beauty history

Only 1 percent of the human population has naturally red hair, but the myths, stereotypes, and beliefs surrounding the color are incredibly varied. Humans have been obsessed with redheads, since the mutation that causes the color showed up between 20,000 and 100,000 years ago, and the fascination hasn't waned with time. Check out the amazing history of red hair, and find out which cultures would worship your ginger hair and which might burn you at the stake.

Source: The Ravishing (and Often Disturbing) History of Red Hair

Blond hair has only been around for 11,000 years or so, but in that (evolutionarily) short time it's made quite a mark on human culture. Especially in the West, where the highest concentration of flaxen-haired individuals sprang up. (Fun fact: there are also sizable blond populations in Oceania and the Pacific Islands.)

But since blondes began, the hair color has been interpreted in lots of different ways — from virtuous and pure to downright skanky — and every culture has its own norms when it comes to light hair. It's a fascinating case study in the ways something as simple as hair color can have an enormous amount of cultural import. Check out this history of tow-headedness for fascinating facts and cool insights about what it means to be a Betty instead of a Veronica.

Mascara is such an integral part of our beauty routines that we just accept it as a salient thing. But over its more than 6,000 years-long history, mascara has gone through some pretty big changes. For some fun (and surprising) facts about something you probably use every day, just keep reading.