Cover Some historical beauty rituals, like the use of Venetian Ceruse to achieve pale skin, were harmful (Photo: IMDB)
Some historical beauty rituals, like the use of Venetian Ceruse to achieve pale skin, were harmful (Photo: IMDB)
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The obsession with beauty is as old as time, but many ancient beauty rituals that promised radiance delivered something else: death
Long before clean beauty labels and FDA approvals, beauty was an extreme sport, with the promise of glow, pallor or seduction routinely flirting with poisoning, paralysis and death. Across centuries and cultures, cosmetics doubled as chemistry experiments, driven by rigid beauty ideals and limited medical knowledge. Beauty was, inadvertently, pain. Seen through a modern beauty lens, these beauty rituals reveal how aesthetics, power and danger often shared the same vanity mirror.
Below, the most dangerous beauty trends ever to grace a vanity table—and what they tell us about power, class and the lengths we’ve always gone to look divine.
In case you missed it: Global glow-up: 7 ancient Asian beauty secrets that conquered the world
1. Scheele’s Green
Above Many shades of green during the 19th century were tinted with arsenic (Photo: Aleksaner Grey/Unsplash)
Many shades of green during the 19th century were tinted with arsenic (Photo: Aleksaner Grey/Unsplash)
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In 19th-century Europe, emerald green became the most coveted colour in fashion, made possible by Scheele’s Green, a pigment created from copper arsenite. Women wore it as gowns, gloves, artificial flowers and even hair accessories, particularly in tightly enclosed ballrooms where heat and sweat activated the toxin. As fabric rubbed against skin, arsenic was absorbed or inhaled as dust, causing sores, respiratory illness and slow organ failure—dubbed “the green death”. The danger extended beyond the wearer: seamstresses, maids and dance partners were equally exposed.
Fortunately, non-toxic synthetic dyes now recreate the same jewel tones without lethal consequences.
2. Venetian Ceruse
Above Queen Elizabeth I was a user of Venetian Ceruse (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Queen Elizabeth I was a user of Venetian Ceruse (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
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From Renaissance Italy to Elizabethan England, deathly pale skin signalled wealth and moral purity, achieved through Venetian Ceruse—a paste of white lead and vinegar. Applied thickly to face and neck, this lead face mask concealed scars and blemishes but quietly poisoned its users. Chronic lead exposure caused hair loss, blackened teeth, skin deterioration and neurological damage; many women layered ceruse thicker as their skin worsened, accelerating the cycle. Queen Elizabeth I, a known adherent of beauty rituals, was reportedly a heavy user.
Today, zinc oxide–based foundations and tone-up creams deliver brightness without toxicity.
3. Belladonna
Above During the Italian Renaissance, large pupils were erotic, artistic and aspirational. Belladonna literally means ‘beautiful woman’ (Photo: Stefan.lefnaer/Wikimedia Commons)
During the Italian Renaissance, large pupils were erotic, artistic and aspirational. Belladonna literally means ‘beautiful woman’ (Photo: Stefan.lefnaer/Wikimedia Commons)
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In Renaissance Italy, dilated pupils were considered irresistibly sensual, prompting women to drip extracts of Atropa belladonna—deadly nightshade—directly into their eyes. The toxin temporarily enlarged pupils, creating a dreamy, aroused look immortalised in portraiture. But repeated use of the strange beauty ritual led to blurred vision, permanent blindness, heart palpitations and, sometimes, death. Beauty here was literally blinding.
Nowadays, cosmetic contact lenses and safe ophthalmic products mimic the effect without risking eyesight.
4. Radium
Above Radium was discovered at the dawn of techno-optimism: if it glowed, it must be good for you (Photo: Rama/Wikimedia Commons)
Radium was discovered at the dawn of techno-optimism: if it glowed, it must be good for you (Photo: Rama/Wikimedia Commons)
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After radium’s discovery in the early 20th century, it was hailed as a miracle element, swiftly absorbed into luxury skincare and cosmetics like Tho-Radia creams and powders. Advertisements promised “cellular vitality” and youthful radiance through daily radioactive exposure. Instead, users suffered bone decay, anaemia and aggressive cancers, including the infamous “radium jaw”. The scandal reshaped product regulation worldwide.
Skip the radium and go for vitamin C, niacinamide and light-reflecting pigments, which deliver glow minus radiation.
See more: Medieval beauty: 5 books on women’s lives and beauty rituals from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance
5. Cinnabar
Above Cinnabar was used in ancient China, Rome and Mesoamerica to create vivid red pigments (Photo: H Zell/Wikimedia Commons)
Cinnabar was used in ancient China, Rome and Mesoamerica to create vivid red pigments (Photo: H Zell/Wikimedia Commons)
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Across ancient China, Rome and the Islamic world, vivid red lips and cheeks were achieved with cinnabar, a mercury sulfide mineral prized for its rich colour. Ground into powders for rouges and lip stains, it symbolised vitality and status. Mercury, however, is a potent neurotoxin; prolonged use caused tremors, memory loss, mood disturbances and cognitive decline—the origin of “Mad Hatter” syndrome.
Thankfully, modern iron oxide pigments provide the same crimson payoff safely.
6. Bread and bird droppings
Above Geisha historically used nightingale excrement to remove their make-up (Photo: IMDB)
Geisha historically used nightingale excrement to remove their make-up (Photo: IMDB)
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Medieval skincare and beauty rituals leaned heavily on folk remedies, especially for acne. Treatments included bread poultices mixed with bird droppings, bull’s bile or animal fats, applied directly to inflamed skin. While not chemically toxic, these mixtures were biologically dangerous, often introducing severe infections to open sores. In an era without antibiotics, this could escalate to sepsis and death.
Now, safe remedies include salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and hygienic dermatological care.
7. Tapeworm diet pills
Above Tapeworm pills were marketed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a medical weight-loss solution
Obsessed with frailty and wasp waists, late-Victorian society embraced one of history’s most horrifying weight-loss hacks: ingesting tapeworm eggs in pill form. The parasite would grow inside the host, consuming nutrients and causing rapid weight loss, but also anaemia, vitamin deficiencies and organ damage. In severe cases, migrating larvae caused fatal cysts in the brain. The concept later inspired a chilling episode of American Horror Stories.
8. Aqua Tofana
Above In 17th-century Italy, Aqua Tofana circulated as a clear, scentless liquid disguised as skincare (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
In 17th-century Italy, Aqua Tofana circulated as a clear, scentless liquid disguised as skincare (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
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In 17th-century Italy, Aqua Tofana was sold as a harmless cosmetic tonic—clear, odourless and discreetly packaged among beauty bottles. In reality, it was a lethal cocktail of arsenic, lead and belladonna. While small topical use was possible, its darker reputation came from being slipped into food to poison abusive husbands, mimicking natural illness. Beauty, autonomy and survival intersected in a bottle.
9. Coal tar lash stains
Above These products triggered government regulation (Photo: FDA)
These products triggered government regulation (Photo: FDA)
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In the 1930s, Lash Lure promised permanent dark lashes using an aniline dye derived from coal tar. Women flocked to salons for the treatment—until reports surfaced of extreme allergic reactions, ulcerated eyes and infections. One widely reported case ended in blindness and death, prompting public outrage. The scandal directly influenced stricter cosmetic safety laws in the US.
Fortunately, current mascaras and lash tints are rigorously tested under modern regulations.
10. Lead combs
Above Lead seeped through the scalp, causing paralysis, headaches and cognitive damage—often misattributed to ageing (Photo: Alexandra Tran/Unsplash)
Lead seeped through the scalp, causing paralysis, headaches and cognitive damage—often misattributed to ageing (Photo: Alexandra Tran/Unsplash)
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Greying hair in the 18th and 19th centuries was “treated” with lead-based dyes, silver nitrate solutions or daily brushing with lead combs that darkened hair through chemical reaction. Over time, lead seeped through the scalp, causing nerve damage, headaches and the telltale wrist paralysis known as drop-hand. Many mistook the symptoms for ageing itself.
11. Foot binding
Above Foot binding can be traced back to 11th-century China, with girls as young as four having their feet broken for the price of beauty (Photo: Lai Afong - Roland Belgrave Vintage Photography/Wikimedia Commons)
Foot binding can be traced back to 11th-century China, with girls as young as four having their feet broken for the price of beauty (Photo: Lai Afong - Roland Belgrave Vintage Photography/Wikimedia Commons)
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For nearly a millennium in imperial China, bound feet—ideally no longer than three inches—were the ultimate symbol of femininity and status. Girls’ feet were broken, folded and tightly wrapped to prevent growth, causing chronic pain, infections and lifelong disability. While not cosmetic in the modern sense, it was a beauty ritual enforced by social power structures. Sadly, it lasted all the way to the 20th century.
Sasha Lim-Uy Mariposa is a lifestyle journalist who is known for her food writing. Based in Manila, she also covers entertainment and dining, as well as a broad range of topics. She was the former digital editor at Esquire Philippines and was the digital managing editor at Spot.ph, and now writes for the different Tatler Asia markets as a contributing writer for T-Labs.
