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The History of Looking Good
You won’t believe what people used to do in the name of “beauty”!
Shutterstock.com
A- Poison Eye Drops
In the 1800s, people in England put a poison called nightshade in their eyes. Why? It made their pupils wide, so their eyes appeared bigger. Possible side effects were blindness or even death.
B- Clingy Leeches In the Middle Ages, pale skin was in. So women put leeches on their face to suck out some blood!
C- Stinky Face MasksIn ancient Rome, some people wanted whiter, brighter skin. So they used pastes made with crocodilea (that’s a word for . . . crocodile poop!).
Smith Archive/Alamy Stock Photo
D- Homemade Dimples In the 1930s, some women bought “dimple makers.” These painful devices promised to create cute dimples (but didn’t really work).
E- Greasy Wigs Tall hairstyles were popular in Europe in the 1700s. Wigs were often shaped with lard, or pig fat. Rats loved to nest inside and nibble on it!
Talk About It! Think about some personal grooming trends that are popular today. Then imagine that you’re a historian in the future. Looking back at the 2020s, which trends might surprise you, and why?