Staying on trend with the latest fashion is not just a modern concern – we have been trying to look our best and beat the rest almost since time began. This obsession with the cutting edge of style, however, has often come at a cost. From broken bones and fainting to disfigurement and ultimately death, these fatal fashion fads demonstrate how far some of our ancestors would go in search of style.
RADIOACTIVE COSMETICS
LATE 19TH-EARLY 20TH CENTURY
Once radium was discovered in 1898, various uses for it were suggested including cosmetics. The likes of perfumes, toothpaste, lipsticks and creams containing radium and thorium chloride became especially popular in France.
Before the dangers of being exposed to radiation were fully understood, many believed it contained energy that could be anti-ageing or give a glowing complexion to the skin. The craze of radioactivity even led to some products claiming to be radioactive when they weren't – just to join in with the hype.
Rather than rejuvenate the skin, these harmful potions would lead to vomiting, internal bleeding and eventually cancer. Thankfully, the majority of people who used radioactive cosmetics
