7 Ancient Beauty Rituals Women would Follow
If you thought women didn’t know how to beautify themselves before the advent of modern makeup and beauty salons, then you are wrong. There were a number of beauty rituals which women would invent and follow in the ancient times. While some can still be used today, some have been termed as hazardous and others have been considered downright ridiculous. Here are some of the most popular beauty rituals of the past.
1. Lead powder as kohl
In order to make the eyes look attractive, women, especially those in Egypt, used to use black lead powder to line the eyes as kohl. However this practice was stopped after they started realizing the poisonous properties of lead. Eye paint was made from materials such as minerals or rocks which were ground down into powder form and combined with animal fat to help the mixture adhere. They were often applied around the eyes in an almond or cat-like shape and for green eyeshadow, they would use powdered malachite.
2. Feet cramping shoes
In ancient China, tininess was considered a symbol of beauty. Women would deliberately disfigure and fracture their feet in order to get tiny sized feet for which they would bind their little daughters’ feet tightly and set them in shoes too small for their size. This agonizing process would make women’s feet permanently ineffective to walk with.
3. Corsets made of whale bone
There were some totally ridiculous and dangerous beauty rituals that English women of the Elizabethan and Edwardian Era would follow. One such ritual was wearing uber tight corsets made of whale bones. These corsets would make the women look slimmer but also crush the bones in their ribs. Another disgusting ritual was the consumption of slimy tapeworms which women gladly swallowed as these pests digested most of their food keeping the women slim and trim.
4. Honey
One of the most ancient beauty ingredients in the world are milk and honey for they have been mentioned countless times in the Holy Bible itself. Honey has natural hydrating properties and is full of antioxidants. It helps prevent dry skin and leaves the skin smooth and toned. Women in ancient Egypt used honey to help protect their skin from the blistering desert sun.
