Gross Beauty Tips from the Past

Eighth grade beauty confession: 6 a.m. A mirror, a bowl of egg whites, and a Q-tip. I take the Q-tip, dip it into the egg whites, and then rub the slimy Q-tip under my eyes. The magazine promises this “beauty tip” will hide my dark circles. And if I can escape the daily comments about how tired I look, I’ll take it. About 10 minutes later, a white, flaky crust forms on my skin, and I rush to scrub it off my face before the bus arrives.

The present: I stick to concealer these days, though I often hear about strange beauty rituals women are willing to try — urine to clear acne, anyone? (And we’re not alone, check out these weird guy grooming habits.) It turns out these wacked beauty tips didn’t just start with the advent of TV or fashion magazines. For centuries, women have been doing the grossest things just to keep up with the trends. I’m talking lard, sandpaper, crushed ants, and croc poop. Yeah, way gross.

Click here to see the grossest beauty tips from history.

Granted, they didn’t have the technology or advancements in medicine like we do, but I know I’d never step in croc poop willingly. Well, maybe for a million dollars … OK, back from daydreaming. And who knows, maybe in the next century everyone will be writing about our beauty regimens, like laser hair removal or painful plastic surgery.

After you check out these gross beauty tips, we want to know: What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever done in the name of beauty? Would you try any of these tips? Tell us in the comments below.

Click here to see the grossest beauty tips from history.