Vintage Hygiene Practices That Are the Very Opposite of Clean

Lead Makeup Was Commonly Used by Royalty

Pale skin was all the rage during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, and she took it to deadly extremes. She used makeup made from white lead to achieve her ghostly complexion, setting a trend others eagerly followed.

Sadly, this toxic powder slowly poisoned her over time. Her dedication to beauty may have cost her life—one of history’s deadliest makeovers.