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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.

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X-Ray hair removal - 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.

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Bizarre Brazilian tanning trend - 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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