Lead-Based Beauty in European History
White faces once ruled European beauty standards, leading aristocrats to dangerous extremes. The most popular product, Venetian ceruse, mixed lead and vinegar into a toxic face paint. Queen Elizabeth I famously caked this mixture onto her skin, eventually losing her hair and damaging her complexion. The wealthy literally poisoned themselves to maintain ghostly pale complexions that proved they never worked outdoors. Local merchants made fortunes selling these deadly cosmetics.
