Cosmetics are used for beauty and hygiene.
Cosmetics are products used for beauty or hygiene of the body. It is common for the notion of makeup to be used synonymously, which is the artificial compound that is applied to the face to adapt it to the lighting , hide imperfections or achieve a certain characterization.
The etymological origin of the word that we are going to analyze in depth is found in Greek. It emanates specifically from the sum of the noun cosmos , which can be translated as "beauty and order" , and the suffix -ico , which is equivalent to "relative to" .
History of cosmetics
Archeology has found evidence of the use of cosmetics in Ancient Egypt , around the year 4,000 BC . It is believed that the first cosmetics were moisturizing oils that were used as protection against the sun's rays.
An anonymous text from the 16th century , meanwhile, is the oldest written document that includes recommendations on the manufacture and use of cosmetics. However, until the first decades of the 20th century , cosmetics were considered vulgar and were only used by prostitutes or actors.
Cosmetics are usually applied to different parts of the face.
Products for women and men
Currently, the majority of women use cosmetics and even the number of men who use them is increasing. Among the different types of cosmetics, we can mention foundations (which offer a softer appearance to the skin), shadows and eyeliners (to develop a deeper look) and lipstick (which allows thickening the lips).
The number of men who opt for the use of cosmetics such as perfumes, anti-wrinkle creams or hair products has grown so much that this has led to the emergence of the term metrosexual . This is a word that is used colloquially to refer to all those men who feel great concern about their image, which leads them to use a large number of aesthetic items such as those mentioned.
Cosmetics are typically used to achieve a younger appearance. People with scars or punch marks also use them to hide wounds, while actors use cosmetics and makeup to characterize themselves according to the character.
Cosmetics of natural origin
It is also important to establish that in recent years, another important trend that has taken place is the growth in the number of products of this type that are committed to being made from elements of natural origin . And it is considered that precisely these provide a large number of benefits without harming our health and also without harming the environment.
Thus, for example, we would have to highlight the preparation of cosmetics with plants such as spruce , chicory , seaweed , poppy or acacia , among many others.
Currently there are many industries specialized in cosmetics. However, among them those that have the most weight and relevance at an international level, both in terms of sales volume and innovation, are Max Factor or Elizabeth Arden .
Cosmetics, in another sense, are something accessory or unimportant . For example: "The measures announced by the government are only cosmetic solutions, which do not fix the main problem."