A Short History Of Cosmetics

Cosmetics have been a part of civilisation for mostThe competition between these firms started during
of mankind's history. There is archaeological evidencethe early part of the century and intensified during
showing that the first people to use cosmetics tothe ensuing decades. These companies began to
enhance personal appeal were the Ancient Egyptians.mass produce cosmetics and cleverly marketed their
One only need glance at a few Egyptian burialproducts to women working menial jobs during the
exhibits in museums around the world to see thatFirst and Second World Wars. These women needed
makeup was an important part of the Ancientan escape, and cosmetics often made them feel
Egyptian culture.better about themselves and their circumstances.
It is also obvious from artwork and literature that theThe popularity of television in the 1960s also changed
societies of Rome and Ancient Greece usedthe way cosmetics were marketed to women.
cosmetics as well. There are even mentions ofNational companies advertised freely on daily and
cosmetics scattered throughout the Bible. In additionweekly soap operas. Stay-at-home moms revelled in
to these cultures, cosmetics were used throughoutthese programs and became loyal to the advertisers
history by people in other parts of the Middle East,sponsoring them. The result was that woman from
China and Japan.every socioeconomic class became purchasers of
During the Middle Ages the use of cosmetics fellcosmetics, as they strived to emulate television
precipitously low, mainly because religious leadersheroines.
claimed that the use of cosmetics was akin toDuring the latter half of the 20th century, a minor
harlotry (immorality or prostitution) and was a sign ofbacklash began to form against some of the
a person’s sinful nature. This belief persisted formarketing and production practices used by many of
centuries until the advent of the Renaissance.the cosmetics companies. Some policies that were
From the Renaissance period to the Industrialespecially outrageous to consumers included animal
Revolution, both men and women began to usetesting, false advertising and ethically questionable
cosmetics again in an attempt to disguise theirmarketing to young children.
agrarian looks. Farmers and other labourers whoDuring the 1990s, the last decade of the century, in
worked outside often had darker complexions, whilean effort to win back consumer confidence, many
the nobles making up the upper strata of societycosmetics companies, including MAC and Sephora,
often had fair skin. It was common for the generaldecided to pursue sustainable strategies, end testing
public to attempt to lighten their skin in an attempton animals and use packaging made up of recyclable
to look like the ladies and lords they admired.or bio-degradable materials. It’s a movement
Makeup and other cosmetics exploded in popularitythat continues to gather momentum with better
during the early years of the 20th century. Thiseducated consumers insisting on quality, proof of
boom can be attributed to women trying to emulateefficacy and ethical behaviour.
their favourite singers and dancers as the advent ofCosmetics have been an integral part of society since
Hollywood fashion turned the use of cosmetics fromthe earliest civilizations, and it is clear from their
a fad into a raging phenomenon. This era alsosuccess in today's market that, despite some set
precipitated the blossoming of major cosmeticsbacks, people enjoy using makeup so cosmetics are
companies such as L’Oreal, Revlon and Esteehere to stay.
Lauder.