In 2010 , blogger Rachel Rabbit White challenged her readers to join her in a workweek without constitution . That meant no foundation or mascara before an authoritative work coming together , and no lipstick before a big escort . White acknowledged on her web log that the thought of a hebdomad without makeup scared her , yet it was that response to the idea that let her know that she was on the correct track . Makeup had become something she had to put on to bequeath the sign of the zodiac , and White wanted to understand howcosmeticshad taken up such a permanent role in her lifespan . She wanted , she wrote , to have a better relationship with cosmetic by coming to terms with why she felt she need them .
Throughout the week , White posted pictures ofwomensans makeup on her web log . She also explored upshot like the aver perniciousness of composition , whethermenlike constitution on women and when she first started using makeup . While White blogged , her readers weighed in on the experimentation . Some bloggers and blog commenters said they ’d never go a day without make-up , and then they grappled with whether that made them vain or whether it meant they felt endue or artistic in their use of make-up . Other woman wrote about how they never touched makeup , and such a week would be easy – they ’d already find intimate smasher or just made peace of mind with what they see in the mirror . Men weigh in with their opinions on makeup , both on char and on themselves .
White ’s experimentation touched anerveand inspire such a barrage of Internet bodily process because everyone has some experience with makeup , be it the decision not to wear upon it , the daily program of it or a partner ’s adoration of it . The worldwide cosmetic industry rakes in $ 40 billion each year , but there are some people who question what the industry sells and whether it save on that promise [ germ : Nixon ] . Why do mass fall apart makeup ? Does it help someone ’s ego - esteem to apply a production or are we all chasing unattainable apotheosis of mantrap ? Is wear out make-up good for our skin ? In this clause , we ’ll research people ’s relationships with cosmetics , though unlike White ’s experiment , we wo n’t expect you to take your makeup off . Whether you wear thin cosmetic day by day or never touch the stuff , we promise you an interesting drive through the history , chemistry and psychological science of makeup .
History of Makeup
The first use ofprototype cosmeticsis usually trace back to the ancient Egyptians ; many Egyptian tombs contained makeup canisters and kits . Cleopatrausedlipstickthat got its hue from groundcarminebeetles , while other women used clay mixed with water to colour their lips .
Most illustrious , though , was the ancient Egyptians ' use of kohl . Bothmenandwomenwould paint the kohl , a smorgasbord of metal , lead , copper , ash and burnt almonds , all around their eyes – picture a football game player with filth paint under his eye combine with Tammy Faye Baker and her excessive use of mascara . The circles of kohl were meant to guard off the evil eye and dangerous spirits and were also handy in deflecting the harsh desert sun . In recent years , scientists have specify that the kohl makeup may have inadvertently helped the Egyptians ward off infectious diseases ; the lead would kill off bacterium , though if the Egyptians had had long sprightliness span , the lead might have eventually killed them off as well [ source : Bhanoo ] .
The ancient Greeks and Romans also paint their cheek with powders made of footing - up minerals and stones , but the history of make-up becomes a little less colorful as prison term go on – quite literally . From the Middle Ages until the conclusion of the nineteenth century , pale skin was in . Only prostitute and lower class women would have defy use colour on their lips , cheeks or eyes . Instead , women paint their faces , neck opening and chests with a Pb and acetum mix known as white lead . Elizabeth I of England , with her clean face and large brow ( the lead in ceruse would often cause hair to pass out ) , is quite representative of this look , which was popular for one C . And though women today might like to joke about how they meet for beauty , women who used the tip - ground ceruse often ended up with musculus palsy or in their Robert Graves .
At the sunup of the twentieth century though , products that we ’d recognise today – lipsticks , mascara and nail burnish – began to emerge . On the next page , we ’ll study the birth of the New - day makeup diligence .
Makeup in the 20th Century: Max Factor Makes Women Look Like Movie Stars
At the very end of the 1800s , portrayal picture taking became popular . the great unwashed would save up to sit for the one film they ’d ever have of themselves , and apply composition before that picture became standard . Mirrors also became more affordable at this time , and more people owned one in their homes . These two factors were of import in the maturation of makeup , but nothing would play a bully role in the mainstream use of cosmetic thanmotion pictures .
When actor made the transition from point to screen , they convey with them very heavy makeup regimens that were designed to make them visible to the very last row – a facial expression that did n’t translate very well on television camera . In 1914 , Max Factor , who provided wig to Hollywood studios , developed a greasepaint foundation that would n’t coat or break . The greasepaint was popular with motion picture star both onscreen and off , and it scar Factor ’s first major success in the decorative industry . Factor would go on to grow sass gloss and an supercilium pencil , and he popularize the Scripture " makeup . " In the 1920s , he began marketing his makeup to the public with the claims that they could look like their favorite picture show asterisk .
A few year originally , in 1915 , T.L. Williams started the Maybelline Company . Williams ' sis , Mabel , had what he call up was an ingenious way to make her lashes look dramatic – she flux petroleum jelly and ember detritus . Williams distilled the chemical formula into cake form and finally found great success in deal it to the world .
Around the same sentence , major advancements were being made in the output of nail polish . Prior to the 1920s , nail upkeep consisted of buffing one ’s nail , and buying a motorcar meant purchasing a black one from Henry Ford . Ford used calamitous lacquer pigment on his vehicle because it dried more quickly than other colour , but other companies set out invent tight - drying lacquer paints in multiple colors to compete . These quick - drying lacquer were co - opted by other businesses , including cosmetics company . The main fixings was nitrocellulose , which was also used in smokeless gun powder and put on tooth .
Ultimately , Bishop did n’t prove herself to be as canny an entrepreneur as Revson and other personalities of the clip . Estée Lauder was a rapacious marketer who give out liberal sampling and gift of the peel cream she explicate with her uncle . Lauder ’s empire would go on to include Clinique and Origins , among other companies .
With rapidly meliorate products and persuasive marketing efforts , womenwere sold on makeup , and they have n’t count back since . But when someone picks up Maybelline mascara or Revlon lipstick , what exactly are they getting ? We ’ll go inside the tubes on the next Sir Frederick Handley Page .
Makeup Ingredients
While different cosmetic companionship may arrogate to have mixed up a super - secret formula for their products that put them school principal and berm above the rest , most composition intersection deal the same basic ingredient . Foundations feature a moisturizing base made out ofwater , oil or wax , compound with a filler like talcum that assure smooth statistical distribution over the face . There are also pigment like Fe oxide include so that initiation can be matched to pelt note . Other than that , foundations may sport different ingredients for varying hide needs , such as jojoba oil fordry skinor salicylic acid for acne [ source : Goins ] .
eyeliner crop because they feature film formers and thickening ; the flick former is the personal credit line of constitution you paint around the oculus , while the thickening aid the former remain there . Eyeliners also admit various pigment made out of Fe oxide , depending on the subtlety of the eyeliner [ source : Goins ] . Eye vestige also rely on a mixed bag of pigments , but the main ingredient for this product are base makeweight and binder . The theme might be made of talc , mica or kaolin clay , but it ’s the binder that attain indisputable these ingredients detain put on your eyelids . binder might be made out of zinc or magnesium differential . centre shadows that come in ointment form include wax and oils in the base that dry out on the palpebra for long - lasting color [ source : Goins ] .
Mascara gets its dark color from a carbon or iron oxide pigment , and it stays put on lash thanks to wax and oil like lanolin , paraffin or petroleum . People attending weddings or funeral usually request waterproof mascara – the difference between rainproof mascaras and other types is the amount of water used in creating the product . If you ’re look for something that will stand up to tears , hold whether water is listed in the ingredients , but do n’t always arrive at for your waterproof . rainproof mascara can be exceedingly hard to remove , so repeated use could damage your lash [ origin : Goins ] .
Lipstick has a very short ingredients list as well – wax , petroleum , moisturizers and pigment . The wax helps the lip rouge hold its shape yet also allows for easy diligence to the lips . Beeswax , Copernicia prunifera wax ( from Brazilian palm Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ) and Pedilanthus bracteatus wax ( from the Pedilanthus bracteatus plant ) are unremarkably used . Oils like European olive tree oil , caster crude , mineral fossil oil or lanolin give lipsticks their shine ; less oil means more color , less sheerness . Moisturizers are a fairly new add-on to lipstick concoctions . erstwhile lipsticks used to be very cakey , but now ingredients like Vitamin atomic number 99 and aloe vera keep the lip rouge and the mouth in doubtfulness moist and dewy [ sources : Johnson;Goins ] .
After decade of test and error , these cosmetic recipes seem staring , though manufacturing business will belike continue to tinker with formulas in the never - ending hunting for a competitory boundary . However , cosmetics ingredients do n’t have the best safety platter – remember the Egyptians and their lead - containing kohl mascara ? In the 20th century , sure mascaras were found to have element that could blind the wearer , including turps and hair dyestuff . And every few age , there ’s a skin rash of account that lip rouge contains lead . On the next page , we ’ll inquire the Food and Drug Administration ’s oversight of cosmetics and the debate about whether our constitution is safe .
Makeup Safety
When it come to day - to - day safety , the fully grown constitution terror is mascara . Mascara wand can poke the optic and scratch the cornea , which then could leave bacterium to ooze into the centre . And if you do n’t by rights remove your mascara before bed sentence , then it could flake and get into the eye . For maximal makeup safe , never apply mascara when travel ( such as in a car on the way of life to workplace ) or when your work force are full , always wash make-up off each night , keep makeup away from heat that could destroy bacteria - down preservatives and never , ever share make-up .
But some people claim that these daily refuge tip ignore the great menace we face by putting makeup on our face and bodies , and that more must be done to patrol the cosmetics industry . In 1938 , Congress afford the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) a limited role in regulating cosmetic . The FDA does n’t inspect or test cosmetic before they reach the ledge ; rather , each company is responsible for ensuring their product are safe for role . " Safe for economic consumption " has more often than not meant that it wo n’t cause adverseskinreactions in a big group of mass . If a Cartesian product hits the market and get problems , then the fellowship is expected to recall it , and the FDA can pursue legal action to ensure they do so . The FDA has this limited function because cosmetics have been recognise from medicine and drug in that they do not alter the structure of the skin or the torso ; any cosmetic that claims to do so would be subject to investigating or testing by the FDA .
Is this kind of oversight enough ? Many critics , such as the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics , say no , that the cosmetics industry should n’t be permit to ego - regulate and the FDA should set more strict definitions for what make a " safe " cosmetic product . A 2007 report in the Telegraph find that women who wear cosmetics absorb nearly 5 pounds of chemical substance into their bodies each year , and safety advocates say that we do n’t know enough yet about sure compounds in war paint to know whether such assimilation is dangerous [ source : Stokes ] .
Of particular concern to cosmetics watchdog are lead in lip rouge , parabens in skin care products and phthalates in nail polishes and fragrances . Several studies have shown that lipsticks contain change levels of lead – not because lead is added to the lipstick , but because it ’s a byproduct of the manufacturing cognitive operation . If you lick your lips several clip a day while wearing lipstick , how much lead would you eat up ? Doctors are part on whether consuming even a negligible amount would be dependable . Parabens and phthalates have been linked with reproductive problems in research lab animals and in some man , but again , doctors do n’t do it much about the long - term effects of these compounds .
Are there any safer choice to makeup ? And will the FDA ever take a strong role in regularization ? Keep reading to bump out .
Natural Makeup
In 2005 , California expire the Safe Cosmetics Act , which ask cosmetics producer to disclose their product ' component that are also on a watch list as potentially dangerous to mass . The European Union and Canada have rigorous formula about ingredients in cosmetics as well , so some advocates have claimed that it ’s time for the U.S. to have a Union law regulate cosmetics safety . In 2010 , representatives introduced a bill that would give the FDA more power over the cosmetic manufacture .
The bill was n’t dealt with before that congressional seance closed , so it ’s currently awaiting re - introduction to the House . The reaction to the bill was quite interesting though . Small manufacturers specializing in handmade , constitutional mathematical product claimed that the necessity of the bill would put them out of business , despite the fact that they might have the safest products [ seed : Byrnes ] . While advocates of the notice claim that these minor line of work would look desirable to consumers when compare to giving offenders , the business sector owners claimed that the massive amount of paperwork would doom their enterprises .
Some the great unwashed are n’t waiting for the FDA or legislators to take a warm role . alternatively , they seek out organic ornatural makeup . These products miss the preservatives and scent that may contain harmful ingredients in mainstream cosmetics , but it ’s important to remember that the FDA has n’t defined " constitutive " or " natural , " which intend that anyone can slap that recording label on their ware . Dermatologists also warn that sure plant extracts can get skin innervation or could even examine poisonous [ source : Singer ] .
A democratic option for natural physical composition devotees is mineral makeup , which is made from by nature fall out mineral such as zinc , lapis lazuli and titanium dioxide that are moil into a fine powder . Mineral makeup often comes with the claim that it ’s better for tegument , though that has n’t been definitively essay . This eccentric of makeup is free from scent and oils that can irritate the skin , and it contains zinc , which is good for your epidermis , but it ’s likely not the treatment for acne that some ship’s company promise . Mineral composition also does n’t provide long - endure reporting .
The battle for safe and environmentally friendly war paint will probably continue for eld to come , as consumer resist everything from animal examination to reports of make-up toxicity to even whether makeup publicity can be recycled . But if we ’re so shy about whether what we put on our faces is healthy , why do it at all ?
Psychology of Makeup
Beauty and humans ' pursuit of it can be a tricky subject to unravel . What get to one person ’s font more likeable than another ’s font ? Is n’t beauty in the centre of the beholder ? Is ravisher attained through the utilization of products unfeigned beauty or a falsification ?
Researchers conceive that we all occur programmed with beauty detectors , and we ’re wire to seek out likeable faces , no matter the culture in which we live . There have been numberless bailiwick in which participant rate the attractiveness of faces , which has head researchers to conclude that beauty could be distilled to a mathematical formula – we appreciate symmetrical faces , in which the olfactory organ is so many millimeter from the eye , in which the lips are in the veracious speckle between the olfactory organ and the chin . These standards are dissimilar for male face than for distaff faces . investigator also believe that we ’re telegraph to detect youth more attractive than old years , especially when it arrive to choosing a mate ; after all , if you select a cleaning lady too onetime to bear your children , your line dies out , evolutionarily speaking .
Makeup , then , researcher believe , is a elbow room to highlight and magnify female features and youthfulness . work force andwomenhave similar faces until puberty , at which point hormone like testosterone givemenangular faces with prominent eyebrow and noses . In comparability , women have small noses , prominent malar , longer eyelashes and plumper lips , and their eyes seem bigger because of the lack of a prominent hilltop . Makeup plays up these distaff feature of speech , thus advertising an absence of virile hormones [ source : Etcoff ] . heart shadows , eyeliner and mascara all make those small heart pop . Blush emphasize the cheekbones , and lip rouge register off chubby lip . foundation and concealers help us give politic skin , a sign of youth and health . These may be subliminal way that fair sex demonstrate their gender and their youth to possible partners . All of these cosmetics may be an evolutionary urge to show off our most womanly traits so that we can attain a universal mantrap ideal .
Of course , while we might be born with innate lulu standards , smasher nonsuch are shaped by international forces such as advert and soda water culture . Would we manage so much about the form of our eyebrow if we did n’t see sealed starlets or example rake in millions for their visual aspect ? It ’s these external pressing that particularly grate the nerve of womanhood ’s right pleader . We ’ll explore the tricky kinship between makeup and feminism on the next page .
Feminists and Makeup
When secondly - wavefeminismswept across the U.S. in the belated sixties and ' 70 , feminists urged their fellowwomento discard anything thatmenmight consumption to depersonalise them . By putting on composition and dressing in a certain way , these feminists debate , women were only put forward to a patriarchal civilisation that sought to exploit them for their ravisher , not their brain . Stop endeavor to attract to men with physical composition and way was the rallying watchword of radical women’s rightist .
The feminists ' parameter did n’t go over as well as they might have hoped . Some women fear that if they render up onlipstick , they ’d be branded as horrifying fringe radicals . Some women believed that a socially appropriate appearance – one that included makeup – was important for the workplace , where women were fighting tooth and nail to get in advance , though the statement of how feminine a fair sex in the workplace can be continues to this day . And some women may have recognize that while they outwear lip rouge to appeal a man , they also wear upon it for themselves . It was fun , it was art , and they did n’t think they should have to give that up , even if there was a puff of air of sexism to the recitation .
Today , feminists are still divided on the makeup issue . On the one hand , the issue of choice is important to many feminists , which think of that a woman should be able to decide to jade makeup for herself without anyone else assuming that she ’s a floozy . On the other manus , many serviceman and women are concerned about the messages implied within cosmetic advert and tv set shows . They argue that women are being sold the idea that they ’re frail and need to be get , which can only happen if they continue to purchase certain products . And will the occupation continue to move in a culture obsessed with youth and beauty ? Will everyone be expected to get plastic surgical procedure once foundation can no longer hide the signs of mature ?
Perhaps most distressful to critic of the enhancive manufacture is the trend of new and new girls using make-up . If makeup really does dish out to betoken other males of female fitness , then does wearing lip gloss and blush sexualize girls too shortly ? Do they endure at the precipice of a spirit fill up with unhappiness and body angst ? If physical composition is possibly toxic to adults , then how toxic will it prove to be on untried hide ?
It ’s impossible to answer these inquiry or counter a truce between some libber and make-up . For some women , makeup will always be something that should be applied before impart the theater , and for others , it ’s unneeded and sickening . But what do men think about make-up ? While some radical feminists claim that fair sex only wear down it to please men , you might be surprised at men ’s responses to cosmetics through the centuries , as well as how they might comprise the next great makeup marketplace .
Men and Makeup
It ’s often assumed that manywomenwear make-up to attractmen , but chronicle is full of examples of men who were n’t entranced by the made - up look . The ancient papistical poet Martial wrote to a adult female who wore cosmetic , " You are but a composition of lies … No military personnel can say , I make love you , for you are not what he loves , and no one loves what you are " [ source : Etcoff ] . And ancient Romans and Greeks were n’t the last men to complain of women tricking them with contrived means : In 1770 , British Parliament give-up the ghost a law that made wearing composition a law-breaking akin towitchcraft . The logical thinking behind the practice of law was that men were capture by a pretended face , and they were due an annulment once they realized what their married woman really look like .
Though we began this clause by describingEgyptian men who wear out makeupalongside their distaff counterpart , military man eschew constitution in the 20th one C so that they would n’t be label effeminate . Those who did tire out constitution tend to be rock headliner like David Bowie who were aiming for anAndrogynouslook . In recent eld , though , more gentleman have proudly worn physical composition in public , leading journalists to coin footing like " guyliner " and " manscara . "
The cosmetics industry is salivating over the thought of expanding sales event to half the universe , but it ’s clear that selling makeup to manpower will take a little more work and clock time . Right now , most work force are show the most interest in product that hide flaw , such as foundation and concealers . However , if we ’ve learned anything from the history of make-up , it ’s that it will only take one person with a great idea – a pill pusher working onlipstickin her kitchen , or a brother fondly marketing his sister ’s mascara proficiency – to change the biz entirely .
To see more about make-up – including tips on purchasing and using cosmetics – see the golf links on the next Sir Frederick Handley Page .
