Where did lipstick come from?

The first commercial lipstick was invented in 1884 by perfumers from Paris, France. It was covered in tissue paper and made of deer tallow, castor oil and beeswax. Until the late 19th century, most lipsticks were DIY, made with carmine dye extracted from insects called cochineal. The first commercially produced lipstick was invented in 1884 by French perfumers and is still used by hair stylists near you today.

This lipstick was formulated from a combination of deer tallow, castor oil and beeswax. At this time, lipstick was not sold in the metal or plastic tubes that we know today. Instead, it was sold in paper tubes, small pots, or wrapped in paper. However, in the long prehistoric periods, lipsticks were only made from readily available natural sources: fruit and plant juices.

As the first civilizations began to appear in the Middle East, North Africa and India, advanced manufacturing processes allowed humanity to finally begin producing new types of lipsticks. The first to do so were Mesopotamian women, who crushed precious stones and used their powder to decorate their lips with sparkles and riches. Women from the Indus Valley civilization used lipstick regularly, but it was in Egypt that lipstick manufacturing received many advances. There, royals, clergy and the upper class used various types of lipsticks, some with recipes containing poisonous ingredients that could cause serious illness.

It was there that the color carmine was popularized, extracted from the bodies of cochineal insects, a technique that is widely used even today (although the US governments. UU. and the EU strongly regulate the presence of this pigment in our food and cosmetic products). The first known red lipsticks were made by crushing gemstones and using them on the lips in Mesopotamia more than 5,000 years ago.

Later, lipsticks would be made with red algae and fish scales. The first molded lipsticks that resemble the ones we use today were invented by Abu Al-Qasim Al-Zahrawi during the Islamic Golden Age. In ancient China, lipstick was originally used for religious ceremonies, but over time it was increasingly used for cosmetic purposes. In prehistoric times, in ancient China, lipstick was more like a lip balm used by both women and men.

They were obtained from animal blood, minerals and plant juices. Vermilion, a red pigment that is essentially mercury sulfide, was used to achieve a very striking red pigment. This was mixed with animal fats and mineral wax. Wow, it looked great, but as you can probably guess, it was also toxic without them knowing.

Many historians recognize that the ancient Sumerians (in 3500 BC. C. in southern Mesopotamia) they invented it by crushing red rocks into powder to dye their lips red. Others give credit to the elites of ancient Egypt, who mixed crushed insects into a vibrant paste of red waxes for Cleopatra, among others.

However, in the 19th century, respectable women did not use cosmetics, and the use of makeup was associated with actors and prostitutes. Around the 1850s, the dangers associated with the use of makeup were warned because of the lead and vermilion used to make the products. In the late 19th century, a French cosmetics company, Guerlain, began manufacturing lipsticks. The first commercial lipstick was invented in 1884, from deer tallow, castor oil and beeswax, covered with tissue paper.

Before this, lipsticks were made at home. By the 1960s, lipstick had established itself as a symbol of femininity and has maintained this status until the 21st century. World War II made lipstick scarce, because several of its essential ingredients were used in the war effort (oil and castor oil). Ancient Sumerian men and women were arguably the first to invent and use lipstick, approximately 5,000 years ago.

Over the years, red lipstick has given icons like Marilyn Monroe their distinctive look or added beauty and elegance to beloved characters, such as Disney's extensive princess ensemble. Lipstick, by definition, is a cosmetic used to color the lips, usually in the shape of a crayon and packaged in a tubular container. As Christianity took hold in Europe, lipstick became a thing of the past and was almost completely forgotten (the Catholic Church condemned the use of cosmetics, often linking the use of red lipstick to the worship of Satan). In the early 20th century, after centuries of male authority limiting the use of cosmetics, wearing red lipstick was seen as an act of female rebellion.

Dressed in probably the most luxurious case in lipstick history (just look at that gold package), the highly pigmented color inside is packed with antioxidants for a more moisturizing finish than most lipsticks. Lipstick continued to be associated with prostitutes and even actors, even though Queen Elizabeth I was known for wearing bright red lips with a powdery white complexion. With the Flapper movement and the rise of silent film in the 1920s, red lipstick, especially dark red, became hugely popular. This trend did not change for several centuries, until the industrial revolution of the late 19th century succeeded in returning commercial lipsticks to popular fashion.

Women applied red lipstick in public to surprise men and declare their independence from the social stratifications that limited them. The company's founder, Gabriela Hernandez, created her brand with this lipstick inspired by the nascent movement. . .