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Lead - Lead known as Venetian ceruse was a popular skin whitener in earlier centuries.

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Elizabeth I of England - Someone who was believed to be a fan of the poisonous stuff was pale-faced Elizabeth I of England.

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Lead - The dangerous element had nasty side effects, including damaged skin, gray hair and hair loss, and even led to lead poisoning, which resulted in the death of many people.

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Arsenic - Later came arsenic, which was also used as a complexion whitener in the Victorian Era.

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Arsenic - The toxic component kills red blood cells.

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Arsenic - This, in turn, led to paler skin and eventually death. A high price to pay for perceived notions of beauty.

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Mercury - Scarily enough, mercury is another element that can still be found in some skin products today.

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Mercury - The hazardous element is easily absorbed through the skin and used to combat blemishes.

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Mercury - But the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns against its dangers and says to watch out for signs of poisoning, which may include depression, a tingling sensation, and tremors, among others.

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Belladonna - Atropa belladonna is an herb plant that can be extremely fatal.

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Belladonna - In cosmetics, it was used in eye drops to dilate pupils to make women appear more seductive, like anime characters.

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Belladonna - Eventually, extended usage caused women to go blind.

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Radium - For treating wrinkles, actual radiation was used in the 20th century.

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Radium - It was also commonly used and found in toothpaste, hair creams, and other items because of its supposed curative abilities.

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Radium - Exposure to radiation can easily lead to cancer and other ailments. Therefore, it is no longer used in cosmetics.

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X-ray hair removal - Before hair removal creams, sugaring, and waxing, people depilated with X-rays if you can believe it.

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X-Ray hair removal -

X-rays were discovered in the 20th century and were quickly put to use. In some cases, patients undergoing this disastrous method for hair removal had to remain under an X-ray for up to 20 hours.

Once the side effects of this damaging procedure were revealed, it was a little too late. Many women had suffered from wrinkles, skin thickening, and cancer later on in life.

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Lard - In the 1700s, when stiff hair and curly wigs were in vogue, people used to put this gunk in their hair to keep it in place.

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Lard - And it would keep for days! While there is nothing inherently dangerous about this odd beauty fad, was it totally unsanitary and disgusting? You bet.

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Eyelash extensions - So apparently in 1899, eyelash extensions involved rubbing cocaine on the lower border of the eyelid, as per The Quack Doctor.

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Eyelash extensions - Hair was taken from the head and threaded through the edges of the eyelids.

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Eyelash extensions - Supposedly, it was a pretty painful process!

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Brazilian Blowout - Fast forward to recent times: in 2011 the FDA sent a note to Brazilian Blowout, which offers professional smoothing treatments, to end the usage of one of its hair-straightening products.

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Brazilian Blowout - It contained formaldehyde, which the brand falsely labelled as 'formaldehyde-free.'

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Brazilian Blowout - The compound is known as a human health hazard and banned in many countries around the world.

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Bizarre Brazilian tanning trend -

And finally, there's the ladies in Brazil doing something super strange to obtain the perfect tan lines.

They are actually making for themselves the teeniest bikinis out of nothing but masking tape for the most impeccable and enviable "marquinhas."

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Bizarre Brazilian tanning trend - With the exception of potentially unsafe UV rays from a strong sun, this is another craze that isn't too risky (with the right amount of sunscreen protection, of course). But weird? For sure!

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