Using synchrotron techniques to better understand the dangers of historical white lead cosmetics

Women (and men!) have been using lead-based cosmetics for millennia. Pliny the Elder discussed white lead face powder, noting it was poisonous, and it is believed that Queen Elizabeth the 1st used a cosmetic that was a mixture of white lead and vinegar. More recently, in the 19th century, the poisoning of young women from a cosmetic called Laird’s Bloom of Youth was well documented.