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Lead cosmetics, 500 BC

500 BC Pot with led cosmetics, Kerameikos Archaeological Museum

Lead was used in cosmetics from ancient periods through to the Renaissance. People used it to whiten their faces and later to whiten wigs. Historians think that the use of lead whiteners contributed to the death of Queen Elizabeth I.

(artefact from Kerameikos Archaeological Museum)

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Rights: Public domain
Published: 20 June 2019Size: 426.21 KB
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