People will try anything to be more attractive, and through most of history, the long-term effects of those beauty regimens were unknown. Sure, Aunt Sarah got sick and died young, but no one knew that it was the lead in her face-whitening makeup that did her in. Lucky for us, science eventually figured that one out. The further back you go, the more bizarre some of these regimens get. Ancient Greeks and Romans sometimes used urine as a mouthwash, because the ammonia it contained would eliminate worse smells. Eww.
Also in Rome, a tincture of nightshade might be used as eyedrops, because they would dilate one's eyes. This could be very alluring, but it could also cause you to go blind or even die. There's a reason it came to be called "deadly nightshade." Read about ten of these deadly bygone beauty tips at Mental Floss. And then wonder what we are doing today that may be found quite dangerous in the future.
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