Comments on: Why did people use arsenic as a beauty treatment?

By: Larissa

Larissa — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:47:00 +0000

Beacause they are bunch of idiots that they didn’t know that it can kill them

By: Michelle W

Michelle W — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:47:00 +0000

ummm you want to die??????????? stop

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:47:00 +0000

Well, the first answer that came into my mind was they didn’t know any better? But thinking about it that’s actually hard to believe because arsenic has been used as a poison for centuries. I have no idea why people would use that even externally. It seems to me the risk would be too great. But then I’m a guy so I’m not exactly an expert on beauty treatments.

By: daleksunited

daleksunited — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:47:00 +0000

Because it makes your skin pale.

Arsenic was traditionally used by women in the Victorian era as it made their faces paler (they ate it mixed with chalk and vinegar) to show that they did not work in the fields.

Of course arsenic is also poisonous and the symptoms of arsenic poisioning were not well defined at the time (which is why it was also popular for murdering people).

The consumption of arsenic to make someone’s face pale, coincidentally, is where the phrase "deathly pale" comes from.