Tudor Cosmetics, Recipes and the Dangers

The Elizabethans used many different things in their cosmetics in order to achieve their desired look and many of these ingredients were very dangerous. They had many different recipes for different things, for example, a recipe used to keep skin looking pale and white. This included 'eggs, vinegar, turpentine, sugar-candy, camphor, rock alum, quicksilver, juice of lemons, 'tartarum' and white onion.' This could cause a lot of pain for the women who used it that was a 'result of the use of quicksilver, lemon juice and turpentine.' (Karim-Cooper, 2006, Cosmetics in Shakespearean and Renaissance Drama, Edinburgh: Edinburgh Press Ltd) The white make-up that was worn on the face, known as ceruse, was a mix of vinegar and lead and due to this was poisonous. (elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-make-up.html)

Ceruse. which as vinegar mixed with lead, was used to whiten the skin. This could potentially cause a lot of damage as it could be "absorbed through the skin and leads to lead poisoning, hair loss, muscle paralysis, and a slowly deteriorating mental condition" (https://www.themedicalbag.com/story/queen-elizabeth-i). 

Mercury was also sometimes used as this gave a white sheen to the skin. This was incredibly dangerous due to the fact that it was toxic and caused a lot of problems including "tooth decay, loss of memory"(https://theperfumemistress.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/courtly-beauty-secrets-from-the-17th-century/) and general pain around the body, sometimes with fatal consequences. 

The Elizabethans also focused on eyes. Kohl as often used, much like today, to define eyes, however, they went to more extreme length in order to achieve a wide-eyed look. "It has also been suggested that during the later 16th century, belladonna, or deadly nightshade, began to be used to enlarge the pupil and make the eyes more luminous." (http://elizabethancostume.net/paintedface/index.html). The name 'belladonna' originates from Italy where this practice started and translates into 'beautiful lady'. \the juice of the berry was inserted straight into the eye which could problems due to it being poisonous.

For make-up on the cheeks, women would often use plants "(like madder, an Asian plant with red roots) and animal dyes (such as cochineal, a beetle) or they would sometimes use egg white and ochres. "Madder and cochineal were also used on the lips, which could also be reddened by using vermilion, a red pigment obtained from mercury sulphide."

Karim-Cooper,2006, Cosmetics in Shakespearean and Renaissance Drama, Edinburgh: Edinbrugh Press Ltd

Medical Bag, 2012. Queen Elizabeth I (viewed 18/10/2015) Available from: https://www.themedicalbag.com/story/queen-elizabeth-i

Alchin, L.K., 2012. Elizabethan Era (Viewed 18/10/2015) Available from: elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-make-up.htm

2012. Courtly Beauty Secres from the 17th Century. (viewed: 18/10/2015) available from: https://theperfumemistress.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/courtly-beauty-secrets-from-the-17th-century/

Danielle Nunn-Weinberg, 2001. The Painted Face: Cosmetics during the SCA Period (viewed 18/10/2015)  Available at: http://elizabethancostume.net/paintedface/index.html

WebMD, 2015. Find a Vitamin or Supplement: Belladonna (viewed 18/10/2015) Available from: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-531-belladonna.aspx?activeingredientid=531&activeingredientname=belladonna

2010. Beauty History: The Elizabethan Era. (Viewed on 03/10/2015) Available at: http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/05/20/beauty-history-the-elizabethan-era/

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjHu6rutNXJAhUEthQKHSmgA9UQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elizabethancostume.net%2Fmakeup.html&psig=AFQjCNFs8llOGL-uGVfiCo-S69jD8lUBbw&ust=1449978462570596