Killed by Make-Up

They had brought in another one. There she was, on the table. White skin, bright red lips and definitely as dead as one could be. She was the fifth this week and it was only Wednesday. The weekend always brought more of them, as the young women would go out to drink and party.

Dr. Charles had seen too many of them by now. Death by make-up hadn’t been something he ever experienced until half a year ago. A short time before the first case, there had been one of these hypes that usually die down fast.

Make your make-up at home, cheap and easy!

People loved to follow the newest trends, especially when the beauty industry is promoting it. But this time the trend not only lingered way too long, it also killed young women on a regular basis.

One would think that nobody could be so stupid and put obviously toxic chemicals on their faces, just because that’s what people in ancient Egypt used. But then again, Dr. Charles had faced many many people who still believed vaccines caused autism and that people were healthier before vaccinations were invented. Even if they did cause autism, wouldn’t that be the better choice, when the other was death?

So here it was again, the stupidity of the human race.

It had started with Belladonna, also called deadly nightshade. They started using it as eye drops, to enlarge the pupils. Some company had started selling it and the original drops had actually been somewhat safe. But people always want to do things themselves, at home. And they usually got the dosage wrong.

The minor cases didn’t end up at his desk. They just experienced some blurred vision or heightened sensitivity to light and went straight to their doctor. Those that died either did so as a direct effect of the poison or later at the party. Alcohol already has a bad effect on the human body, but someone who poisoned themselves with belladonna also experiences hallucinations and have trouble keeping their balance. Accidents happen much easier that way.

But it didn’t stop there. The direction of the trend turned towards old Egypt, where they used lead salts mixed with powders as eye make-up. Certainly a stunning look and the negative health impact wasn’t immediate. People started to believe that lead wasn’t actually as dangerous as they were told it was. Scientists are paid by companies after all, aren’t they? And the companies didn’t want to lose money by people creating their own make-up.

As a result, other lead-based make-up recipes turned up. Lead mixed with vinegar to whiten the skin became a great hit. After lead, it was only a matter of time until mercury followed.

Mercuric chloride against freckles, mercury sulfide to make the cheeks redder and stand out from the unhealthily white face.

But the poison did its work and the effects were devastating.

It usually started with abdominal pain and cramps, mood swings and slight confusion by those who used the homemade make-up daily. But the symptoms developed into seizures and neurological issues fast and without fail. That was the point when more and more bodies started to pile up in the morgue. And every time, the cause of death was related to their beauty products.

There had been warnings, of course, but for many, it was already too late. And others still didn’t believe, that the make-up issue was really that big.

Dr. Charles just hoped that people would come to their senses. He was sick of so many dead young adults and even teenagers.

Disclaimer: This is a fictional story, so a certain amount of artistic liberty has been taken. But the general facts about toxic make-up are true.

Sources:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/09/ingredients-lipstick-makeup-cosmetics-science-history/
http://oddrandomthoughts.com/history-of-cosmetics-and-makeup-the-poisonous-discoveries/
http://www.healthline.com/health/lead-poisoning#symptoms2
http://io9.gizmodo.com/one-of-the-hazards-of-the-1700s-was-death-by-rouge-1688562508

Picture taken from Pixabay