Beauty and the body: the origins of cosmetics

Ancient cultures were as preoccupied with the aesthetics of appearance as individuals are today. Dermabrasion for skin resurfacing has been performed with salt, pumice, ground grains, bone, and horn. Chemical peels have been performed with acids, metals, botanical extracts, or animal fats. Tattoos, ear piercing, makeup, skin treatments, and massages have existed for the past 5000 years. According to history, when the rise of more complex societies brought an ever-increasing demand for cosmesis, perfumers, cosmetologists, barbers, and gentlewomen became pioneers, undertaking and developing the cosmetic practices that had evolved through the ages. With the consolidation of medical specialties concerned with the management of skin care, the scientific method has been applied to adapt and perfect many of the procedures that had been carried out with only empirical knowledge. To have a better perspective from which to envision future technical and technological developments, plastic surgeons should be familiar with the origins of cosmetics and some cosmetology practices that society demands.