Historical past of Skincare Half 16: The Industrial Revolution, 1800-1849

The Face of the Industrial Revolution

When imagining the individuals who lived in the course of the Industrial Revolution, it’s simple to image the characters from a Charles Dickens novel. It’s simple to think about cities stuffed with soot-faced Oliver Twists and David Copperfields. In some respects, this image is correct. The primary half of the nineteenth century noticed many main technological advances. The invention of the steam engine made manufacturing and transportation a lot simpler and dozens of enormous factories sprung up inside the span of some years. New mining methods had been developed in an effort to produce the coal wanted to energy the brand new factories. Rural residents, on the lookout for work, started emigrate to main cities resembling London and New York. The air was certainly stuffed with a Dickensian smog, however the Industrial Revolution additionally had a profound impact on skincare merchandise and beauty use. As the common pay rose, an rising variety of atypical residents had been discovering themselves in a position to afford soaps and make-ups that had beforehand been far out of attain.

A Ethical Dilemma

By the tip of the eighteenth century, make-up had been deemed inappropriate for all however prostitutes and actors. Whereas this perspective endured all through a lot of the nineteenth century, ladies had been allowed a number of beauty exceptions. Pale pores and skin was nonetheless thought of a mark of excessive delivery and whereas the heavy lead powders of a century earlier had been not used, they had been changed by a skinny coating of zinc oxide. The zinc oxide supplied the good thing about a lightened pores and skin tone, however was extra delicate and extra pure wanting than the caked on powder that had been so well-liked earlier than. Refined eyeshadow constituted of lampblack was additionally well-liked, though lip and cheek rouge remained taboo. Whereas many ladies nonetheless combined their very own cosmetics, fashionable manufacturing methods had made it a lot simpler to mass produce these merchandise. Though the usage of manufactured cosmetics was extraordinarily well-liked, nevertheless, it was not thought of correct to purchase or promote magnificence merchandise. Due to this, most shops offered them underneath the counter. **

Despite the stigma that also surrounded skincare and beauty merchandise, some ladies did converse out to advertise their use. In 1833, Jacobine Weiler printed a ebook titled, “Cosmetics of the Feminine Intercourse, or The Secret Artwork of Perfecting Magnificence and Well being and Retaining It into Previous Age” that promoted beauty use as a magnificence assist. Whereas respectable ladies couldn’t be seen shopping for lip or cheek rouge, quite a few recipes had been printed describing strategies for making lip pomade within the dwelling. Recipes included frequent components resembling butter, wax and pure dies constituted of currants and the plant alkanna tictoria.***

For all the ladies who defended beauty use, nevertheless, there have been many others who believed that sporting make-up was step one towards a lifetime of sin. Many books devoted to the defamation of cosmetics had been additionally printed. “Godey’s Woman’s E-book,” for instance, was printed across the center of the century. It instructed that as an alternative of attempting to cowl blemishes with make-up, ladies ought to rely solely on “ethical cosmetics,” which included sleeping and avoiding sinful pastimes resembling playing and consuming.

Cleaning the Pure Method

As mass manufacturing strategies had been refined, the value of quite a few hygiene merchandise turned cheaper and extra available. Whereas perfumed soaps had been thought of a luxurious merchandise half a century earlier, cleaning soap was now commonplace in all however the poorest properties. As a result of ladies may not conceal behind a thick layer of powder, there was a a lot stronger emphasis on naturally stunning pores and skin. Harsh cleansers had been extra simply produced as properly, however they had been typically ignored in change for extra pure skincare components. Egg yolks, honey and oatmeal had been all generally used to melt the pores and skin and assist diminish blemishes. Lemon juice was typically used to naturally bleach the pores and skin a number of shades lighter. Whereas naturally glowing well being could have been the look of selection in the beginning of the nineteenth century, nevertheless, it might quickly make manner for the frail, sickly look of the Victorian Period.

References:

** Learn extra about nineteenth century make-up right here: http://www.localhistories.org/cosmetics.html

*** Learn extra concerning the Industrial defenders of cosmetics right here: http://www.cosmetic-business.com/en/showartikel.php?art_id=1409