Colour in cosmetics

Greek and Roman society also used make-up, but, as these were slave societies, this use was confined to a small section of the population. The colours of these early cosmetics were produced by means of naturally occurring colorants, such as henna, vegetable dyes and coloured clays.

The use in Queen Elizabeth I's reign of white lead and mercuric sulphide as cosmetic colorants not only foreshadowed the use of synthetic colorants but also indicated the need for legislation to control their use.