The remains of whitening cosmetics were found in Yuanqu North White Goose Cemetery. How did the ancients develop cosmetics?

Yuanqu North White Goose Tomb, located in Shanxi, has recently attracted great attention because archaeologists actually detected the residue of whitening ingredients in one of the cosmetics. It has been more than 2700 years since, and it seems that people attach great importance to and unify the love of beauty at any time.

Of course, the cosmetics containing whitening ingredients in the ancient tomb of North White Goose are not the only ones. As early as a few years ago, a small copper pot was excavated from the Guo Rui site in Weinan, Shaanxi during the Spring and Autumn Period, and the residue was a whitening cosmetic ingredient. The key point is that this tomb is a male tomb, and this whitening cosmetic is the earliest thing used by men.

Therefore, our pursuit of whitening effect has existed since ancient times. Otherwise, adjectives such as skin coagulation and skin whitening over snow often appear in ancient poems and songs!

Lipstick, a kind of cosmetics commonly used by the ancients, should be one of the oldest and most traditional basic cosmetics. In ancient times, lipstick was called oral fat. Although there is no scientific and technological level today, the ancients have exquisite craftsmanship and are pure natural raw materials. The spices are clove and agastache rugosa, which are put into new cotton and then soaked in heated wine to absorb the mixed fragrance of cotton and alcohol.

The soaking time varies according to different seasons, and soaking is just the beginning. Then, take out the cotton and spices, put the mellow wine into the butter and bring it to a boil. This process has to be repeated several times until it solidifies. Finally, cinnabar is added before the flameout, stirred evenly, and then naturally cooled and condensed into oral fat.

Cosmetic powder is also the most commonly used cosmetic in ancient times, among which lead powder is the most popular because it can make the skin white as snow after being applied.

The earliest lead powder is a combination of lead, tin, aluminum, zinc and other chemicals, and because of the technical level, it has not been completely dehydrated, showing a pasty texture, but it has been sought after by virtue of its skin-beautifying effect, and then gradually improved the process and appeared dry powder.

Lead powder developed all the way to the Tang and Song Dynasties, constantly upgrading and developing. It is no longer a simple chemical element, but has added other high-standard make-up, make-up and skin care ingredients, and even its name has become more meaningful, peach blossom powder, Jade Girl.