Ancient Cosmetics Essay

Submitted By Aqua72
Words: 498
Pages: 2

Today, cosmetics are very easily found, but during the prehistoric times people had to use different bugs, plants, and other natural items they could find to create makeup. Another difference between then and now is that now we use cosmetics just because we like to: there aren’t any set rules like many societies had in ancient times. Currently there are still different nations who use makeup differently. For Instance, women aren’t allowed to wear makeup. Regions during the early times had differences like we do now. Societies that I will be comparing will be the Sumerians, Assyrians, and the Egyptians. Sumerians didn’t use cosmetics just for beauty like we do today. They thought that eye makeup prevented pink eye, or ‘evil eye’. It turns out that this was just a myth. They made the medicine into the form of a mascara and applied it to the lashes hoping that the pink eye would resolve. Along with the medicine, they also used rituals and anything else they could possible to ward of the illness. People who made the medicine or makeup had to know a lot about the periodic table even before it was invented because the makeup was a mix of antimony and frankincense. This medicine also protected their eyes from the sun. Frankincense has really great antibiotic characteristics. Later on, lead was swapped for the frankincense because frankincense had to be traded and the Sumerians already has lead. The Romans, unlike the Sumerians didn’t use cosmetics for medicinal purposes. The Kings weren’t happy when their people wore makeup, but some women still used it. The women who wore makeup were either prostitutes or high ranking officials. The non-makeup wearers believed that they should be happy with what god has given them. Ovid is the only man who had written that he approved of makeup, other than transsexuals. Kohl was placed around their eyes and lead