Hisory of Grooming and Skin Care Facts, Part 1

Information provided by Milady Standard Fundamentals for Estheticians

o Ancient peoples around the world used coloring matter on their hair, skin, and nails and practiced tattooing. Pigments were made from berries, tree bark, minerals, insects, nuts, herbs, leaves, and other materials. Many of these colors are still used today.

o The earliest use of cosmetics has been traced to the ancient Egyptians, who invented a number of cosmetic, herbal, and fragrance preparations for use in their personal grooming regimens as well as in religious ceremonies and burial rites. Cleopatra, queen of Egypt (51 B.C.E.), was fond of bath oils, milk baths, and fragrances. She also used clay from the Nile River, mixed with herbs and essential oils, as a facial treatment.

o Around 200 C.E., Galen, a Greek physician, mixed rose water, beeswax, and olive oil together and created the first modern cosmetic compound: cold cream.

o Roman women made lavish use of fragrances and cosmetics. Facials made of milk and bread and sometimes fine wine were popular. Other facials were made of corn, flour and milk, and flour mixed with fresh butter. The Romans also developed methods of bleaching and dyeing the hair.