Milady Cosmetology Chapter 1 History and
Career Opportunities
cosmetology - answer-The art and science of beautifying and improving the skin,
nails, and hair and includes the study of cosmetics and their application.
Egyptians - answer-Were the first to cultivate beauty in an extravagant fashion.
They used cosmetics as part of their personal beautification habits, religious
ceremonies, and preparation of the deceased for burial. As early as 3000 BC,
Egyptians used minerals, insects, and berries to create makeup for their eyes, lips
and skin.
Chinese - answer-History also shows that during the Shang Dynasty (circa 1600 BC),
Chinese aristocrats rubbed a tinted mixture of gum arabic, gelatin, beeswax, and
egg whites onto their nails to color them crimson or ebony. Only royals tinted their
nails silver and gold. Anyone else got caught with royal nail color faced a
punishment of death.
Greeks - answer-During the golden age of Greece (circa 500 BC), hairstyling
became a highly developed art. The ancient Greeks made lavish use of perfumes
and cosmetics in their religious rites, in grooming, and for medicinal purposes. They
built elaborate baths and developed excellent methods of dressing the hair and
caring for the skin and nails. Greek women applied preparations of white lead onto
their faces, kohl around their eyes, and vermillion upon their cheeks and lips.
Vermillion is a brilliant red pigment, made by grinding cinnabar (a mineral that is
the chief source of mercury) to a fine powder. It was mixed with ointment or dusted
on the skin in the same way cosmetics are applied today.
Romans - answer-Women lavishly used fragrances and cosmetics. Facials made of
milk and bread or fine wine were popular. Other facials were made of corn with flour
and milk, or from flour and fresh butter. A mixture of chalk and white lead was used
as a facial cosmetc. Women used hair color to indicate their class in society.
Noblewomen tinted their hair red, middle-class women colored their hair blond, and
poor women dyed their hair black.
Middle Ages - answer-The period of European history between classical antiquity
and the Renaissance, beginning with the downfall of Rome, circa AD 476, and
lasting until about 1450. Beauty culture is evidenced by tapestries, sculptures, and
other artifacts from this period. All of theses show towering headdresses, intricate
hairstyles, and the use of cosmetics on skin and hair. Women wore colored makeup
on their cheeks and lips, but not on their eyes. Around AD 1000, a Persian physician
and alchemist named Avicenna refined the process of steam distillation. This
ushered in the modern era of steam-distilled essential oils that we use today.
Renaissance - answer-This is the period in history during which Western civilization
made the transition from medieval to modern histroy. Paintings and written records
tell us a great deal about the grooming practices of the time. One of the most
unusual practices was the shaving of the eyebrows and the hairline to show a
Career Opportunities
cosmetology - answer-The art and science of beautifying and improving the skin,
nails, and hair and includes the study of cosmetics and their application.
Egyptians - answer-Were the first to cultivate beauty in an extravagant fashion.
They used cosmetics as part of their personal beautification habits, religious
ceremonies, and preparation of the deceased for burial. As early as 3000 BC,
Egyptians used minerals, insects, and berries to create makeup for their eyes, lips
and skin.
Chinese - answer-History also shows that during the Shang Dynasty (circa 1600 BC),
Chinese aristocrats rubbed a tinted mixture of gum arabic, gelatin, beeswax, and
egg whites onto their nails to color them crimson or ebony. Only royals tinted their
nails silver and gold. Anyone else got caught with royal nail color faced a
punishment of death.
Greeks - answer-During the golden age of Greece (circa 500 BC), hairstyling
became a highly developed art. The ancient Greeks made lavish use of perfumes
and cosmetics in their religious rites, in grooming, and for medicinal purposes. They
built elaborate baths and developed excellent methods of dressing the hair and
caring for the skin and nails. Greek women applied preparations of white lead onto
their faces, kohl around their eyes, and vermillion upon their cheeks and lips.
Vermillion is a brilliant red pigment, made by grinding cinnabar (a mineral that is
the chief source of mercury) to a fine powder. It was mixed with ointment or dusted
on the skin in the same way cosmetics are applied today.
Romans - answer-Women lavishly used fragrances and cosmetics. Facials made of
milk and bread or fine wine were popular. Other facials were made of corn with flour
and milk, or from flour and fresh butter. A mixture of chalk and white lead was used
as a facial cosmetc. Women used hair color to indicate their class in society.
Noblewomen tinted their hair red, middle-class women colored their hair blond, and
poor women dyed their hair black.
Middle Ages - answer-The period of European history between classical antiquity
and the Renaissance, beginning with the downfall of Rome, circa AD 476, and
lasting until about 1450. Beauty culture is evidenced by tapestries, sculptures, and
other artifacts from this period. All of theses show towering headdresses, intricate
hairstyles, and the use of cosmetics on skin and hair. Women wore colored makeup
on their cheeks and lips, but not on their eyes. Around AD 1000, a Persian physician
and alchemist named Avicenna refined the process of steam distillation. This
ushered in the modern era of steam-distilled essential oils that we use today.
Renaissance - answer-This is the period in history during which Western civilization
made the transition from medieval to modern histroy. Paintings and written records
tell us a great deal about the grooming practices of the time. One of the most
unusual practices was the shaving of the eyebrows and the hairline to show a
