Cosmetic history worldwide has gone through a sea of change over
the past few centuries. Today the cosmetic industry is worth over $50
billion, but this was not always the case. Before we study more about
the history of cosmetics, we need to search the origin of cosmetics.
Cosmetics was not a business during its nascent stage and it was solely
used to enhance the look of the facial skin. It all started during the
4th century BC when cosmetics and business were words from two different
worlds.

If we look into the history of cosmetics then we find
that the Egyptians were the precursors of cosmetic use. Here the women
of the upper class used animal fat, scented oils and eye color to give a
real ‘facelift’ to their faces. During its initial years, cosmetics
were restricted to the confines of a room where they were prepared from
natural ingredients. Cosmetics had not yet found any commercial use
though it was exchanged among women.

The western world also
embraced it (though a little late) much to the dissatisfaction of the
Church and Queen Victoria. The use of cosmetics here was more among the
lower class women and this is what slowly gave rise to cosmetics being
manufactured for sale among the common masses. The French were the first
to manufacture cosmetics on a large scale with the use of new and
improved methods. They replaced the dangerous ingredients like copper
and lead with Zinc oxide and other harmless chemicals. This soon
resulted in wide sales of cosmetics and women from the elite as well as
lower classes started to use it for their facial beautification.

The
history of cosmetics changed with the end of World War II and the
industrial growth during the 1940’s, when cosmetics found acceptance
among women from all corners of the world. With the advent of the
electronic media like Television and Radio, things looked really sunny
for the cosmetic industry as actresses wore cosmetic makeup that
attracted the general masses – a huge boost to the sales figures. Soon
more and more women turned it into a habit to wear cosmetic makeup for
almost all occasions.

People, mostly associated with the cosmetic industry,
wanted to manufacture healthier and better products because they did not
treat this as a business but something that even had use in their
homes. Technological advancements made it easier for the companies to
try out different ingredients for their cosmetics and this has also
provided a plethora of options in front of modern consumers. Cosmetic
history worldwide is all about providing the right kinds of cosmetics to
satiate the obsession to look beautiful and remain young..

Nowadays,
the cosmetic industry is not only concentrating on cosmetics for women,
but even providing the metro-sexual males a chance to improve their
facial looks. Today, the world’s cosmetic industry faces a huge demand
and a real challenge in producing good quality cosmetic products. It is
still a highly lucrative business for new entrants, but the challenge
now comes from clinical studies that show the existence of toxic
ingredients that are currently used in the manufacture of cosmetic
products. These ingredients, used over long periods of time, are now
being considered harmful to one’s health. Therefore, the history of
cosmetics today wills evolve into where the industry will go in the
future with this new information that indicates the continuous use of
these toxic ingredients could be harmful to one’s health.

Little
did the Egyptians know then, when they were short of options and they
sat in front of the mirror to use their cosmetics, what challenges would
exist today.