namaste.
The very idiom 'make up' indicates 'making up' for some deficiency. But then every woman, fair-skinned or not-so-fair-skinned, does apply some form of make-up in an effort to enhance her looks. This has been the practice from time immemorial, and men are not exceptions to it.
• But then, the make-up we give the portraits of our Gods is actually made up of our ignorance, although in one sense it is true that when the NirguNa Brahman takes a he/she form and becomes SaguNa Brahman, it does wear a make-up.
• As DrBarani has observed, any make-up that could enhance the natural shine of skin, could be welcome and healthy. I found a Sanskrit saying on the subject, in Apte's Dictionary that is interesting:
त्वया अलावण्यदोषः सदाचरेण प्रतिविधेयः
tvayA alAvaNyadoShaH sadAchareNa pratividheyaH
"You should make up for want of beauty by being good."
Thus, with character one can shine better than with cosmetics.
• Again, man or woman, applying cosmetics all over the body might lead to health hazards, as the following message I received in mail long back, indicates:
Cancer News from John Hopkins Hospital
A friend of mine who has received Chemotherapy and is now receiving Radiation at Princess Margaret Hospital for breast cancer phoned me today to tell me what they have now found about causes of breast cancer. And then tonight, I got the same information from another friend in Montreal.
The person with the cancer has been told by the hospital to only use deodorant rather than an anti-perspirant. The reasons are outlined in the letter below. Anyway, I thought it was worth sharing.
Ladies!! Be aware! Gentlemen, pass this on to the ladies in your life!
Sometime ago, I attended a Breast-Cancer-Awareness seminar. During the Q&A period, asked why the most common area for breast cancer was near the armpit. My question could not be answered at that time. The leading cause of breast cancer is the use of anti-perspirant. What? A concentration of toxins leads to cell mutations, aka cancer. Yes, ANTI-PERSPIRANT. Most of the products out there are an antiperspirant/deodorant combination, so go home and check. Deodorant is fine, anti-perspirant is not. Here's why:
The human body has a few areas that it uses to purge toxins from the body; behind the knees, behind the ears, the groin area, and armpits. The toxins are purged in the form of perspiration. Anti-perspirant, as the name clearly indicates, prevents you from perspiring, thereby inhibiting the body from purging toxins from below the armpits. These toxins do not just magically disappear. Instead, the body deposits them in the lymph nodes below the arms since it cannot sweat them out. Nearly all breast cancer tumours occur in the upper outside quadrant of the breast area. This is precisely where the lymph nodes are located. Additionally, men are less likely (but not completely exempt) to develop breast cancer prompted by anti-perspirant usage because most of the anti-perspirant product is caught in their hair and is not directly applied to the skin. Women who apply anti-perspirant right after shaving increase the risk further because shaving causes almost imperceptible nicks in the skin, which give the chemicals entrance into the body from the armpit area.
We have the legacy of haridrA--turmeric and shikhaikkAi--soap nut powder, and a host of other herbals to enhance our tejas--shine of beauty, without side effects. How I wish that the Indian corporate research sector initiates intensive study and research of our native make-up techniques using our herbal legacy and make the products designed using them available to us at costs much cheaper than the cosmetics of the West, besides guarding their work with adequate patent rights.
