4,000-Year-Old Lipstick Found in Iran, a Time When Make-Up Was Banned

The oldest lipstick in existence has been discovered in Iran.

According to ABC News on the 13th (local time), an Italian research team from the University of Padua announced their findings in the British scientific journal Scientific Reports last month.

The research team recently analyzed a cylindrical container and its contents, excavated from a cemetery dating back to 3000 BC in Southeast Iran near the Kerman region, which was discovered in 2001.

According to the radiocarbon dating results, the container, approximately 2 inches in length and 0.8 inches in width, was made between 1936 BC and 1687 BC.

Inside the container was a powdered substance. The analysis showed that it contained a large amount of hematite, a deep red iron oxide mineral, along with plant-based oils and waxes commonly used in modern-day lipsticks.

The researchers stated, “When all the ingredients are combined, it matches what you expect to see inside a lipstick today.”

They added that over time, the substances dehydrated and turned into a powder, but when seen through a microscope, it’s clear that it was originally a red liquid lipstick (lip paint).

The researchers suggested that people in the past would have applied this lipstick using a brush.

The Washington Post (WP) pointed out that this lipstick was discovered in Iran, a conservative country that currently restricts women’s makeup.

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has banned makeup such as lipstick and manicures. Although these restrictions have been somewhat relaxed, makeup is still prohibited for female public officials and medical students.