THE HISTORY, CHEMISTRY, AND REGULATION OF COSMETICS

Cosmetics have played an integral part in beautifying humankind for tens of thousands of years. The practice of people enhancing their natural features dates back several millennia before written text to ancient Egyptian and other early civilizations. Throughout time, these augmentation methods have been studied and perfected to create what is now a multibillion-dollar industry. The earliest forms of cosmetics derived from locally available natural resources but over time transformed to incorporate synthetic and potentially harmful substances including lead, formaldehyde, and benzophenone. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the timeline of cosmetic use and to inquire into the compulsion to use cosmetics for embellishing the natural look, the introduction of artificial chemicals into cosmetics, the minimal protective legislative guidelines currently in place, and the necessary reforms required to ensure the safety of the consumer.