User:Whoiskv/History of cosmetics

Flowers play an important decorative role in China. Legend has it that once on the 7th day of the 1st lunar month, while Princess Shouyang, daughter of Emperor Wu of Liu Song, was resting under the eaves of Hanzhang Palace near the plum trees after wandering in the gardens, a plum blossom drifted down onto her fair face, leaving a floral imprint on her forehead that enhanced her beauty further. The court ladies were said to be so impressed, that they started decorating their own foreheads with a small delicate plum blossom design. Court ladies also from the sixth centuries colored their foreheads in a bright yellow product that may have contained lead. This is also the mythical origin of the floral fashion, meihua zhuang (梅花妝, 'plum blossom makeup'), that originated in the Southern dynasties (420–589) and became popular amongst ladies in the Tang(618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties. The use of nail polish originated around 3000 BC in China, when the staining of nails was utilized by members of the upper class. Nail stains were produced from ingredients such as egg whites, beeswax, roses, and arabic gum. The colors used to stain nails became symbols of social class, as only the powerful could have red, gold, or silver stained nails. Nail cosmetics were reserved for the elite, and its use would be considered criminal for members of the lower class.

In the 17th century Japan nobleman and women made their skin appear whiter using lead-based powders as a sign that they were above the working-class people working in the sun and that they were people made for relaxation. In Japan, geisha wore lipstick made of crushed safflower petals to paint the eyebrowsand edges of the eyes as well as the lips, and sticks of bintsuke wax, a softer version of the sumo wrestlers' hair wax, were used by geisha as a makeup base. Rice powder colors the face and back; rouge contours the eye socket and defines the nose.^{[unreliable source?]} Ohaguro (black paint) colours the teeth for the ceremony, called Erikae, when maiko (apprentice geisha) graduate and become independent. The geisha would also sometimes use bird droppings to compile a lighter color. The beginning of the modern Japanese cosmetic industry began after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. New products began appearing in the markets for skin care and dermatology due to new ingredients and technologies.

During the late 1800s, the Western cosmetics industry began to grow due to a rise in "visual self-awareness", a shift in the perception of color cosmetics, and improvements in the safety of products. Prior to the 19th century, limitations in lighting technology and access to reflective devices stifled people's ability to regularly perceive their appearance. This, in turn, limited the need for a cosmetic market and resulted in individuals creating and applying their own products at home. At home methods such as petals and berries pigments were used to stain lips and cheeks to achieve the at the time ideal beauty standard look. Several technological advancements in the latter half of the century, including the innovation of mirrors, commercial photography, marketing and electricity in the home and in public, increased consciousness of one's appearance and created a demand for cosmetic products that improved one's image. In the 1880s, many entrepreneurs arose, some of which were "women-owned". This in turn let women earn wages independently by either being a business-owner, agent, factory worker, they could buy their own cosmetics thereby enlarging the cosmetics market even further.

During the 1920s, numerous African Americans participated in skin bleaching in an attempt to lighten their complexion to brown, or to become an "intermediate" between black and white, as brownness was considered the ideal over black or white skin. Eurocentric beauty standards led African American girls to believe that enduring skin bleaching and straightening their hair was acceptable since they were taught "women had to make great sacrifices to be beautiful. Skin bleaches and hair straighteners created fortunes worth millions and accounted for a massive thirty to fifty percent of all advertisements in the black press of the decade. Oftentimes, these bleaches and straighteners were created and marketed by African American women themselves. Madam C. J. Walker avoided marketing their products as a straightener but instead as a "hair cultivation" to associate it with "good grooming". Skin bleaches contained caustic chemicals such as hydroquinone, which suppressed the production of melanin in the skin. These bleaches could cause severe dermatitis and even death in high dosages. Many times these regimens were used daily, increasing an individual's risk.

In the 1970s, at least five companies started producing make-up for African American women. Before the 1970s, makeup shades for Black women were limited. Face makeup and lipstick did not work for dark skin types because they were created for pale skin tones. These cosmetics that were created for pale skin tones only made dark skin appear grey. On black skin the make-up bases were too oily, the eyeshadows colors and blushes were too pastel for darker complexions. Makeup artists, such as Reggie Wells, who specialized in black women celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey developed their own shades. Eventually, makeup companies created makeup that worked for richer skin tones, such as foundations and powders that provided a natural match. Popular companies like Astarté, Afram, Libra, Flori Roberts and Fashion Fair priced the cosmetics reasonably due to the fact that they wanted to reach out to the masses.

In addition, Black women joined the consumer market in America for hair care. Due to innovations in technology in the 1940s and 1950s, Black women were given more options in hair straightening techniques. In 1954, George E. Johnson started the Johnson Product Company and introduced a safe straightening hair care system that could be purchased in stores and done at home. As America shifted into the 1960s and 1970s, the afro became a popular hairstyle and required a new set of beauty demands. The afro became a symbol of naturalness, and rose with the "Black is Beautiful Movement," as well as Black nationalism. The "Black is Beautiful Movement" showed how black women are proud of their skin and that brought in products that enhanced themselves and not hide what they are, and cosmetics companies were able to emerge in response to this. Johnson Product Company created various hair care products to upkeep the Afro look. Products like Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen became popular amongst Black consumers. As Black consumerism grew, White owned companies tried to make their way into the Black hair care industry. Clairol created products and advertisements that were aimed to support Black hair.

Cosmetics brands and names from the 20th century

• Estée Lauder got its start in 1946 when the couple Joseph and Estée Lauder first opened it. Estée originally offered "cold cream, lip rouge, and fragrances" for sale when she first involved herself in the make-up business. Later in her career, she sold products from someone else's salon and then Saks Fifth Avenue gas her the opportunity to sell her cosmetics in their department stores, and her business expanded to other department stores. She became famous in the U.S. as a result of her selling in department store business.
• Revlon got its start in March 1932, when Charles Revson, along with his brother Joseph and Charles Lachman launched Revlon. Before launching the business, Charles Revson had worked in selling nail enamel and recognized the potential growth in that industry.
• Madam C. J. Walker in 1910, had success setting up her business in Denver and Pittsburgh, decided to relocate her business operations to Indianapolis, where it started to become known as Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company. The top selling product was Madam C. J. Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower. The company, operated by and for African American women.

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