A Heavy Price
While the Venetian poison might have made one look more attractive (if deathly whiteness is your thing), ironically, it destroyed one’s skin after a while, turning long-time users frightening-looking. Not only would Venetian ceruse subscribers be coating themselves in hazardous lead, but their complexions were also being discolored and prematurely wrinkled. To add insult to injury, it is supposed that Elizabeth used the common makeup removal method that her contemporaries did, one which relied on a mixture featuring mercury.
A Heavy Price
Another Poison
As you are well aware, mercury is another toxin, which women used to cleanse their faces, damaging their complexions even more. We are unsure if Elizabeth used mercury-based cleansers herself, but given how many strange beauty methods were popular during her time, she could have chosen from an entire arsenal. Take freckle removal, for example. The pretty spots were considered imperfections and were dealt with harshly through damaging substances like sulfur, turpentine, and mercury. Ouch!
Another Poison
