Beautiful facial skin has always been highly valued. However, beauty standards have varied over the centuries. In particular, very pale skin was in vogue for a long time. To get the desired complexion, women used a light powder, which sometimes included harmful substances. Lead was one of these substances.
The history of lead powder
Powder is an absolutely irreplaceable thing for make-up. It helps to mask minor skin imperfections and gives it a matte finish.
The history of powder began in ancient Egypt. Back then, only members of wealthy and influential families had fair skin. Representatives of other classes, who worked for whole days under the scorching sun, had skin that was tanned by their daughter. Therefore, pallor was a sign of aristocracy and gave a lot of privileges. To emphasize it even more, women tried to whiten their face by all possible means.
A little later, the rich Romans adopted the Egyptian's addiction to powder. And if the Egyptian powder was completely harmless in its composition, then its Roman counterpart already included very harmful substances, namely white lead. It is because of the content of this component that the powder was called lead. Lead powder was quite expensive, and therefore only ladies from wealthy families could use it.
In the Middle Ages, its popularity only increased. In those days, diseases that left marks on the face, such as smallpox, were common. And lead powder was considered the best way to hide skin imperfections. Then it was already relatively inexpensive. At the same time, she lay down on the skin in an even dense layer, instantly hiding its defects.
However, the effect of lead powder on the skin was disastrous: because of the lead, ulcers appeared, and after several years of active use of the powder, a brain tumor and paralysis developed.
Fortunately, this circumstance was clarified, and soon a cosmetic revolution took place - in Germany they began to use talcum powder as a baby powder. And immediately in France, on its basis, they began to make powder, forever expelling harmful and dangerous lead from cosmetology.
Modern powder
Today, the main components on the basis of which the powder is produced are talc and zinc oxide. They are absolutely harmless to the body and mix well with other components of the powder: white and red clay, calcium hydroxide, flower oils and other flavors.
Modern analogues of lead powder not only perfectly mask skin imperfections, but also contain medicinal ingredients: sulfur, resin, ichthyol, antibiotics. Modern powder also has hygienic properties, protecting the skin from harmful UV radiation and dust.
In addition, according to dermatologists, powdered skin tolerates heat more easily, since the powder, absorbing sweat, increases the surface of its evaporation, which is known to be accompanied by heat absorption.
