MERIDIAN —     Here’s the thing – how much is TOO MUCH information?  Let me explain.

    Recently, I was flipping channels.  I know – it can be very dangerous. But you see, I came across (what I thought) was an informative program about beauty products.  There was an attractive lady, you know cultured and refined. She had a lovely smile and smooth voice, and she demonstrated a table of lotions and skin cleansers and softeners – all packaged in pretty and shiny paper colored in soft pinks and lilacs. I mean what astute lady of this 21st century wouldn’t want those type products included in her mysterious beauty ritual? WRONG!

     Shudder – It’s painful to allow such INFORMATION run through my mind AGAIN, but you need to know.  I’m doing this for you.  You can thank me later.

    Anyway, as my glazed eyes slide across the bottles of beauty products that included lipsticks and nail polishes, I heard the words fish scales. FISH SCALES – I did a head-jerk! I then turned up the volume and picked up my note pad. She said it again – FISH SCALES! Was I the last person in the world to know that some cosmetic producers use the scales for shiny colors? Quickly the lady added, the scales are dipped in hydrogen nitride and crushed and squeezed into a special mixture, sometimes known as pearlecsence. Lastly, oils, waxes, and emollients are added to the finished product. BUT it was too late … I determined as I licked my fish scale free lips. Maybe I should just stick with red popsicles?

    Too much information! That’s when I put on my cosmetic research hat. You’ll be surprised at some of the beauty enhancement facts that swam-to-the-surface, so to speak. Read on.

    Oh, those Egyptians, Cleopatra and that bunch – those gals painted their lips with mignonette  tree leaves which were later determined to be poisonous, thus the expression “kiss of death” was a reality , but still, the pouty red lips were worth the risk. It was recorded that Cleopatra had her lipstick made from crushed carmine beetles, which gave a deep red pigment and ants were used for a base. GOOD GRIEF! Even in Babylon a mere 5000 years ago, the ladies were into the “looking good” syndrome when they would crush semi-precious jewels for lip color and occasionally around the eyes. Later, Queen Elizabeth I had her lip paints made from beeswax and red stains from plants. All makeup was frowned upon during the Victorian times, but in America especially during WWII, red, red lipstick was very popular. With the Hollywood glam effects, the lipstick industry has remained a leader in the cosmetic arena and the manufacturing there of is regulated by the US FDA.

    The fish scales make additional appearances in hair conditioners, nail products, shampoos and skin care products. The term used with these products is crystalline guanine, also regulated by the US FDA.

    I was clearly into something BIG here. I wondered about face creams. The Egyptians used oils and creams made of myrrh, thyme, marjoram, lavender, rosemary, plus others to mix with sesame oil and almond oil in order to protect their skin from the hot sun and dry winds. The Greeks used some of the same ingredients, but had the foresight to sell their products in small elaborately decorated ceramic pots. Ah – Marketing I0I. It is said that when Alexander the Great defeated King Darius after the battle of Issos, he entered the King’s tent and found many boxes of priceless ointments. Later Alexander became interested in the plant sources of the ointments .For many years while he traveled; Alexander sent plant cuttings to a friend in Athens who created a botanical garden.

    Today, our best skin lotions contain natural ingredients. Oils and extracts that are rich in minerals and antioxidant vitamins. Included are protein levels that encourage the growth of new skin cells. It has been found that Vitamin E improves the appearance of rough, dry or sagging skin. Elastin and Collagen work together to preserve elasticity and firmness.  Are you hearing this Cleo?

    Now let us go to the somewhat calmer recorded history of perfume. The development of western perfumery was aided by the Islamic culture. The Arabs and Persians successfully extracted fragrances through steam distillation. Their climate allowed the fragrance materials of spices and herbals, especially jasmine and various citrus, to thrive. The Crusaders introduced some of these perfumes to Europe during the 13th Century.  It was Queen Elizabeth of Hungry who commanded the production of perfume from scented oils blended in an alcohol solution and later flowers and aromatic plants were added. Quickly the technology spread throughout Europe and was known as Hungry Water. France became the empire of perfume manufacturing. The Chinese made lavish use of fragrances. They imported jasmine scented sesame oil from India, Persian rosewater, and Indonesian aromatic cloves to use on their bodies, baths, clothing, homes and temples.  The Japanese used incense as an art. They developed an effective distillation process. The incense technology was taught through specially crafted schools and the students learned to perform story dances for incense-burning rituals.  This type school is still in existence in Japan today.

    Too much information …

     With thoughts of mignonette tree leaves, beeswax, jasmine, and FISH SCALES congregated in my mind, I grabbed the remote and began to flip channels  AGAIN coming full circle, but what did I hear?  Red popsicles … Buy one get two FREE! A-ha, just what I need to complete the mysterious beauty ritual and solve my personal fish scale dilemma.  Now what to do about the pearlecsense sparkle?  Perhaps this can be a new challenge for the cosmetic world.  Where is Cleo when I need her?

    How much is TOO MUCH information?



    Anne B. McKee is an author and storyteller.  She lives in Meridian. Anne is listed on the Mississippi Artist Roster, sponsored by Mississippi Arts Commission, as a dramatic and literary artist and as a Teaching Artist. She is active with the arts and educational communities throughout Mississippi. Visit her web site: www.annemckee.net.