Skin Whitening Products - Dos and Don’ts - Part I
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007Although we’re quite far from the times where aristocracy would use white lead to create a ghostly white complexion, such products not only would cause lead poisoning also had arsenic in their complexion.
One of the most iconic would probably be Queen Elizabeth I, but white complexion was also incredibly popular in the court of Fashion Queen Marie Antoinette.
It was common belief that whiter complexions were a sign of nobility, mostly it meant that you just didn’t have to work outside in the sun. Also, it was believed that a paler complexion would blur wrinkles and signs of aging far easily, one of the reasons why Elizabeth I’s well known white lead look was called “The Mask of Youth”.
However in the West, times have changed and beaches are filled with Sun God worshipers for that ideal bronze gleam on their skin that creates an all out healthy glow. Asian women on the other hand try their hardest to achieve a porcelain tone to their skin.
The basic belief was the same, paler complexions were a sign of being noble and protected from the sun’s rays and to this day geisha wear white foundation products to become beauty at its most iconic.
So what do today’s cosmetics offer and what can they truly accomplish?
To be continued.
