6. Deadly Toxic Cinnabar Rouge
While many eras, such as the Victorian, frowned upon makeup and color in the skin in general, our current beauty trends along with several other periods have focused on the idea of healthy, natural beauty which is ideally highlighted with a natural rosy or peachy flush to the cheeks. While today we have access to countless formulations of blush, all of which are tested for safety and many of which are vegan and cruelty-free, women of other eras were not so lucky.
One ancient source of red pigment that was used in both decorating painting and cosmetics was the volcanic ore Cinnabar. Cinnabar is an incredibly toxic ore of mercury, with the chemical composition MgS indicating Mercury and Sulfur. It was also the most popular historical source of the red pigment called vermillion. Mercury Sulfide, the scientific name for the red ore, creates a beautiful deep red dye, but at a high cost concerning health.
Mercury, in all of its forms, is a highly toxic element to humans. Its greatest threat lies in the fact that it is a bioaccumulative toxin, meaning it builds up in the body over time with exposure. A makeup user who applied a Cinnabar rouge every day would accumulate a small amount of mercury through absorption into the skin with each user, and could eventually build up to an overwhelming amount of mercury. Mercury can affect numerous systems in the body with severe symptoms such as mental illness, skin rashes and loss of senses.