The story of cosmetics and perfumery forms a continuous narrative throughout the history of man, developing as he developed. Today cosmetic, perfumery and essential oil industries exist with technologies of their own. Many top beauty cosmetology colleges in Nashik offer cutting-edge undergraduate and postgraduate programs in this field to train future cosmetologists.
The first use of cosmetics can be seen in prehistoric times around 3000 BC where early man used coloured skin and adored the body for protection either for camouflage or to provoke fear in the enemy. In early western civilisation cosmetics and aromatic woods and oils were used in religious practices specifically in India, China, and Egypt. All these civilisations used indigenous tree resins, aromatic oils, and fats from plants and animals.
Let’s see some examples in detail
If asked about beauty and cosmetics in early ages the most prominent example that comes to mind is Egyptian culture. In earlier times the women painted the undersides of their eyes with green colour made from malachite, a copper carbonate ore, and the lids, lashes and eyebrows were painted black with kohl. These powders were pulverised on stone or metal palettes and the powder applied to the eyes by a finger dipped in water. Both eye-paints were found in various states in early graves; as lumps of ore; as stains on the palettes with pebbles by which the ores were ground; as powder in linen bags; and as compact masses of colour from which the binding agent had dried out.
There is some evidence that the women coloured their cheeks and lips with red ochre (red iron oxide) A plant which must have been used in Ancient Egypt much as it is today, is henna. The pungent odour of the flowers was probably used to perfume oils and ointments. In modern times in the Eastern countries the leaves are used to redden the nails, the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. We do know that the Romans used henna for dyeing the hair and they probably learned it from the Egyptians.
Second most prominent examples seen in our motherland India. Since 1000 BC Ayurveda has used the native raw materials in medicine, also in religious rites and for aesthetic use to alleviate the rigors of the hot climate. In the Indus valley civilisation, they have found cosmetic pots of clay, stone, ivory, faience, and alabaster they are believed to be kohl pots, and some to have been for perfumed oils and unguents.
Galena and lamp-black were used for eye make-up and kohl sticks of copper, bronze and wood have been found; also polished bronze mirrors. Red iron oxide used for rouge in small shells seems to indicate an influence from Sumaria, while the practice of colouring the soles of the feet, the nails and palms of the hands was prevalent. Heavy perfumes were used lavishly, the most popular being sandalwood perfumed body oils to give a long-lasting odour. Women painted their faces with suns, moons, flowers, stars and birds.
The third and the most prominent of them all are the Greeks and the Roman. The Greeks loved perfumes. Perfumery was an art practiced mainly by the women and reflected in the beautiful pottery scent bottles manufactured in Athens in 400-350 BC. They use spices in the making of all perfumes; some to thicken the oil, some to impart their odour. The less powerful spices are used for the thickening, and then at a later stage they put the one whose odour they wish to secure.
Theophrastus was probably the earliest Greek writer about perfumery. He described perfumes as compounded from various parts of the plants: flowers, leaves, twigs, root, wood, fruit, and gum; and in most cases the perfume is made from the mixture of several parts. The Greek women were painted rose colour and white. The white was mostly white lead, the rouge was vermilion or vegetable substances, such as mulberry, seaweed and paederos, a root like alkanet. Fragrant oils were used in the hair and both men and women dyed grey hair. Eyebrows were painted black and brought close together. The eyes were painted with both black and green make-up. Sometimes false eyebrows were worn. Both men and women liked blond hair. After washing their hair with a special Athenian ointment, they sat bareheaded in the sun for an hour so that their tresses turned a beautiful golden blond.
As seen in history Greek and Roman cultures are very similar. The Romans devised all sorts of beautiful containers for their perfumes and unguents. The solid unguents were generally of one specific perfume, such as almond, rose or quince. The liquids were frequently compounds containing flowers, spices, and gums, and followed very much on the lines quoted above from Theophrastus. The constituents were generally digested in one or other of the fixed oils, such as sesame, olive. They were tested on the back of the hand and not on the palm, owing to the ‘heat thereof having a bad effect on them’.
Amongst the many things they used were white lead and chalk to whiten the skin; kohl to make up the eyes, eyebrows and lashes; fucus, a red colour for cheeks and lips; The Romans, like all peoples through the ages it seems, attempted to preserve youth and beauty by artificial means.
There are so many other examples that show the evolution of beauty standards and cosmetics usage and making throughout history but not enough time or pages to talk about them all.
Conclusion
In the last quarter of the twentieth century there has been a search for new chemicals and plants which might prove beneficial to the human body. Some of these, such as the plant oils, have been proved by scientific investigation to contain fatty acids essential to human health, and some contain especially useful ingredients. It can be seen, however, from the history of natural products use, that it would be unwise to revert to their use without proving safety and efficacy with modern methods of analysis and clinical testing. Many people consider cosmetics to be trivial items. Throughout history, however, men and women have used cosmetics to cleanse, adorn and protect themselves. We care about food for healthy living and medicine during illness; cosmetics, which encompass all products applied to our bodies, daily, throughout our lives, deserve equally serious scientific consideration. If you want to pursue a career in beauty cosmetology, then B.Sc. in Cosmetic Science can help you gain the right opportunities in this field.