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Deadly Beauty: The Poisons Used In Makeup Through The Ages

It might sound crazy to think mercury was once an ingredient for makeup, but this and several other toxins were used in beauty staples.

By Sara Novak
Nov 3, 2022 1:00 PM
Victorian Makeup
(Credit:tomertu/Shutterstock)

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Beauty doesn't come cheap. It can be costly, time-consuming and, according to historians, deadly. For thousands of years, we've been wearing makeup, some of it made with unsavory ingredients. While we still use some questionable ingredients in cosmetics today, it's nothing compared to the outright poisons that were once present at the beauty counter. 

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