14 “Obscure Beauty Trends” Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now

Today the global beauty industry is worth $532 billion and our demand for things to improve our looks feels like it has never been bigger. But the wish to look our best is as old as history itself, and people in the past were just as eager to go great lengths to fit beauty standards of the time. And trust me, they were heckin’ weird. Like weird squared.

The TikToker Zachary Margolis has collected some of the most eyebrow-raising, obscure, over-the-top and plain dangerous historical beauty trends that he shared in a series of viral videos for his “Offbeat History” account.

From Romans whitening their teeth with urine to 18th-century women sculpting their enormous wigs with lard, it makes you wonder whether today’s beauty favorites like the ‘no makeup’ makeup look, laminated brows, and brightly colored hair will look just as freaky in hundreds of years.

@offbeathistory
Obscure Beauty Trends 💄Do not try these at home. #makeuproutine #beautytips #learn
♬ Blue Blood - Heinz Kiessling & Various Artists

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14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In the 19th century many women ate deadly arsenic wafers to whiten and even out their complexions. Some of the side effect include cancer, baldness, epilepsy. In 1902 you could actually buy arsenic wafers from Sears.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

179points

POST

Gabbinzola 3 years ago

The fact that it says "safe" in the title... 🙄

81points

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14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In the mid-1920's, a bronze, suntanned complexion became popular after Coco Chanel fell asleep on her yacht on the French Riviera. The suntan became a status symbol for a person who could afford sunny vacations, especially for those privileged enough to travel during the winter.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

168points

POST

Sofia Di Tutti 3 years ago

Before withe skin was considered "noble" because poor were forced to work outside and got tanned...

126points

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14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In the middle ages the forehead was considered the most beautiful part of the woman's face. Many women removed their eyelashes to accentuate their foreheads. They also plucked their hairlines and eyebrows to achieve a long and oval face.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

159points

POST

Aski Markup 3 years ago

Man, I woulda been the belle of the ball.

158points

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14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now To white their teeth, Romans would rinse their mouth with urine. Specifically urine shipped in from Portugal.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

147points

POST

Otter 3 years ago

Well-aged urine that hadn't been refrigerated during transport, because refrigeration didn't exist! Tasty!

73points

Vicky Z 3 years ago

Cause if it was refrigerated it would be better?

17points

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Night Owl 3 years ago

I feel like throwing up just imagining the smell

6points

Vic 3 years ago

I wonder what instigated the Portugal part..

4points

Toko Danganronpa 3 years ago

Bon appetit!

4points

princess tiara aka queen weird 2 years ago

Ummm it's still urine, even if it was refrigerated

0points

Tony Anderson 2 years ago

It's urine. Im not sure age and refrigeration are factors to be considered it's urine.

0points

Michael Sanders 3 years ago

I want to know how many regional pees they went through before they landed on Portugal having the best

31points

Losferatu 3 years ago

Trickle down economics.

22points

Night Owl 3 years ago (edited)

*snort* LMAO

2points

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Jo Choto 3 years ago

The idea that somebody decreed the Portuguese had the BEST piss.

21points

pebs 3 years ago

In reality it was not a custom of the Roman citizens of Italy or of other subjugated territories, but it was typical of the citizens of Spain, as is well known from the poem 39 of Catullus, who made fun of Egnatius for this habit.

8points

Incitatus 3 years ago

Thanks, I got on here to say that. The Romans used to make fun of the Spaniards for doing this.

3points

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Prilsy 3 years ago

Why Portugal??!!!

6points

Bill 3 years ago

Because the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain and probably drains into Portugal?

10points

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Vicky Z 3 years ago

Better quality😅

1point

Carla Guimarães 2 years ago

Because in Portugal we drink wine and eat couratos, that's why!

0points

Keigo Tamaki 3 years ago

I only rinse my mouth with the most fanciest of urine from Portugal!

2points

Fiona C 3 years ago

Urine was used in textiles in many places too. Apparently the urine of ginger people was particularly sought after.

2points

Aunt Messy 3 years ago

Urine is used when fulling wool because uric acid and ammonia cause the fibers to expand and make the fabric denser, warmer, and more water resistant. The fabric would be beaten by stomping on it in a trough (with bare feet) or beaten like it was a butter in a churn. After it was washed, the quality of the fabric was much better than when it was first woven. ...///... You can achieve something similar by washing wool fabric (this works particularly well with knitted fabrics) in a hot washer followed by a hot dryer. I do this when I'm making coats. It's the process used to make boiled wool.

7points

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Mary Ross 3 years ago

Urine was also used to whiten togas. So a well-off roman wearing white would always have a faint aroma of pee wafting off them Heaven!

1point

Flexiegirl94 3 years ago

Someone else's week old pee. Mmmm tasty

1point

Hollysmom 3 years ago

Wish someone would pay me for mine

1point

denzoren 3 years ago

I'll stick with my teeth as is...thank you very much.

1point

A.J Milne 3 years ago

tHAT would be my job if I lived in that time, I would live in portugal

1point

Mean Red B 2 years ago

Did it work? :D

0points

Janeilson Borges de Santi 3 years ago

If my memory is not failing, Hitler used this too.

0points

Jason Nicholls 3 years ago

Sure wouldnt want a smooch from them

0points

Esma Gerits 3 years ago

Hmmmm I dunno, I always find the Spanish pee better, tbh.....

0points

Alegiro 3 years ago

In Africa they keep using cow urine to wash hair (or to light the hair color), to wash "clothes", to light their skin and so on.... So look, there is a 2500/2000 yo vs a "modern" way to use urine. Why not posting anything about that Africans?? It may be """racism"""? 😬

0points

Daniele Ribolla 3 years ago

Portuguese LOL thinking Romans drinking their urine...! paid and shipped too!!! >|-D

0points

Donna Hall 3 years ago

pass

0points

Lorenzo Lavagetti 3 years ago

mmmmh golden showers for all

0points

Mumchkin 3 years ago

I think they tested this on some TV show. I think they took chemicals that were a close match to urine and used teeth from a dentists office to see the results. I could be wrong though.

0points

DanieLegz 3 years ago

Oh that's why Bear Grylls does it

0points

tmw 3 years ago

those romans, always up to something crazy. using a communal sponge to wipe their butts. lead pipes in the water system. lead sauce to make your food more tasty.

0points

Let’s All Just Try And Be Decent 3 years ago

I mean. Someone clearly set this up as a moneymaking scam. Claiming it was this amazing mysterious elixir you could only get if you paid him to transport it all to you from Portugal. No doubt he put something in it to make it look or smell different or have slightly different texture. Or claimed it had been "purified" If they genuinely knew what it was, they literally would have used their own. Also let's not forget that urea is still used in a huge amount of beauty products today.

0points

Allen Lavine 3 years ago

Fun fact people use to make fun of them for that so they stop brushing all together and started having bad teeth that's where the rumor started that they have bad teeth

0points

An Co 3 years ago

I want to know why portugal. Did they have some kind of myth about the Portuguese? Or was it a con job and they did not know it was urine?

0points

Warren Hazelton 3 years ago

Hence the phrase "P as in Portugal."

0points

Mazer 3 years ago

Skipping next meal now

0points

I wish I could live in the ocean 3 years ago

My own urin? No thank you. Someone else's urin? Nooooooooooo thank you...

0points

Alex K 3 years ago

i bet the guy who had the idea burst out laughing as soon as he turned the corner

0points

Daniel Atkins 3 years ago

one of those things the when in Rome saying should not apply.

0points

pebs 3 years ago

Actually in Rome they did not have this habit.

0points

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Chodz 3 years ago

In Belgium we bleach them with Portuguese tears since they lost to us in the Euro 2020.

0points

Dre Mosley 3 years ago

What was special about Portugal piss?

0points

Brian Bennett 3 years ago

Portugal Piss the imported swill to swill.

0points

Losferatu 3 years ago

I'm Portuguese. I'm wondering what's so special about my pee?

0points

ElenaK 3 years ago (edited)

Try it! maybe you will get a shiny smile!Then let us know if it works.

4points

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14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In the 18th century, before invention of hairspray, women would use lard to sculpt their wigs. Yes, lard. One of the downsides is that the wig would become a literal rat's nest. Sometimes rats would live in the wig for weeks. Women had to sleep with cages around their heads to keep the rats away.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

142points

POST

Otter 3 years ago

And at least some people whitened the wigs with flour, which meant they were basically wearing a pancake on their heads instead of hair. You bet the bugs loved it!

106points

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14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In pre-revolution France, accentuated veins were all the rage. Some people would color their veins with blue pencil to make them pop. Others would use leaches to make their veins more noticeable.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

139points

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Andy Acceber 3 years ago

Visible veins meant they didn't work in the sun. It was a sign of status.

96points

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14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now During the Japanese Edo period, blackened teeth were popular amongst aristocrats and married women. Blackened teeth were considered a sign of beauty and the practice helped preserve teeth into old age. In 1870, this practice was banned by the Japanese government. Blackening teeth wasn't just popular in Japan, and some people still practice this today.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

132points

POST

Toko Danganronpa 3 years ago

I'd like to know who practices it today...

64points

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14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In 1936, Isabella Gilbert invented the Dimple-Maker. The machine consisted of a spring that fit around the face and two tiny knobs that pressed into the cheeks. I don't know what Isabella was thinning but the machine didn't work.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

124points

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Softsquatch 3 years ago

can totally imagine this being sold on wish today, and people buying it

151points

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14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In ancient Rome many women would moisturize with the sweat of gladiators. Whiles of sweat were sold as souvenirs outside the fights. The sweat was thought to be an aphrodisiac.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

123points

POST

Prilsy 3 years ago

Well the sweat probably had tons of pheromones so that makes sense

73points

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#10

14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In the 1800s, eyelash transplants were all the rage. A specialist would sow the hair directly into the eyelid with a needle.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

121points

POST

Toko Danganronpa 3 years ago

That's sound eyewful!

76points

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#11

14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In ancient Greece the uni-brow was considered the sign of purity and intelligence. It was ideal to have eyebrows that melded together in the middle. Some women would darken their eyebrows with powder, while others would wear fake eyebrows made from goat's hair.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

116points

POST

Jayne Kyra 3 years ago

Give me two weeks and I would be stunning in ancient Greece.

152points

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See Also on Bored Panda

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#12

14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In the 1400s, Italian women wanted to have thin lips that were barely there. The paintings at the time didn't highlight or emphasize the lips in any way.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

116points

POST

Jo Choto 3 years ago

There has to be a century somewhere where I would have been considered attractive!

68points

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#13

14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now Shortly after the invention of the x-ray machine, people used the machine to treat acne, eczema and for hair removal. Some of the side effects included atrophy, ulcerations, and cancer.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

112points

POST

Toko Danganronpa 3 years ago

Some side effects include: DEATH

91points

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#14

14 "Obscure Beauty Trends" Throughout History That Sound So Bizarre Now In the 1920s the portable hair dryer came on to the market. This was a more convenient alternative to the bulky hair dryers of the time. The device was very dangerous though and would cause burns, electrocutions, and death.

offbeathistory Report

Final score:

100points

POST

M O'Connell 3 years ago

If anyone is wondering why, appliances of the time did not have a chassis ground connection (no third pin), nor did they have polarized plugs (there was a 50/50 chance of the metal chassis being live at mains voltage depending on how you plugged it in). This hadn't previously been a problem because 'regular people' hadn't been using electrical appliances much prior to the 1920s.

64points

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As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

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Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus.

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What do you think ?

POST

Toko Danganronpa 3 years ago

This was a great read! My thanks to the author :)

38points

Martin Kaine 3 years ago

And in 500 years, #15 will be: "Filters"

24points

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Jo Choto 3 years ago

Wait a century and see what people have to say about us sucking fat out of some bodies, and putting silicon in other bodies to change the shape of everything.

32points

Chris 3 years ago

And injecting botulism in to your face

27points

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Brian Bennett 3 years ago

Makes you think - what dumb stupid things are we doing today that we will regret in the future. Not so long ago if you had the sniffles and went to your Doctor he would give you penicillin for 10 days, more or less to shut you up, he knew the sniffles would be gone in 10 days. This is why we now have antibiotic resistant germs .

14points

Amy Dodds 3 years ago

"in the early 21st century, women often thought it was attractive to insert implants into the breasts and pump their rears with anything from fillers, fat to cement. Ostensibly to create an 'hourglass figure, but the achieved result was often more akin to localised gigantism...... The face would would often be subjected to similar brutality, with lips pumped close to splitting as the' blow up sex doll' look was considered the epitomy of class and grace. Brows would be thickly pencilled and frozen in place, quite fittingly, in eternal bemusement, as the overall look caused them to resemble someone with the IQ of a ladle."

37points

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Rai Grant 3 years ago

Why on so many of these posts, am I no longer getting any pictures? I don't understand, other people are getting pics, n it's the same app, surely?.....

4points

The Boss 3 years ago

Every time they don't have pictures, I just skip it until I feel like reading it. But ya, honesty it isn't same app as it used to be

4points

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Me 3 years ago

BP has a mobile app and a website. The website shows more images, even on mobile devices.

1point

Martha Meyer 3 years ago

I'm not using the app. I'm using a browser.

1point

CanidaeVulpes 3 years ago

I’d be beautiful if I had only been born at a different time. And in the upper class. And didn’t die of some childhood disease.

3points

S. Tor Storm 3 years ago

Good stuff! Not often on here these days

1point

Chloe *Leah* Pheonix 3 years ago

In 1000 years there will be a list, number one would be "Implants" followed closely by steroids.

1point

millac 1 year ago

The inside of the mouth is considered vulgar/ disgusting in Japanese culture. The blackened teeth make the inside of the mouth less conspicuous. It's lessened up a bit in modern times, but you'll still notice that Japanese people will still cover their mouths when laughing, only smile without teeth, do this interesting little vacuum-bite thing when eating to ensure they aren't opening their mouths really wide, and think sharing stuff which has touched their mouths (such as a drink bottle) as extremely intimate.

0points

Dorothy Cloud 2 years ago

So interesting. But, my goodness what we ladies would do to ourselves to achieve what "others" would think was beautiful!!!

0points

Jason Nicholls 3 years ago

This was fun

0points

Bryn 3 years ago

Imagine getting paid to pee.

0points

Meami 3 years ago

I have a copy of an old ad from the early 1900s that advertises sterilized tapeworms to ward off obesity. "Eat anything you want and never get fat."

0points

ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago

I hope that one day we will say "tiktokers once had influence on masses".Maybe people will learn from bad things from the past...

0points

Soggy Crumpet 3 years ago

(In 300 years) “They changed the fashion to make being bigger more fashionable as the population was losing the war against obesity.”

0points

Donna Leske 3 years ago

I find about half of these impossible to believe.

-1point

Golden beach 3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

POST

Toko Danganronpa 3 years ago

This was a great read! My thanks to the author :)

38points

Martin Kaine 3 years ago

And in 500 years, #15 will be: "Filters"

24points

Load More Replies...

Jo Choto 3 years ago

Wait a century and see what people have to say about us sucking fat out of some bodies, and putting silicon in other bodies to change the shape of everything.

32points

Chris 3 years ago

And injecting botulism in to your face

27points

Load More Replies...

Brian Bennett 3 years ago

14points

Amy Dodds 3 years ago

37points

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Rai Grant 3 years ago

Why on so many of these posts, am I no longer getting any pictures? I don't understand, other people are getting pics, n it's the same app, surely?.....

4points

The Boss 3 years ago

Every time they don't have pictures, I just skip it until I feel like reading it. But ya, honesty it isn't same app as it used to be

4points

Load More Replies...

Me 3 years ago

BP has a mobile app and a website. The website shows more images, even on mobile devices.

1point

Martha Meyer 3 years ago

I'm not using the app. I'm using a browser.

1point

CanidaeVulpes 3 years ago

I’d be beautiful if I had only been born at a different time. And in the upper class. And didn’t die of some childhood disease.

3points

S. Tor Storm 3 years ago

Good stuff! Not often on here these days

1point

Chloe *Leah* Pheonix 3 years ago

In 1000 years there will be a list, number one would be "Implants" followed closely by steroids.

1point

millac 1 year ago

0points

Dorothy Cloud 2 years ago

So interesting. But, my goodness what we ladies would do to ourselves to achieve what "others" would think was beautiful!!!

0points

Jason Nicholls 3 years ago

This was fun

0points

Bryn 3 years ago

Imagine getting paid to pee.

0points

Meami 3 years ago

I have a copy of an old ad from the early 1900s that advertises sterilized tapeworms to ward off obesity. "Eat anything you want and never get fat."

0points

ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago

I hope that one day we will say "tiktokers once had influence on masses".Maybe people will learn from bad things from the past...

0points

Soggy Crumpet 3 years ago

(In 300 years) “They changed the fashion to make being bigger more fashionable as the population was losing the war against obesity.”

0points

Donna Leske 3 years ago

I find about half of these impossible to believe.

-1point

Golden beach 3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

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