Throughout history beauty has always been something of importance to women. Of course, there have always been standards and norms. Of course, there have been many times when beauty was absolutely terrifying, dangerous and unhealthy or sometimes just plain weird. 

Eating... arsenic.
Yeah, probably one of the weirdest and most dangerous beauty practices in history. arsenic was a staple beauty food to “produce a blooming complexion, a brilliant eye, and an appearance of embonpoint (sexy stoutness)”. But like all “good” things, you had to play it by the rules: you could only take it while the moon increased, only a single grain at first (until you built a resistance), and if you ever stopped, you’d die.” 
Wshing you face? Never
A “beautiful lady” is one which had “not washed her face for three years, yet it is always clean, rosy, sweet and kissable”. Simply rub the skin with “an ointment of glycerine” and “dry with a chamois or cotton flannel”. Kissable? Yuck.
Bathing in amonia
if perchance you do feel the desire to welcome some cleanliness into your life, stock up on the ammonia. Just a capful or so in the bath works as well as soap and cleans the pores “as well as a bleach will do.” After all, according to popular beauty treatises of the time, “Any lady who has once learned its value will never be without it.”
Exhibitionism at its finest
For a different kind of bathing experience, try a vapor soak. To do this, “the lady denudes herself, takes a seat near the window, and takes in the warm rays of the sun.” How long? At least an hour. If you’re a lady of the restless sort, dancing is advised. So why not give your neighbours a show?
Washing eyes with soap... or whiskey
While you are having that once-in-three-year bath, it also makes sense to give your eyes a seeing-to. How? By “dashing soapsuds into them”. Another alternative: perfume dropped into the eyes. Still not convinced? “Half a dozen drops of whiskey and the same quantity of Eau de Cologne, eaten on a lump of sugar, is quite as effective.”
Radioactive cosmetics
French cosmetic line Flo-radia for the added thorium chloride and radium bromide elements that, “stimulate cellular vitality, activate circulation, firm skin, eliminate fats, stop enlarged pores forming, stop and cure boils, pimples, redness, pigmentation, protect from the elements, stop ageing and get rid of wrinkles, conserve the freshness and brightness of the complexion.” They also stocked up on the radioactive cream because one of the names on the box was “Curie”. Of course Dr. Alfred Curie had absolutely no relation to the genius scientists who pioneered (and died from) radioactive research – Marie or Pierre Curie – but so what?
Lead face powder
The 1700s were rough on your complexion, what with all the filth and pox diseases (and not washing the face!) that beset even the richest of people. All these left spots and scars, which were best covered with lead face powder. And why not? Lead powder is inexpensive and easy to make, coats well, and has a silky finish. The fact that it also makes your brain swell, brought on paralysis and shut down pretty much every organ in the body is just an irksome side effect.
Trimming eyelashes
In great-grandmom’s day, lashes had a tendency to become “unruly.” They were therefore “slightly trimmed every other day” with sharp, tiny scissors. Because who wants eyelashes, anyway? Or eyes, for that matter?
Heavy metal eyes
For a vintage twist on the cat’s eye, line your lids with “two drachms of nitric oxid of mercury mixed with one of leaf lard” Too complicated? Try “a hairpin steeped in lampblack”.
Plump lips... by suction
So what if they were bereft of lip plumpers in the past? Thin lips “are easily modified by suction,” which “draws the blood to the surfaces” and over time provides a “permanent inflation.” Thick lips “may be reduced by compression.” Yup.

Many people look at history to learn things about the way people lived back then. And now you've learnt some 'helpful' beauty tips to practice at home [please don't actually practice any of them]


Thank you Jo [Hashiyan] for this fantastic layout ♥