<\/span><\/h2>\nTowards the start of the 1940s, nearly all of Europe was at war. With other nations joining the battle, wartime restrictions impacted everything from food to cosmetics. Everyday items started disappearing off the shelves one by one in a bid to fuel the war.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe wartime rationing affected literally everything: sugar, petrol, sausages, eggs nightshirts, etc. In fact, all the daily-use items that people had gotten accustomed to were now available only in a book of stamps, waiting to be claimed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAlcohol soon fell short too, so that meant less perfumes and colognes. A reduced supply of fat and oils led to the rationing of soap. Glycerine was one of the key ingredients involved in the war effort, and once that was rationed, the cosmetics industry started to fall flat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWith metal and plastics also being redirected towards war rationing, packaging took a hit, which meant cosmetics could not be packaged and moved around effectively across Europe and the UK. Some cosmetics companies started making specific items to help with the war effort, leading to lower cosmetics production output. Revlon was one of them, making dye markers and first-aid kits for the American Navy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nRationing within the UK made everyday items hard to get. Women, however, got creative with substitutes instead of outright giving up on makeup altogether! Some examples include:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Beetroot juice or cochineal for lipstick<\/span><\/li>\n
- Gravy browning to be used in place of stockings<\/span><\/li>\n
- Burnt cork for mascara<\/span><\/li>\n
- Bicarbonate of soda for deodorant\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Second-hand theatre makeup soon started making rounds. Even after the war ended, rationing was still in place in Britain until 1954.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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