Being beautiful is never easy, but it used to be deadly. In the past, these 10 dangerous ingredients were used in beauty products all of the time. They’re not used anymore because we now know just how deadly they are. I can’t believe anyone ever thought #6 was a good idea.
1.) Lead.
Back in Victorian times, people used lead as a way to get smoother, paler skin. Never mind that lead is deadly and causes brain damage.
2.) Arsenic.
Arsenic was used to get clearer skin, and it’s just about as safe as lead. That is, not safe at all.
3.) Mercury.
Mercury used to be a magic cure for blemishes. Never mind that mercury, even in small doses, can be deadly. (Symptoms of mercury poisoning include impairment of peripheral vision; disturbances in sensations; lack of coordination; impairment of speech, hearing, walking; and muscle weakness.)
4.) Deadly Nightshade.
Yes, “deadly” is in the name, but people still used it. It was supposed to be a miracle product to give you bigger, brighter eyes… right before it killed you.
5.) Radium.
As a wrinkle remover, radium was the product to beat. That was, of course, before your died of radium poisoning.
6.) Cyanide.
Dying your hair black used to be a lot deadlier than it is these days. A mixture of yellow cyanide and water was the preferred method. Not so much anymore.
7.) Rat Poison.
The active ingredient in rat poison, thallium, used to be common in hair removal products. People eventually realized how bad of an idea this was.
8.) Charcoal.
Swallowing charcoal used to be a way of getting fresher breath back in the 1800s. Oh boy.
9.) Orange Juice.
This one isn’t so much deadly as it’s just dumb. Squeezing orange juice into your eyes supposedly made them more brilliant. Forget about blinding yourself. As long as your eyes look more “brilliant,” who cares?
10.) Urine.
Although this is gross, it’s not deadly. The ancient Romans used to think that it was possible to have whiter teeth and fresher breath if you gargled with urine. In fact, this was such a widely held belief that they used to import urine to Italy from Portugal because they thought it was stronger. Yuck.
Via: Buzzfeed
After reading this list, it’s a wonder that the human race has made it this far. Radium and arsenic? Really? Perhaps we can look back at it like natural selection.
