The White Paint Was Far Worse Than They Had Feared
Not only was the white paint packed with poisonous lead, but it was also extremely harmful to anyone’s skin. In fact, the paint ended up leaving a person’s complexion with discolored lines, which is not exactly the look people want during a time when beauty was everything. Not only that, but when the ladies took the time to remove their white makeup, they were spreading even more pollutants on their faces!
The “Remover” Was Laced With Mercury
Venetian ceruse was terrible enough without the addition of deadly lead to the mix. The folks wearing the white paint had no notion they were putting harmful substances on their faces. The paint mixture wasn’t the only toxic component of their cosmetic routines. Queen Elizabeth I and everyone else supposedly used a remover that was loaded with mercury! Everything about the makeup was hazardous to one’s health.