionaire in U.S. history in the early 1900s by creating and selling homemade hair-care products through her own factory. She further established a beauty school to train sales agents. Adjusting for inflation, the $1 million she earned then would be equivalent to $13 million today.
17. Facial Botox injections can impede the ability to identify emotional expressions in facial photos as they may prevent facial mirroring, hindering the brain's interpretation of emotions in others.
18. The tapeworm diet originated in the Victorian Era, where women ingested tapeworms to achieve the fashionable look of pale skin, dilated eyes, red cheeks, and a tiny waist. Still practiced today, women take a pill with a tapeworm egg inside.
19. A stereotype about Circassian women being the ideal standard of attractiveness persisted, particularly in the 18th century, with cosmetic companies claiming to sell products used by Circassian women.
20. The drug used to dilate eyes (Atropine) is derived from the "Belladonna plant," named "bella donna" in Italian, meaning "beautiful woman." Centuries ago, women used the herb in eye drops to dilate pupils for a seductive appearance.
21Wigmaking's Rise Amid Syphilis Outbreak
An outbreak of syphilis led to a surge in wigmaking, as wigs covered up baldness and head sores caused by the disease. Powdered wigs, popular at the time, contained lavender or orange to mask unpleasant odors.
22. A growing number of wealthy women opt for cosmetic surgery known as "Blowtox"-botox injections in the scalp. This prevents nerves from activating sweat glands, allowing them to leave the gym with their hair still looking blow-dried.
23. Vermilion was originally referred to as a pigment made from mercury ore (cinnabar). This highly prized color in ancient Rome was applied to cheeks as a form of rouge, despite its known dangers.
24. During World War II, the rationing of nylon left women without stockings. Faced with the fashion faux pas of going bare-legged, creative women resorted to painting on their stockings, some even using eyeliner to draw a trompe l'oeil seam on the back of their legs.
25. Ohaguro, the custom of dyeing one's teeth black, was popular in Japan until the Meiji era. It was primarily a married women's practice, with sporadic male participation, but it also served a useful purpose by preventing tooth decay, much like modern dental sealants.
