Arsenic as a beauty aid

jenna · #1 05-14-2005, 10:20 PM

When out as a re-enactor, I portray a woman of the middle to upper middle class, and part of my waredrobe would have been the use of a chataline. On my chataline, is an arsenic bottle. People are always facsinated by the fact that women of the time would use a poison as a beauty aid. So, I had to share this breif artical with you. What women didn't do for vanity.

http://greenvilleonline.com/news/200...5030960326.htm

Jenna

gary · #2 07-31-2005, 12:45 AM

Thanks Dawna. It was an interesting read about the use of poison to maintain that "pasty" complexion.

dawna · #3 07-31-2005, 01:19 PM

Gary, I agree that the use of poison as a beauty aid was an interesting read; but our fashion and re-enactor expert, Jenna, is the poster of this article. :-)

Dawna

MsReese · #4 09-01-2005, 10:42 PM

Wow, and who would have thought? Here I am worrying about freckles and the like. LOL I guess I should put my tanning spray aside and be glad for my extreme palesness.

bama_belle · #5 01-25-2006, 05:58 PM

Wow. I guess I should be very thankful for my never-tan-because-I-burn-too-easy complexion!

You know.. what that article says about corsets vs spandex is trough.. at least, in my opinion. I am much more comfortable in my corset than I am in a modern-day bra and control top stockings. Ick.

Miss Amy · #6 06-30-2006, 06:18 PM

Ok - so what else is out there for what we do to keep our looks, and how does it compare to what was used in 1860's?

Are there sutlers out there with modern/reproduction products we would want to use every day?

Miss Amy

jenna · #7 07-01-2006, 11:15 AM

Laurie Shahan of the 5th up here by us has a line of period perfumes and things like that. It is from a company that has been in business since the early 1860's I do believe. She would be the one if you wanted things like that. She is not sutlering anymore though, except for at VA. Too much work for her now. So you would have to contact her privately.

Jenna