From lard to leeches - here are four of the strangest beauty practices from history
From Botox to bum lifts, modern beauty regimes may seem extreme to many, but going the extra mile in the name of beauty is nothing new amongst women folk.
From blood sucking leeches to deadly nightshade, look at some of the more unusual fads sported by our ancestral sisters.
Facial Fertilizer
It would appear that our quest for fresh faced skin isn’t a new phenomenon. And the history of beauty fads is not only colourful, but also pretty smelly.
In centuries past, animal dung was a staple in a lady’s skin care routine. In Victorian times, us girls would lash muck on our faces in the belief that manure had revitalising effects on our skin.
Chock-full of vital nutrients and minerals, animal manure was used mainly for its medicinal qualities.
Believe it or not, cow dung was the Victorian answer to Sudocrem, often used to treat a variety of skin ailments.
In the hot 19th century summers, manure was also used as a repellent against pesky flies. And, presumably, members of the opposite sex.
Come and ‘ave a go if you think you’re lard enough.
We all love a good home-made beauty product. Not only do they save cash, but most home-made products consist of lovely stuff we find in our fridges.
Lard though? Not so lovely.
Before the arrival of hairspray, elaborate 19th century hair styles were set using thick lard, but not before hair had been cleansed using a refreshing beef marrow shampoo.
Lard had a stiffening quality, favoured by ladies centuries ago. Perfect for a night on the tiles, women could dance the night away safe in the knowledge that not even the greatest gale couldn’t budge their lard-filled do.
“What’s the problem?” says you. “Lard is a natural product, what could possibly go wrong?”
Nothing, just as long as you like rats and mice following you about all day. They loved the stuff.
Pure Poison
Women are regularly known to suffer in the name of beauty. We’re talking to you Miss “I don’t care if I can’t walk in these 8-inch heels, look how pretty they are”.
Thankfully nowadays, the suffering is kept to a relative minimum, and we now have more sense than to risk blindness for our beauty.
Eye drops were made from the poisonous ‘deadly nightshade’ or belladonna, and used historically by Italian women to dilate the pupils, making the eyes appear larger, brighter and more attractive to potential suitors.
The results were certainly long lasting, with lethal ingredients often causing blindness or even death in extreme cases.
Those sore feet don’t seem so unbearable now, do they?
Whiter Shade of Pale
Before the advent of fake bakes and spray tans, paleness was the must-have beauty trend. During the Renaissance period, white skin was viewed as a sign of modesty and virtue in a woman.
However, a pure white, porcelain complexion is impossible for a healthy person to attain naturally. So women went to extreme lengths to whiten their skin and attain that highly sought after virtuous look.
One of the most popular methods was self-inflicted bleeding through the application of blood-sucking leeches to the ears in order to drain their blood in a controlled fashion, and thus colour from their faces.
Unsurprisingly, ladies of the 16th century were prone to fainting regularly. But at least they were bang on trend as they blacked out.
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