 Seeking Ideal Beauty There seems to me to
be definite parallels between this era, and the Elizabethan Age, when it
comes to women, and their desperate struggle to either halt the natural
aging of their appearance, or, to discover a miracle age-reversal
method. During the sixteenth century, well-born women were obsessed with
achieving, and maintaining, 'ideal' beauty, as they perceived it, to
the point of what we would call 'madness'. What was this ideal they so
longed to possess? Youthful unlined alabaster skin, overly bright eyes,
red cheeks and lips, and the fairest of hair colors. Add to these
attributes, a high, arched, pale eyebrow, and high brow line. To achieve
the 'look' of perfection, these women made use of the period’s highly
respected skin care techniques, and the finest cosmetics available to
them, at the time. First, the hairline was plucked back, an
inch or more. Next, the eyebrows had to be plucked and arched, and the
hair of the head and eyebrows was then bleached out using a variety of
the most up-to-date bleaching agents, including urine, and sulfuric
acid. Women, who could afford the high cost, purchased the top of the
line skin whitener, 'ceruse', a mixture of white lead, and vinegar. This
was used on the face, neck, bosom, and often the hands and arms as
well. This concoction was used in conjunction with the 'skin firmer' of
choice, uncooked egg white. This noxious mess was then spread on the
face, neck and bosom, and allowed to dry, to tighten, and hide wrinkles,
and give the face a white, unlined, mask-like finish. To imitate a
blush and pout of youthful beauty, vermilion (mercuric sulfide) was THE
choice for lips and cheeks. Faintly traced veins were then added to the
skin surface of the bosom, for that 'natural' look. Drops of belladonna
were then administered to the eyes, to achieve that desired 'sparkle',
and the eyes were outlined in kohl. To care for their complexions, the
ladies made use of what was highly touted as the best cleanser. Mercury
mixed with alum, and honey. Of course, a common practice was the 'facial
peel', and the most widely used, and highly regarded peel agent, was
mercury. These were the commonly accepted 'beauty' practices,
of women over four hundred years ago, and yet, how 'in the moment', it
all seems! We may not use mercury for chemical peels, but glycolic acid,
salicylic acid, or lactic acid; trichloroacetic acid (TCA), or carbolic
acid (phenol) - are used. We don't spread raw egg white on our
complexions as a temporary skin firmer, but modern women may be
surprised to learn, they could very well have used 'skin firmers'
containing formaldehyde. We may gasp in horror over sixteenth century
women applying poison to their faces; yet, Botox injections seem
perfectly mundane, and safe, to us. What were the long-term results
of the use of their miracle beauty and facial products, for the classy
Elizabethan lady? Complexions more rapidly aged, gray, shriveled, and
mummified. When I read of young women still in their twenties,
opting for ‘beauty treatments’ that require they have their complexions
chemically treated, or otherwise ravaged, I am appalled. I can only
wonder at the long-term effects of such drastic measures. Mature women,
obsessed with seeking some elusive anti-aging/age-reversal miracle,
become nothing more than willing test-subjects for any new facial
product/procedure that hits the market. Often, they have no idea as to
the ingredients in the products they are smearing on their faces. Nor,
do they take into consideration future effects of certain procedures.
Perhaps, we modern women should consider the lessons of the past, and
proceed with caution, and common sense, when choosing our ‘beauty’
regimens.
Author-Jeannine Schenewerk
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