25 of the Most Dangerous Beauty Products & Practices in History
For centuries, the pursuit of beauty has sometimes come at a shocking cost. Women and men have been encouraged to whiten, reshape, remove, straighten, color, smooth, and alter their bodies using substances and practices that caused poisoning, burns, nerve damage, blindness, radiation injury, and other serious health consequences.. These are 25 of the most disturbing examples.
1. Ancient Egypt - Lead-Based Kohl
Where: Ancient Egypt and surrounding regions of the Middle East and North Africa
The claim: Defined, dramatic eyes and in some traditions, protection for the eyes.
The product: The word kohl comes from the Arabic word “kuḥl”, which means an eye paint or powder. Kohl was traditionally made from mineral substances including galena, a lead sulfide ore, along with other ingredients.
The consequence: Repeated exposure to lead can cause neurological damage, anemia, kidney damage, developmental problems, and other systemic effects. Lead is particularly dangerous when exposure occurs repeatedly over time.
2. 10th Century Onward - Foot Binding
Where: China
The claim: Tiny feet, known as “lotus feet”, were considered feminine, elegant, and highly desirable.
The practice: Beginning around the Song dynasty, young girls' feet were tightly bound to prevent normal growth. The toes were forced underneath the foot and the foot was progressively reshaped.
The consequence: The practice caused permanent skeletal deformity, chronic pain, impaired balance and mobility, infections, ulcers, and lifelong disability. In severe cases, tissue damage and infection could become life-threatening.
3. 16th Century - Arsenic & Quicklime Hair Removal
Where: Europe
The claim: Smooth, completely hairless skin.
The practice: Historical beauty recipes included depilatories made with arsenic and quicklime. One 16th-century recipe called for arsenic and quicklime to be applied in the bath and removed quickly to prevent the flesh from being damaged.
The consequence: Arsenic is a highly poisonous substance, while quicklime (calcium oxide) reacts violently with moisture. Such preparations caused chemical burns, severe skin injury, systemic poisoning, and even death.
4. 16th–18th Centuries - Venetian Ceruse
Where: Venice and throughout European aristocratic society
The claim: A flawless, luminous, porcelain-white complexion.
The product: Venetian ceruse, sometimes called Venetian white, was a white face cosmetic made primarily from lead carbonate, traditionally prepared with vinegar and water.
The consequence: Repeated lead exposure could cause skin damage, hair loss, tooth loss, anemia, abdominal symptoms, nerve damage, cognitive effects, and systemic lead poisoning.
5. 16th-19th Centuries - Mercury Skin-Whitening Preparations
Where: Europe
The claim: Lighter, clearer, smoother, more youthful-looking skin.
The product: Mercury appeared in historical complexion preparations and skin-lightening formulas, sometimes combined with acidic ingredients designed to strip or alter the outer layer of skin.
The consequence: Chronic mercury exposure can damage the nervous system and kidneys and can also affect the skin, eyes, immune system, and other organs.
6. 16th-19th Centuries - Belladonna Eye Drops
Where: Primarily Italy
The claim: Large, luminous eyes.
The product: Women reportedly placed preparations made from Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade) into their eyes to dilate their pupils. The Italian name belladonna literally means “beautiful lady,” and the plant's pupil-dilating properties are well documented.
The consequence: Belladonna contains potent compounds such as atropine and scopolamine. Exposure can cause blurred vision, inability to focus, rapid heartbeat, confusion, hallucinations, and severe poisoning.
7. 18th-19th Centuries - Extreme Corseting
Where: Europe and North America
The claim: An extremely small waist and feminine silhouette.
The practice: Corsets were tightly laced around the torso, sometimes to extreme degrees, to reshape the waist and rib cage.
The consequence: Extreme tight-lacing restricts breathing, compresses the abdomen and internal organs, interferes with digestion, alters posture, and deforms the rib cage. Fainting and breathing difficulties were recognized problems associated with excessively tight corseting.
8. 18th-19th Centuries - Mercury Treatments & Elaborate Wigs
Where: Europe
The claim: Treat diseases such as syphilis while maintaining a respectable, fashionable appearance.
The practice: Mercury was used medicinally to treat syphilis and other conditions. Unfortunately, the treatment itself caused severe toxicity and hair loss.
The consequence: Mercury treatment produced salivation, mouth and gum damage, neurological symptoms, kidney problems, and hair loss. The resulting baldness helped fuel the enormous popularity of wigs in European fashion, meaning a toxic medical treatment indirectly contributed to another major beauty trend.
9. 19th Century - Arsenic Complexion Wafers
Where: United States and Europe
The claim: Remove freckles, pimples, redness, roughness, and other facial “imperfections.”
The product: Arsenic-containing wafers were marketed to be eaten as a complexion treatment. The Smithsonian preserves Dr. James P. Campbell's product, which was advertised as “absolutely safe and harmless” while listing arsenic as an active ingredient.
The consequence: Consumers were deliberately ingesting arsenic, a highly toxic substance. Significant arsenic exposure causes vomiting, abdominal pain, cardiovascular problems, nerve damage, organ injury, and, at sufficiently high exposure, death.
10. 1860s - Laird's Bloom of Youth
Where: United States
The claim: Remove tans, freckles, roughness, and discoloration and create a whiter complexion.
The product: Laird's “Bloom of Youth” or “Liquid Pearl” was marketed as a complexion whitener.
The consequence: The product contained significant amounts of lead, and historical accounts associate its use with cases of “wrist drop,” a form of radial nerve paralysis. Lead poisoning can also cause anemia, abdominal pain, weakness, cognitive effects, and other neurological damage.
11. 1870s - Tetlow's Swan Down
Where: United States
The claim: A harmless, modern alternative to older toxic face powders.
The product: Swan Down was a fine cosmetic powder marketed for complexion whitening and was promoted as an improvement over older preparations containing lead, arsenic, and bismuth.
The consequence: Testing of surviving historical material has reportedly found significant lead despite the product's safety claims. Because the product was a loose powder, application also created inhalation exposure.
12. 1890s-Early 20th Century - X-Ray Hair Removal
Where: United States, Europe, and other countries
The claim: Permanently eliminate unwanted hair without shaving.
The practice: X-rays were directed at hair follicles to suppress hair growth.
The consequence: The treatment exposed the skin to ionizing radiation. Repeated exposure caused radiation burns, chronic skin damage, tissue injury, and, in some patients, radiation-associated cancers. What was marketed as futuristic beauty treatment was essentially exposing the body to radiation for cosmetic purposes.
13. Early 20th Century - Lead Hair-Dye Combs
Where: Europe and North America
The claim: Darken gray hair and restore a youthful appearance.
The product: Some hair-coloring preparations and combs used lead-containing compounds that gradually darkened gray hair with repeated application.
The consequence: Repeated exposure to lead created opportunities for absorption and lead poisoning, particularly when the product was handled frequently or applied directly to the scalp and hair.
14. 1920s-1930s - Radium Beauty Products
Where: Particularly France and Europe
The claim: Scientific rejuvenation, youthful skin, vitality, and a healthy “glow.”
The product: Some beauty and health products incorporated radioactive substances such as radium or thorium. The French Tho-Radia brand, for example, explicitly used the language of “radioactivity and scientific modernity” to market its cosmetics.
The consequence: Consumers were exposed to ionizing radiation, which damages living tissue and DNA. Significant radiation exposure can cause tissue injury, anemia, bone damage, and increase cancer risk.
15. 1930 - Koremlu Hair-Removal Cream
Where: United States
The claim: Safe, permanent removal of unwanted body hair.
The product: Koremlu contained approximately 7% thallium acetate, a highly toxic compound that had also been used as rat poison.
The consequence: Users suffered neurological and neuromuscular damage, respiratory problems, blindness, and permanent hair loss. A reported case involved loss of teeth, eyesight, ability to walk, and employment. More than 120,000 jars were sold during its first year before its dangers became apparent.
16. 1930s - Othine Skin Lightener
Where: United States
The claim: Remove brown spots and create a lighter, more even complexion.
The product: Historical formulations of Othine complexion products used mercury as an active ingredient.
The consequence: Repeated mercury exposure can cause neurological and kidney damage, along with skin and other systemic effects. (Skin-lightening products containing mercury have remained a public-health concern long after these early products disappeared.)
17. 1933 - Lash Lure Eyelash & Eyebrow Dye
Where: United States
The claim: Provide longer-lasting color to eyelashes and eyebrows.
The product: Lash Lure was an eyelash and eyebrow dye containing a coal-tar/aniline dye.
The consequence: The product caused severe eye irritation, swelling, loss of eyelashes and eyebrows, vision impairment, and blindness in users.
18. 1930s-1940s - Mercury Anti-Aging & Complexion Creams
Where: United States
The claim: Reduce wrinkles, freckles, blemishes, and other visible signs of aging.
The product: Mercury-containing creams were sold as complexion and beauty treatments.
The consequence: Chronic mercury exposure can damage the brain and nervous system, kidneys, lungs, immune system, skin, and eyes. Unlike many of the products on this list, mercury-containing skin-lightening products haven't disappeared completely as they continue to be found in illegally marketed products today.
19. 20th Century - Lead Acetate Progressive Hair Dye
Where: United States and other markets
The claim: Gradually restore gray hair to a darker, more youthful color without a dramatic one-time dye job.
The product: “Progressive” hair dyes used lead acetate, which gradually darkened hair with repeated applications.
The consequence: Consumers were repeatedly exposed to lead. The FDA eventually determined that there was no longer a “reasonable certainty of no harm” from this use and removed lead acetate's authorization for scalp hair dyes. The final rule became effective January 6, 2022.
20. 1970s - Methyl Methacrylate Artificial Nails
Where: United States
The claim: Create strong, durable artificial nails.
The product: Some artificial-nail systems used liquid methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer.
The consequence:The FDA received numerous reports of severe nail and skin injuries, including nail separation and loss, painful inflammation around the nail, permanent nail deformities, skin irritation, allergic reactions, and damage to the underlying nail bed. The FDA ultimately determined that liquid MMA was a poisonous substance.
21. 20th Century - Coal-Tar Hair Dye Ingredients
Where: United States
The claim: Permanent, dramatic hair color and reliable gray coverage.
The product: Older generations of permanent hair dyes used various coal-tar-derived ingredients.
The consequence: Some ingredients raised significant safety concerns, including laboratory findings of carcinogenicity. Regulatory requirements and reformulation eventually removed certain compounds from modern hair dyes. Today, FDA notes that most hair dyes are considered coal-tar hair dyes, which are regulated differently from many other cosmetic color additives.
22. Late 20th Century-Present - Formaldehyde-Releasing Hair-Smoothing Treatments
Where: Worldwide, particularly in salons
The claim: Smooth frizz, create sleek hair, and produce results lasting for weeks or months.
The product: Some hair-smoothing and straightening treatments have contained formaldehyde or substances capable of releasing formaldehyde when heated.
The consequence: Heating these products can release formaldehyde gas, creating an inhalation exposure for salon professionals and clients. Exposure can cause eye, nose, throat, and respiratory irritation, while formaldehyde is classified as a known human carcinogen (human carcinogens are agents, mixtures, or exposures that cause cancer in humans).
23. 20th-21st Century - Conventional Oxidative Hair Color
Where: Worldwide
The claim: Long-lasting color, dramatic transformation, and complete gray coverage.
The product: Traditional permanent haircolor relies on oxidative chemistry and commonly uses ingredients such as ammonia, PPD, PTD, resorcinol, and EDTA to open the hair cuticle, develop and deposit color, and stabilize the formula.
The concern: These ingredients serve specific functions, but some are associated with irritation, sensitization, allergic reactions, or other exposure concerns. PPD and PTD, in particular, are well-established causes of allergic contact dermatitis in susceptible individuals, while resorcinol and ammonia can contribute to irritation. This has led to the development of newer color systems designed to achieve professional results while eliminating some of these traditional ingredients.
A different approach: Innersense Color Purity is a professional oxidative color system formulated without ammonia, PPD, PTD, resorcinol, EDTA, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, SLS/SLES, and added fragrance, using alternative color technology to achieve permanent color and gray coverage.
24. 2000s-Present - Chemical Face-Bleaching & Skin-Lightening Products
Where: Worldwide, including the United States
The claim: Lighten the complexion, fade dark spots and blemishes, and create a brighter, more even-toned appearance.
The product: Skin-lightening and “face-bleaching” products have been marketed with ingredients such as hydroquinone, mercury, and other depigmenting agents. Some products have been sold illegally or without adequate ingredient disclosure.
The consequence: Prolonged or improper use can cause severe irritation, redness, swelling, dermatitis, uneven pigmentation, and ochronosis: a potentially permanent blue-gray or dark discoloration of the skin. Products contaminated with or intentionally formulated with mercury can additionally cause neurological and kidney damage.
25. Ancient-Present - Mercury Skin-Lightening Products
Where: Historically across multiple regions; modern products continue to appear worldwide
The claim: Whiten and brighten the skin, erase dark spots, freckles, acne marks, and signs of aging.
The product: Mercury has been used in skin-lightening creams, soaps, and lotions across centuries.. And illegally marketed mercury-containing skin products continue to be found today.
The consequence: Mercury can be absorbed through the skin and cause potentially permanent neurological and kidney damage, as well as other systemic effects. The fact that mercury-containing skin-lightening products still appear on the market makes this one of the clearest examples of a dangerous beauty practice that has never completely disappeared.
Looking back at these 25 products and practices, one thing becomes clear: the desire to be beautiful has never been the problem.
The problem is what happens when we begin believing that our natural bodies are something that need to be corrected, concealed, reshaped, or chemically altered at any cost.
Throughout history, beauty standards have changed dramatically, but the pressure to conform has remained. And sometimes, that pressure has made dangerous products seem normal, desirable, or even necessary.
Thankfully, we know more now.
We know that ingredients matter. We know that exposure matters. We know that “it's always been done this way” isn't a good enough reason to continue doing something. And we have more choices than ever before.
Clean beauty isn't about fear. It's about awareness.
It's about asking better questions:
What's in this product? Why is it there? Is it necessary? Is there a better alternative? What am I willing to put on my body in the pursuit of beauty?
We don't have to reject beauty. We don't have to reject modern science.
And we don't have to believe that everything “natural” is automatically safe.
We simply have the opportunity to become more conscious consumers and to stop accepting unnecessary exposure as the price of being beautiful.
Because beauty should enhance our lives.
It should never require us to sacrifice our health to achieve it.
Brittany Withrow