Deadly Beauty: Toxins People Used to Look “Perfect”

History is full of strange, sometimes shocking beauty practices. From poisonous powders to radioactive creams, people have gone to extreme lengths to achieve society's ideals of attractiveness. Today, regulations and science protect consumers from most toxic cosmetics, but the lessons of the past remain striking: beauty should never come at the cost of health. Here's a look at some of the most dangerous substances once considered "essential" for beauty and health.

Arsenic: The "Fairness" Poison

Arsenic is a potent poison. In 18th- and 19th-century Europe, pale skin was a symbol of wealth and refinement. To achieve this, women sometimes ingested arsenic wafers or powders. Advertisements even promised a flawless complexion with products like Dr. James P. Campbell's Safe Arsenic Complexion Wafers. Arsenic is a potent poison. Chronic exposure caused anaemia, hair loss, organ damage, and often death.

Radioactive radium was in every beauty product in the early 1900s

Lead: The Pale Skin Obsession

Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Elizabethan elites prized pale, smooth skin. To achieve the perfect porcelain skin, they used lead-infused creams.  Lead absorption through the skin could lead to poisoning, facial paralysis, and infertility. Lead-based powders, including the infamous Venetian ceruse used by Queen Elizabeth I, were popular cosmetics.

Mercury: The Silent Neurotoxin

Mercury found its way into face creams, teething powders, and even medical treatments for syphilis well into the 20th century. Some modern illegal whitening creams in parts of Asia and Africa still contain this heavy metal. This deadly substance attacks the brain, kidneys, and nervous system. Long-term use could cause tremors, insanity, and severe organ damage.

Mercury was found in face creams in the 20th century

Radium: Glowing Beauty at a Price

In the early 1900s, radioactive radium was added to tonics, toothpaste, and even face creams to give a "glow from within." Radium exposure caused anaemia, bone cancer, and death. Beauty literally became a matter of life and death. Workers in factories producing these products, famously known as the Radium Girls, suffered horrific health consequences.

Belladonna: Eyes that Kill

The plant's name, Belladonna, meaning beautiful woman, hints at its deadly appeal. Renaissance Italian women used belladonna, or deadly nightshade, to dilate their pupils, making their eyes appear larger and more seductive. Little did they know that Belladonna can cause blurred vision, hallucinations, heart problems, and even death.