Unsavory Facts About Victorian England That Weren't In The History Books

When you think of Victorian England, your first thoughts probably drift to fancy palaces, stuffy outfits, and funny hairdos. But it turns out beneath that beautiful facade, things were pretty grim for Victorian Brits. From toxic fog to disturbing medical practices, living in this time period was probably a nightmare for many average folks. If anyone tried these practices today, we'd be severely disgusted.

Toothpaste Ingredients

Toothpaste wasn't invented until later, so Victorian Brits used homemade "Dentifrices" instead. Some of these included ingredients like chalk and bleach, and one particularly popular solution was made of charcoal and honey — yuck!

Uses For Arsenic

We know now that arsenic is a dangerous poison, but back in the Victorian Era, it had a completely different use. Men used it as a sexual stimulant, and women used it to prevent wrinkles.

Grim Tokens of Remembrance

Mourning was taken very seriously in Victorian England. Mourners would often wear jewelry that included hair from the deceased, and special bottles were used to collect tears. They weren't messing around!

Raw Meat Skincare

Raw meat: good for all purposes! Well, that's what Victorian Brits thought after reading a popular beauty column that advertised laying strips of raw beef on your face at night to improve your complexion. Needless to say, don't try this at home.