Although vanity is considered one of the seven deadly sins, it remains to be the spark plug that charges the multibillion dollar beauty industry. Since the beginning of time, men and women have embraced cosmetics and skin products to help them look and feel more attractive. Great cosmetic innovations have assisted us in achieving such results – even if they are unnatural. From the 1600s to the 1800s, the beauty patch or spot was used across Europe, to cover the unsightly scars which resulted from the disease that ravaged a society. In time, beauty patches came to be a fashion statement used to signify status and even political affiliation.
The smallpox epidemic left 400,000 Europeans dead in its wake in the 1800s. Some who survived the disease, were left disfigured with scars on their faces. Women also suffered skin damage by using lead based products to achieve the trendy fair-skinned look of the time. A cover-up in the form of a beauty patch was used to camouflage the damage done by disease and skin abuse. Small pieces of expensive materials such …show more content…
Moreover, the placement of the spots also took on new signification and symbolism. The location of the patch came to denote the wearer's marital status - single, married or engaged. The positioning of the patches even indicated a preferred British political affiliation; a patch on the right side of the forehead signified support for the Whigs, while a patch on the left side showed support for the Tory party.
Eventually, a vaccine for small pox was discovered, and thankfully, the need for beauty patches disappeared. Today, the ever-growing cosmetic industry continues to feeds the hungry human preoccupation of looking good, along with our desire to express and represent ourselves through make-up. But it also continues to help millions of people who have suffered facial disfigurements, by creating products to help them put their best face
The smallpox epidemic left 400,000 Europeans dead in its wake in the 1800s. Some who survived the disease, were left disfigured with scars on their faces. Women also suffered skin damage by using lead based products to achieve the trendy fair-skinned look of the time. A cover-up in the form of a beauty patch was used to camouflage the damage done by disease and skin abuse. Small pieces of expensive materials such …show more content…
Moreover, the placement of the spots also took on new signification and symbolism. The location of the patch came to denote the wearer's marital status - single, married or engaged. The positioning of the patches even indicated a preferred British political affiliation; a patch on the right side of the forehead signified support for the Whigs, while a patch on the left side showed support for the Tory party.
Eventually, a vaccine for small pox was discovered, and thankfully, the need for beauty patches disappeared. Today, the ever-growing cosmetic industry continues to feeds the hungry human preoccupation of looking good, along with our desire to express and represent ourselves through make-up. But it also continues to help millions of people who have suffered facial disfigurements, by creating products to help them put their best face