Mint, wax, poisonous plants: beauty tips from Renaissance Italy
A new book tells the rollicking and relatable history of cosmetics
Three litres of blood from a healthy red-headed man “no older than 25 or 30” could fix bad skin. Eating nettles was a trick for rosier cheeks. A paste made from marble, wheat and bryony, a poisonous plant, could whiten skin. Most beauty products in Renaissance Italy were made from ingredients that seem strange or foolhardy to modern eyes.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “A mirror on our times and theirs”
Culture August 19th 2023
From the August 19th 2023 edition
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