Aliffnoon

Cosmetic is synonymous to women and we say this because billions of dollars are now being spent by women on cosmetics to improve their beauty quotient. Cosmetics are an indispensable element of a woman's life - the passion for beauty-enhancing elements cuts across all strata of society. Within my effort to dig to the cosmetic history and unearth the love affair between women and cosmetics, I stumbled upon many interesting facts that I wish to talk about with all my readers.

Delving into the real history of the utilization of cosmetics, we realize that the Egyptians were those who started it all (sometime round the 4th century BC). You will find historical evidences of the Egyptians using eye paints, scented oils and even animal fat based creams. These cosmetics were employed by the women of the upper class in order to enhance the beauty of these facial skin and even treat skin problem like wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, hair growth etc. This brings us to a fascinating conclusion i.e. there's not been any major shift in the reason behind the use of Aliffnoon cosmetics.

The Western part of the world was a late entrant into cosmetic history and the utilization of cosmetics and it all started during the center ages. Here too cosmetics were at the very top affair and the commoners were bereft of the luxury. The use of cosmetics was not taken in an exceedingly positive way by the Church and it ultimately banned its use. Queen Victoria extended her support for the Church's position. Thus cosmetics found its new lovers in the brothels where it adorned the faces of prostitutes. An interesting twist to the story was included with Hitler declaring that cosmetics were better fitted to the faces of Clowns and women belonging to the master race should shun its use.

The following two century witnessed a rapid growth in cosmetic usage and even women belonging to the reduced strata of the society started to make use of cosmetic products. The 18th century was very significant when it comes to the changes in technology for the production of cosmetics. The French started to make use of new methods, chemicals and natural ingredients. Safer chemicals like zinc oxide were being used as the bottom and the utilization of lead or copper was abolished. At the conclusion of the 19th century, the first beauty salons were set up.

Rapid usage of makeup cosmetics started from the first 1930s; actresses and theater artists started to make use of make-up within their films. Sarah Bernhardt and Jean Harlow spearheaded the so-called cosmetic movement and made the utilization of cosmetics fashionable. After World War II, there is rapid growth in the cosmetic industry where more and more women started using cosmetics. Soon with the introduction of electronic media like TV and Radio, cosmetics became an integral part of every woman's life.

To date the significance of cosmetics hasn't reduced, but in fact, increased in living of women. It is now over a 50 billion dollar industry. However, as its history evolves, cosmetics will take on new meaning. Past cosmetic history focused on women's beauty and the culture of anti-aging. The near future will focus on the dangers inherent in the continued usage of synthetically formulated cosmetic products. These synthetic chemicals have which may be toxic in nature, and over time, clinical studies will prove them to be hazardous to one' health. Several toxins have been associated with cancer, birth defects, infertility, liver and kidney malfunctions, and much, much more.

Recently, an address was presented by the Environmental Working Group, the EWG. Their mission is to guard children from the effects of toxic chemicals in the food, water, air, and products we use daily. Without stepping into a lot of detail listed here is a summary of the findings of the EWG because it pertains to Aliffnoon cosmetic products.

Women, typically, use 12 personal care products daily that expose them to 160 toxic chemicals; 10 babies, still within their mother's womb, were tested for chemicals within their bloodstreams with your results; 287 toxic chemicals were found that 134 were associated with cancer; 151 were associated with birth defects; 186 were associated with infertility; 130 were associated with the immunity system, and so on.

Now, if one questions what this all means, consider these statistics; there's been an 84% escalation in Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in children from 1975 to 2002; a 57% escalation in brain cancer during exactly the same period; a doubling of Hypospadias (birth defect of the urethra in males) in infant males in exactly the same period; sperm counts in men are dropping at a rate of 1% each year; 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer; 1 in 3 women will experience some form of cancer within their lifetime; 1 in 2 males will experience some form of cancer within their lifetime.

That is enough statistics to offer pause in the cosmetic products used daily. Past and future articles will delve deeper into this subject. For the present time, historically, we have presented both sides of cosmetic history. Days gone by emphasized the beauty facets of personal care products, while the near future should and hopefully focus on the dangers inherent in the daily usage of toxic-laden cosmetic products.