Terrifying Beauty Practices from History

During the Renaissance, women used belladonna as part of their beautification process. With a drop in both eyes, belladonna dilated their pupils, stimulating the natural state of arousal.

Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants in the world.

Prolonged use caused permanent blindness.

During the Ottoman Empire, women applied Rusma all over their bodies to remove hair. They removed this mixture with a bronze scraper adding a whiter skin color as a result.

Rusma is a depilatory, a mixture of caustic lime (a corrosive element) and orpiment, a by product of arsenic.

If left on for too long, it corroded the skin.

During the 21st. Century, women put their hands under lamps that emitted UVA radiation in order to beautify their nails.

UVA radiation is a known carcinogen.

Repeated exposure left skin aged and damaged.