Safe Skincare
Almost everyone, including men, are interested in finding safe skincare products nowadays. Perhaps sagging skin and wrinkles, that are beginning to show, are the reasons for this skincare search. As these people hunt for good products, they have learned along the way, that the best skincare are the ones that are made from natural ingredients. But how can one get the best natural skincare?
On the other hand, the first question should be, why must one choose natural products? What exactly is meant by “natural?” Is there any difference between the ordinary products and these natural products?
To begin with, when it comes to skincare, even though there is a technical definition to the word “natural”, it is consistently misrepresented by the Cosmetic Industry. The end result is the consumer does not know if the “natural” product they are buying is, in fact, truly “natural”. “Natural” should refer to safe skincare products, meaning they are safe to use and will not cause any ill-effects. However, in reality the term “natural”, used on so many products, may be just a marketing ploy.
But aren’t every single one of the skincare items safe, one might ask? These are products used by people every day, so why are they not safe?
Unfortunately, not all the beauty and health products that we are using today are risk-free. People these days are slowly becoming aware that most cosmetics, skin care and other beauty products used daily, contain toxic ingredients that can be harmful to our skin, our health and general well being.
Many of these toxic ingredients, used to manufacture skincare products, are already being prohibited in many other countries due to the discovery of their toxicity. However, there are still some countries, including the US, that allow these hazardous ingredients. This is due to the fact that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), although it has the power to regulate, chooses not to regulate the products under the cosmetic and beauty products category.
This problem has reached such an alarming level that there are organizations who have gotten into the problem in order to encourage the manufacturing of safe skincare products and other cosmetics.
With the awareness raised by these concerned groups, an increasing number of people are now turning to natural skincare for safety reasons. They also want the best natural products they can find. So, where can one get them? You should know by now that the best natural skincare products are not produced by big well-known companies but rather, by smaller companies. With this said, one should choose these items not by the name that it carries but by the effectiveness and safety that the product offers.
In addition, keep in mind that the majority of the companies that produce natural skincare products have signed their name to the “Compact for Safe Cosmetics” as confirmation of their pledge that they will only manufacture safe skincare products. Thus, if you want to find a safe natural skincare, go over the list of companies who have signed the pact. It is readily available on the web.
In conclusion, remember that the best skincare consists of only ingredients that have originated from nature. The toxins that are being found in cosmetic products should not be taken lightly. Many are linked to cancer, respiratory issues, liver and kidney disease, and birth defects, just to name a few. The free 10 day mini-course gets into more detail and the eBook will provide detailed, documented intelligence and case studies on this delicate subject.
Cosmetic Regulations
Did you know that cosmetics can be dangerous to use? Believe it or not, unsafe cosmetics are everywhere while the safer ones seem to be unreachable. But how can this happen? Why would cosmetics not be safe to use? Surely, there are cosmetic regulations to follow or perhaps the FDA regulates the Cosmetic Industry to ensure that what we use on our bodies are all safe?
Unfortunately, there are no actual cosmetic regulations out there. Though, there is the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), but it turns out they do not insist on pre-market safety review as they do with drugs. As a result, cosmetics belong to the list of least regulated goods on the market today.
In other words, the FDA does not assess nor have the power to regulate anything about cosmetics before they are sold in the market or salons. As a matter of fact, 89% of all the ingredients found in cosmetics have not been assessed for safety by any agency or institution that may be responsible for this.
Sure, drugs are being regulated and drug firms are required to follow some specified safety standards. However, those standards are not appropriate to companies that produce cosmetics or health and beauty products.
In this case, cosmetic companies feel free to use whatever ingredients they want to use even if those are not yet tested to be safe. What’s more, there are greedy companies who only think of the money that they will make, so they will use cheaper ingredients that may only increase the toxicity of the product as well as the likelihood of adverse side effects to users.
To support this claim, here is an example. In one of the most recent research studies carried out by an independent consumer advocate organization, it was discovered that lead is present in at least 50% of the popular branded lipsticks that they tested.
Maybe, you will find it hard to believe that there could be lead in the lipsticks that we normally use these days, but sadly, this is true. And because of this discovery, the legislature was prompted to pass laws against lead in lipsticks.
On the other hand, it is sad to say that there is lack of cosmetic regulations for safe ingredients in the US. As compared to the US, Europe has stricter standards when it comes to cosmetic ingredients of their products. With this, it can be said that the cosmetic products that you may be using right now more than likely have toxic ingredients that can do damage to your health.
This sticky situation is serious enough that concerned people who are raising awareness about the dangers of unregulated cosmetics have started to organize. These organizations campaign for safer cosmetics and continue to warn the public about the bad effects or dangers of using some popular cosmetic brands that have proven to be unsafe for use.
One example of these concerned organizations is the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics. The main objectives of this group are:
-
To bring to light the numerous risks of using hazardous cosmetics
-
To seek and press the government to control the whole cosmetic industry as well as the manufacturers to make safe cosmetics.
Moreover, the groups that had come together for safer cosmetics organized the “Compact for Safe Cosmetics.” In here, all the manufacturers of cosmetics, who are ready to commit themselves to produce just the safe products, can put their signature on the compact as proof of their support to safer cosmetics. Well over 600 companies have signed the “Compact for Safe Cosmetics.” However, not one major brand has signed it. In fact, most of the companies that have signed it were already using all natural ingredients in the manufacture of their products.
With the efforts of these concerned people, the FDA issued statements that the amendment of the FDA’s constitutional authority over cosmetics is only possible if the Congress will modify the law. Good luck, as in 1976, so as to deter any passing of new laws, the cosmetic industry just formed a system of voluntary self-regulation by way of the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel (CIR).
The CIR is tasked to review cosmetic ingredients. They are a non-profit, independent scientific group that regularly conducts open public assemblies and then announces their findings through a journal.
A Basic Guide in Selecting Natural Cosmetic Products
“Organic,” “natural,” “green,” and “eco-friendly” are terms you frequently hear these days. They might have lost their meaning, and if they have for you, then just a reminder: they all basically mean nothing artificial, nothing animal-related (whether ingredient acquisition or product testing), and everything sustainable. If a product fails to meet those three standards, it’s not organic, natural, green, or eco-friendly at all and should not be used to identify natural cosmetic products..
Although public health laws have not been too strict in regulating cosmetic product manufacturing, concerned consumers and organizations have made motions to change this. For instance, in 2007, 33 popular lipstick brands were tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at an independent laboratory for lead content. 61% of the lipsticks contained lead, some of the brands including L’Oreal, Dior, and Cover Girl. The lead levels ranged up to 0.65 ppm (parts per million), but the levels do not matter as there is no safe level of lead exposure anyway, so the mere existence of lead in these products is already considered unsafe. Though it took 2 years for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate this further, a follow-up study confirmed the truth to the urban legend that lipsticks do contain lead. And the public, or most of them, at least, are now aware of this.
But aside from shunning lead, what other things do you need to put into consideration in choosing natural cosmetic products?
Other ingredients you must avoid are mink and emu oil. If you didn’t know already, the mink and the emu are animals: the mink is a semi aquatic carnivore related to the weasel, and the emu is a large flightless bird, similar to the ostrich and in fact the largest of all birds if you exclude the ostrich. Minks are not extinct animals, but emus are, who only now exist in Australia. But regardless of rarity of species, the oil scraped from their hides is still sometimes used in manufacturing face creams. So beware of that the next time you pick up that night cream of yours when you’re browsing at your supermarket’s beauty section.
Petroleum byproducts such as coal tar should be avoided also, if not for the disgusting thought of applying on your skin what you use to fuel your car, then for the fact that they may cause cancer. Hydroquinone, a chemical for skin whitening, can cause irreversible blue-black skin lesions. Nanoparticles, though touted as a breakthrough in the green revolution, can travel to your brain via being absorbed through your skin and to the optic nerve or via burrowing in your red blood cells. Phthalates, which are plasticizer chemicals, cause damage especially to the male sex organs, but should still be avoided by women, especially nail polish users as they are usually found in those products. Phthalates may also be hidden as “fragrance” products, so it would be safe to simply avoid products with “fragrance” on the ingredient list. If natural cosmetic products really are all-natural, then they would not need artificial substances to create a wonderful smell in them, would they?
Organic Certification
Many cosmetics companies these days harp about the fact that they use only organic materials in manufacturing their products. This means their products are not formulated with harsh and potentially harmful chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers and fungicides. But these claims are not required to be backed up by any government agency or authorized organic certification. And therein lies the danger. In fact, since the beginning, the US Environmental Protection Agency has approved organic products which later researched have found to be risks for cancer and many other illnesses.
Because of the lack of government regulation and organic certification, there are cosmetics companies that can and will get away with misleading consumers with misleading labels. To date, there are no legal definitions for such cosmetic buzzwords as “organic,” or “natural,” which means companies can use them on their labels in whatever way they want them to mean. This concern has resulted in the battle between consumer groups and cosmetic products manufacturers. As of October 2009, cosmetics manufacturers have gained the upper hand with the court decision denying petitions to compel them to seek government certification that their organic products are safe for public use.
To counter the public danger that could be caused by this lack of regulation, many consumer groups are advocating voluntary organic certification by cosmetics companies. According to an independent research group, there are currently over 750 personal care and cosmetics products in the market today that do not adhere to cosmetic safety standards established in other countries. Most of the products available in the market are formulated with at least one ingredient that has not been publicly tested for safety, and over one-third has at least one chemical that has been found to increase the risk for cancer.
The numbers indicate the need for organic cosmetic certification, since it appears that “organic” and “natural” do not always mean safe and effective. Conscientious cosmetics companies that manufacture only safe products and who care about letting consumers know that they follow safety standards can seek certification from many private companies that offer to test products and certify them according to their organic standards.
Generally, to be granted organic certification, cosmetic companies have to file comprehensive records detailing mission-critical processes from the manufacturing, handling and packaging. They will also be required to provide access to their records to the certifying body, production sites and inventory of ingredients for testing purposes. At the end of the day, the certification that they are granted can serve as the public’s assurance that their products are safe to use.
Aside from checking the product for certification, consumers can also avail themselves of several useful resources if they want to make sure that they use only safe cosmetic products. The Environmental Working Group allows public access to Skin Deep, a database containing a comprehensive list of more than 50,000 cosmetics products ingredients and their corresponding data gap score and hazard rating score. The data gap score does not tell you how safe or harmful the ingredients are. What it tells you is how open the cosmetics companies are to providing information about their ingredients to the public, such that a high data gap score means the cosmetics company has disclosed little information. On the other hand, the hazard rating score indicates the correlation between the ingredients and the hazard potential, based on research.
Global Cosmetic History
The very first proof of global cosmetic history is found in Ancient Egypt at around 4000 BC. The Ancient Romans and Greeks used cosmetics, as well. The Ancient Egyptians and Romans used cosmetics consisting of white lead and mercury in the past, not aware of their hazardous properties. Fragrances were stated in the Christian Bible, particularly myrrh and frankincense. Ancient Egyptians had a broad range of make-up tools. Among them is called kohl, which functions to delineate the eyes. It consisted of copper, lead, soot, and burnt almonds. Eye make up was believed to have the ability to fend off bad spirits and develop the eyesight. Even the deprived put on eye make up in Ancient Egypt. The manufacture of cosmetics during the period of Ancient Rome was done by woman slaves who were called Cosmetae.
In the Middle East, cosmetics were used from ancient eras. According to Islamic Law, putting on cosmetics was not prohibited. However, wearing make up in order to hide the real appearance or to cause or mislead uninhibited desire, and was prohibited.
India also has cosmetic history around the fourth or fifth centuries. Henna has been used in this period as a hair dye, or in the Mehndi art, in which complicated designs are drawn onto the feet and hands, particularly prior to a Hindu wedding. Henna is used in various North African cultures, as well. Henna designs in Africa have a bolder characteristic, while the ones in India are more complicated.
The Chinese started to paint their fingernails with gelatin, gum Arabic, egg and beeswax from about 3000 BC. Colours were used to symbolize the corresponding social rank. In the Chou dynasty royals used silver and gold and later on used red or black. Meanwhile, the lower ranks were not allowed to use bright hues on their fingernails.
In Japan, lipstick, consisting of mashed safflower petals, were used by Geisha’s to paint the borders of the eyes, the eyebrows and the lips. As a make-up base, Geisha’s used bintsuke wax sticks, which is a milder alternative to the sumo wrestler’s hair wax. Rice powder was used to color the face and the back. Sometimes, Geisha’s also use bird droppings in order to accumulate a lighter hue.
In the Middle Age era, make-up was considered immoral and sinful by the Church, used by higher class ladies and prostitutes. However, in the Renaissance era until the Industrial Revolution, make-up was restored from the reintroduction and rediscovery of the Ancient World. Various kinds of products were used together with white lead paint that may have consisted of arsenic. This arsenic poisoned women and many were killed as a result. Queen Elizabeth I of England was the most popular user of white lead, with which she made an appearance called “The Mask of Youth”
Cosmetics history has significantly progressed up to the twentieth century. The most powerful new improvement of all was that of the film business in Hollywood. A few of those who met the chance for mass market cosmetics were Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Max Factor, Sr. In the 1970s, cosmetics were split into a natural look for daytime and a more sexy look for evening.
Toxic Free Cosmetics?
Being beautiful is one thing that women really spend money on. They buy different kinds of beauty products even if it will cost them a huge amount of money, and, they don’t even spend time to research how these cosmetic products are made. Is it safe for them to apply these products to their body? Companies who sell cosmetic products often use this as a gimmick. In their advertisements, they say that what they sell are toxic free cosmetics. But in fact, they are not. And the consumers, on the other side, do not bother to learn if what they are using is safe for them and for their children. Yes, not only adults become victims of these beauty and personal care products but also children. There are personal care products such as baby shampoos that contain cancer-causing chemicals. Several of these are dioxane and formaldehyde. Both of them are known to be animal carcinogens and probable human carcinogens. Formaldehyde can also cause skin rashes to sensitive children.
Lipsticks are also an example of a beauty product that are widely-used by humans. But did you know that 61 percent of lipsticks around the world contain lead? Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language, and behavioural problems. Exposure to this chemical to pregnant women and children can interfere with normal development. And since there is no safe level of lead exposure, science believes it to be disturbing that companies continue to sell lipsticks.
Nail products can also be dangerous to one’s health. The bad smell coming from nail products are caused by chemicals which are suspected to cause cancer, reproductive harm, asthma, and other negative health effects. These health hazards are caused by the so-called “toxic trio”, which are dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene. Consumers who are most affected by these are the workers and customers of nail salons. Some of these salons are not even well-ventilated and that makes the chances of them being sick higher. But according to recent updates, there are nail product manufacturers that have reformulated their products in order to remove the toxic trio ingredients. Although those chemicals add to the beautiful effects of the nail care products, they can also cause harm to humans if safety precautions are not considered. That is why people have to make sure that toxic free cosmetics are really toxic free before they purchase.
Unlike in the food industry, it is hard to tell whether beauty products are truly pure, organic and non-toxic. Companies describe their products wrongly just to sell. Their marketing strategy includes telling the consumers that their goods are toxic free cosmetics when in reality they are not. So it is up to consumers to be responsible enough to discover if they are always safe using cosmetic products that they purchase. This is not only a matter of how much they spend buying these beauty products but also how much they are going to spend if they become victims of these toxic cosmetics. It is never bad to spend money for us to look good. But we just have to make sure that we are doing it in a safe way.
Toxic Cosmetics
When you see “organic” or “natural” on the label of your cosmetics product, should you sit back, relax, and trust that what you are putting on your skin is safe and effective? Not really. Remember that the cosmetics industry is self-regulated. This means that they are pretty much allowed to make organic and natural claims, despite the fact that their intention may be to mislead the public into buying their products. For example, a cosmetic manufacturer could put “organic” on its label, but could actually mean its scientific definition—that the product contains carbon—and not what we normally take the word “organic” to mean. Get the drift? To help you shop for cosmetics products wiser, we enumerate the top three in the toxic cosmetics list. These toxic cosmetic ingredients are formulated with and can cause anything from simple skin irritation to high risk for cancer.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodim Laureth Sulfate
They are more simply referred to as SLS and SLES. These chemicals are traditionally used in detergent products and as surfactants. Surfactants are chemicals that break up the surface tension, making liquid spread out across the area instead of concentrating in droplets. SLS an SLES are typically found in soaps and industrial cleaners, but is also often used as a primary ingredient for making cosmetics, especially those that are supposed to lather. How are they harmful? Studies have linked these chemicals to gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
Mineral Oils
Check your hand and body lotion or makeup remover brand to see if it is formulated with mineral oils, because it most probably is. Mineral oil is a clear liquid made from distilling crude oil to produce gasoline. Since it is only a by-product, it comes cheap. It fact, it might be cheaper to find some use for it than to throw it away. The problem is, mineral oil has been found to have hazardous effects on the body. When you put on a product containing mineral oil, it covers the body like a layer of cellophane, causing your pores to get clogged and preventing them from naturally disposing of toxins. This further hinders the process of cell reproduction, causing the skin to age prematurely.
Synthetic Scents
Did you know that a single synthetic scent, also known as fragrance or Phthalates, used in any cosmetic product could contain as much as 200 sub-ingredients? The number is disconcerting. But what is worse is the fact that consumers are not properly apprised of what these ingredients are. The label only says “fragrance” or “scent.” To be safe, stay away from any product that contains “fragrance” in their label. Some of the side-effects and health hazards that have been linked to these fragrance ingredients include headaches and migraine, allergy, vertigo and dizziness, skin rashes and pigmentation, as well as discoloration. This is because fragrances are likely to be formulated with petroleum derivatives that cause these effects.
So the next time you shop for your personal care or cosmetics kit, remember these top three toxic ingredients, and you’re three times safer than the next unwitting shopper.
Organic Cosmetics-Truth Or Fiction
A wise consumer is one who checks the labels before buying in order to make sure that the products he or she brings home do not contain any harmful ingredients. It is especially important to check labels when you are buying cosmetics or personal care products. Of course, you also need to know what the toxic cosmetics are so you can stay away from them. This is important because unlike drugs and other food products, the cosmetic industry is not regulated. This is why we often see products that claim to be all natural or organic cosmetics. But if you know how to read labels and what to look for in them, you will know whether their organic claims are based in truth or fiction.
Toxic cosmetics are harmful in the sense that they can injure your skin or your body. In addition, your risk to such diseases as cancer can also increase with continued exposure to toxic cosmetic. The problem is, there is never really enough hard data based on research studies to back up the organic cosmetic claims of cosmetics companies. And the worst part of it is that they are not required by government regulation to do so. As such, consumers should be careful not to equate the absence of data linking certain ingredients to diseases with confirmation that they are safe and effective.
At the moment, many non-government organizations and consumer advocates are spending money on research and making their findings publicly available. As a result, we have access to databases that provide a list of hazardous chemicals and ingredients, as well as information on how much data their manufacturers are willing to make public. The idea behind this is that whatever they refuse to disclose is potentially harmful to consumers and to their businesses.
In the U.S., it has been found that there are approximately 1100 different ingredients that go into the formulation of cosmetics that have been previously banned in the European Union. Unfortunately, it is entirely up to the public to keep an eye out for these ingredients, since organic cosmetic certification in the U.S. is voluntary.
Most consumers do take the threat of toxic cosmetic products lightly, thinking that they are superficial in effect, and cannot really have any impact on the internal organs. They happen to be wrong and never ask themselves the all important question. Are these organic claims true or false? An independent research study conducted on mice found that it was possible for the body to absorb chemicals through skin contact and hair follicles. This simply means that anything you apply on your skin or hair has a way of entering your body, bloodstreams, organs and even the brain.
So what is the best weapon against cosmetic products that claim that they are organic and natural but are actually misleading? Research! Equip yourself with helpful information to know the nuances of the cosmetic industry. This way, you will know that “derived from” does not mean natural or organic, and “organic” can actually mean 1-percent organic and 99-percent synthetic. There are publicly available lists of companies that adhere to the true standards of organic and natural. Buy only from these companies and send the message to bogus manufacturers that you are one less consumer that they will fool.
All Natural Cosmetics?
There is a proliferation of all natural cosmetics these days—from makeup to skin care to hair care. In fact, it is so easy to manufacture cosmetic products and market them as “natural,” because of the lack of industry regulations concerning the use of buzzwords like “organic” and “natural” on the labels of these products. The result: every cosmetic manufacturer brazenly rides the “natural” bandwagon, misleading consumers into thinking that everything that contains “organic” and “natural” on their labels are what they think they are. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about these so-called all natural cosmetic products that consumers ought to know in order to protect themselves. Let us identify some of these frequently asked questions and issues.
Do the words “organic” and “natural” on product labels mean what we think they do?
Not really. The fact is that the Cosmetic Industry is self-regulated. Consumers have to take extra caution when purchasing products with the word “natural” on the label. This is because there is no law that imposes an obligation to cosmetics companies that claim that their products are all natural cosmetics. This means that manufacturers can simply claim “natural” on their label without any basis. It is therefore still best to check the ingredients. The same is true with “organic” claims. Companies are allowed to put “organic” in their labels if there is as much as an iota of organic ingredient in the product, regardless of whether the rest of the formulation is synthetic.
Can I trust organic certifications?
It depends. There are different levels of certification, and you have to know what each level signifies so you know what you are getting from the product that you are buying. For example, there are certain certifications that only require the product to be organic up to a certain percentage. The certifying bodies likewise differ in terms of the requirements and how strict these are enforced. So if you want to be sure, you will have to spend more time researching.
Do you need to read the labels? Is it safe to presume that the government and the industry would not make any product publicly available if it is harmful?
This is a very common and dangerous misconception. If you have had occasion to check a list of hazardous ingredients, and the companies that commonly use them, you will never feel safe again because many of them are brazenly peddling their products in the major beauty counters of major department stores. They are able to do this because there is nothing that prohibits them from doing this. The Cosmetic Industry is not regulated, which means manufacturers can pretty much do what they want and claim what they can, because nobody will check on them.
What are the things that you should remember when buying “natural” or “organic” personal care products?
First, remember that “natural” and “organic” are two different things. And neither of the terms necessarily mean safe or effective.
Second, “organic” does not mean all the ingredients are. Look for products that declare how much of the formulation is organic.
Finally, cosmetics manufacturers are not required by the government to seek certification. This means that if the product does not contain any certification, it is not necessarily safe.
The History of Cosmetics
Ever since the Egyptian era, cosmetics have been used quite commonly. They were usual in the Roman Empire and the Ancient Greece Empire, as well. The thought of putting on cosmetics in order to improve the facade of youth in ideal health is applicable right up to today. Colorful cosmetics conceal the appearance of pale lips and fingernails, whitish cheeks and dry hair. A lot of the cosmetics that were used in the past consisted of hazardous ingredients. Perhaps the dangers were unknown then, but there is no excuse for these same hazardous ingredients to continue to be used today. Frequently, there was more significance emphasized on the application of make up rather than cleaning and washing the skin.
In the history of cosmetics, whitening the face was actually one of the most usual cosmetic rituals from the 14th century onwards. This remained popular in the 18th century. A combination of hydroxide, lead oxide, and carbonate was frequently used. This could cause paralysis of the muscles or even death when being used repetitively. In the 18th century, it was substituted by zinc oxide.
Another method, in order to have whiter skin, was by bleeding yourself. This was completed by utilizing the general medical practice of making use of leeches. A more severe, but seldom used method was referred to as cupping. This consists of secreting blood by air heating in a glass cup whilst holding it closely against the skin. If the heat supply is removed, the cool air leads to a vacuum.
In the 1920s history of cosmetics, possessing tanned skin became in style when Coco Chanel was spotted sporting one on the yacht of the Duke of Westminster. The thought of having a tanned skin tone became more striking. Thus, products were created in order to achieve this artificial color.
The painting of the fingernails has been part of the history of cosmetics for a long period of time. The first evidences date from 3000 BC in the country of China. They made use of gum Arabic, gelatin and egg whites to produce a varnish. Silver and gold nail colors were used by the noble families in China. The colors red and black were also used in the 1st century AD. The lesser classes were only permitted to use pale colors. In Egypt, the color of the nail varnish was also used to represent social rank. Henna was also used to paint the nails. Now, nail varnish has an assortment of colors and is actually a variant of car paint.
Dressing hair and hair dye isn’t new. The Greeks, Romans and Ancient Egyptians all have a history of intricate forms of dyeing and hairdressing. The majority of the past hair dyes like henna, sage, chamomile and indigo, could only give the hair a darker color. Female Romans would boast their dark and shiny hair that has been colored with a combination of leeks and boiled walnuts. They also made use of blond-colored dyes made from ashes and goat fat.
It was in the year 1907 that the very first artificial dye was invented by Eugene Schueller, a French chemist. It was initially named Aureole, but was later changed to what is now known as L’Oreal.
