Mascara is nothing terribly new. Like most cosmetics the history of mascara reaches far back in history, dating to written records from Egypt as early as 4,000 BCE. Then, as now, people hoped to use various substances to make them more alluring. In some cases the makeup had religious and magical connotations too – such as protecting the wearer from the evil eye, or marking someone’s rank in the temple.
The first version of mascara was something called Kohl. This blend mixed soot with malachite or galena and honey so that the mixture would stick, but could be spread on the skin and eyelashes. For the elite houses, crocodile droppings also went into the mix, which helped keep the makeup in place once dry. It wasn’t until Rome fell that Kohl went out of favor in Europe. Nonetheless it still found a market along the Middle Eastern spice and trade routes.
As with any such product, mascara’s popularity waxed and waned over the years, making a comeback in the Western world during the Victorian era. Many women spent hours out of every day beautifying themselves, particularly among the wealthier households. Having thick, long, dark eyelashes was considered a mark of loveliness. So, women around the United States could be found at any given time in the kitchen mixing together ash from the fire and elderberry juice, which went on while it was still warm.
In the history of mascara it was during the 19th century that something closer to modern mascara appeared from two different people. One was Eugene Rimmel, a chemist who used petroleum jelly in his cosmetic preparations. The second was T.L. Williams who also made mascara from petroleum and coal as a gift for his sister named Maybel. From this humble beginning Maybelline was born. These basic products remained the cornerstone of the cosmetic industry until after World War 1.
By the end of the war women were ready for new products. In answer to that consumer cry, Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Ardin both launched brands of cosmetics each of which included mascara. The rivalry between these two companies, combined with the motion picture industry portrait of classic actresses with long eyelashes, and suddenly mascara earned a firm foothold as a viable beauty product.
Up until the 1930’s the cosmetic industry remained untouched by FDA regulations. That situation ended after a permanent eye dye caused blindness in several women along with one death. In 1938 the FDA began regulating cosmetics. Another change for mascara came in the mid-1950s when Rubinstein invented lotion-type mascara sold in tubes with an applicator. This was much closer to what we utilize today.
Modern mascara is much lighter, cleaner and much more easily applied than those in the history of mascara, something for which women are very grateful. We also have the benefits various colors of mascara, waterproof blends, and even some with glitter!
