Elizabethan And Contemporary Beauty Methods

    There was many beauty methods in Elizabethan times that claimed to solve different problems with peoples hair, skin and teeth. Every example of Elizabethan beauty methods is just amazing to read, but one I thought was interesting was how to cure redness in the face to achieve that snow white complexion they so desired.

How to cure redness of the face:

Elizabethan method

Take white lead (ceruse), rose water and violet oil and mix together and anoint the face.

Contemporary method

L'Arissa Active formula with Retinol & Vitamin C ingredients:

aqua, retinol, glycerin, lecithin, helianthus annus (sunflower oil) seed oil, glyceryl stearate, ceteareth-20, ceteareth-12, cetearly alcohol, cetyl palmitate, soybean oil, isoprpyl myristate, ethlhexylglycerin, pheonoxytheanol, dimethiconce, citrus grandus extract, sodium PCA, xanthan gum, parfum, carbomer, triethanolamine, EDTA.

To make you beautiful:

Elizabethan method

Take bread crumbs and egg whites and mix them together and put them in vinegar for two whole days, and then use it as you please.

Contemporary method: Glamglow mask

Water, Kaolin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Hydroxide, Eucalyptus Clobulus, Mandelic Acid, Charcoal, Parfum [Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool], Clycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Maltodextrin, Iron Oxides, Peppermint Oil, Butylene Glycol, Clycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Glycerin, Chamoilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hendera Helix Extract, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Clycol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

    Although the Elizabethan method are a lot more simple compared to the contemporary method, it's a lot more harmful on the skin which can cause lead poising and result in death, whereas the contemporary method contains safer ingredients which can be used on human skin.
    Looking though Making Up the Renaissance and seeing some of the ingredients that they would have used really shocked me that people actually thought that some of these things was okay to put on the skin, hair and teeth. I guess our generation is lucky that we know what is good and bad for the skin and how we can find alternatives to recreate their beauty methods in a much safer way which won't result in poising or death.