1. Why Ancient Egyptian Paintings Show Red Cheeks Colored with Local Earth
Egyptian art depicts people with red cheeks. One example is a papyrus called the Book of the Dead of Ani, dating back to around 1250 BC [5]. This means traces of makeup from over 3,000 years ago have survived in paintings.
According to sites explaining Egyptian cosmetics, this red was likely made by crushing red clay rich in iron oxide (red ochre) or hematite. These powders were mixed with animal fat or vegetable oil [5]. Because actual makeup contains organic material, it rarely survives today. Therefore, the paintings are important clues.
But what about lip colors from even older times, where no paintings or writing remain?
2. What a 4,000-Year-Old Red Paste in a Small Stone Container Tells Us
Near Jiroft in southeastern Iran, researchers found small containers made of green stone in a cemetery. Inside was a deep red paste. Radiocarbon dating estimates it is about 4,000 years old, from the early second millennium BC [5].
The main ingredient was crushed hematite, mixed with manganese minerals and quartz. Researchers suggest this might have been lipstick for lips. However, this is an interpretation, not a confirmed fact. It cannot be definitively called the "oldest lipstick" [5].
One reason for this interpretation comes from the Turin Papyrus in Egypt (12th century BC). It shows a young woman holding a mirror, an applicator, and a cylindrical bottle. The shape of the bottle resembles a section of a reed. By comparing the painting to the container, researchers think they were used similarly [5].
3. How Safflower Petals Were Used to Extract a Little Red
Safflower is said to have come to Japan from the Korean Peninsula, along with engineers who knew how to process it. The exact time of arrival is debated [5]. By the Nara period, women depicted in screens and the statue of Kichijoten at Shosoin were decorated with lip and cheek reds. In 701 AD, laws even created a position to oversee safflower-dyeing artisans [5].
According to the Benibana Museum, more than 99% of the pigment in safflower petals is yellow. Only a tiny amount is red; precarthamin turns red during processing when exposed to oxygen [5]. With mineral powders, you just crush and mix them. But with safflower, extracting that tiny amount of red requires great effort.
This effort leads to the high price discussed in the next section.
4. How Much Edo-Period Safflower Lipstick Cost per Small Cup
In the Edo period, safflower red was sold coated inside small cups called "beni-choko." High-quality red cost about one ryo (a unit of gold) per cup. Cheaper versions cost around 16 or 24 mon (copper coins) [5].
In Edo, people said, "One momme of beni is worth one momme of gold," showing how expensive it was [5]. Converting this to modern money varies widely in historical records, from hundreds to tens of thousands of yen, so we will not give a specific yen amount here.
There is another feature of this expensive red. Only high-purity beni shines with an iridescent color [5].
5. How Layering Safflower Red Made Lips Look Green in the "Sasa-beni" Style
During the Bunka and Bunsei eras (1804–1830), a style called "sasa-beni" became popular. This made lower lips look green. It used the property of layered safflower red to shine iridescently [5]. Some suggest this trend arose from wanting to show off that one could afford to use lots of expensive red.
However, red was still costly. A book called *Miyako Fuzoku Keshoden* describes a way to use less beni: applying soot from ink or lamp oil underneath, then layering less red on top to create the green shine [5]. Safflower red was also used for corners of eyes and fingernails.
Cosmetic red started with mineral powders. Then it became a scarce red extracted from flowers. Finally, the high price itself inspired fashion trends.
6. How to Learn More About Cosmetic Red by Comparing Old Pictures
You can try this at home: Look for ancient Egyptian or Edo-period pictures in books at your house. Compare how lips and cheeks are colored. Imagine which material created that red, and your view of the art may change.
You can also visit museums: Check if local museums display cosmetic tools or small cups that held safflower red. You can verify if a museum has "beni" exhibits on their official websites.
For official information, the National Diet Library in Japan has an article titled "How Far Did Edo Makeup Go?" which is available to read online.