The quest for a whiter shade of pale in skin care

The quest for a whiter shade of pale dates back to ancient civilizations, when a pale complexion was associated with aristocratic lineage. During the Tang dynasty (618-907), Chinese women used ground pearl powder as a whitening make-up. In ancient Persia, field workers bleached their skin with pure natural hydroquinone to keep it from darkening under the sun. In Europe, during the Renaissance, lead and mercury compounds applied to the face, neck, and chest, became popular as peel-off skin lighteners. Unknown at the time, many of the earlier lightening ingredients were in fact toxic and this led to their ban for cosmetic use.