Early Christian Views on Cosmetics
Early Christian writers usually warned against cosmetics and heavy beauty display. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Arnobius tied face-paint, dyes, and luxury grooming to vanity and moral risk. They often appealed to 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3-4, along with warnings from Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The strongest evidence points to a broad call for modesty rather than a single rule about every kind of grooming.
112 early-church witnesses · 195 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about cosmetics?
Early Christian writers usually treated cosmetics as a sign of vanity, sexual display, or a false attempt to change how God made a person. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Cyprian, Arnobius, and others speak against face-paint, dyes, and other beauty tricks, while urging modesty, self-control, and a plain outward life. The Bible passages they most often leaned on were 1 Timothy 2:9, 1 Peter 3:3-4, and related warnings in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah.
The pattern is broad and repeated across the second and third centuries, though some texts speak more about luxury and attraction in general than about cosmetics alone. A few passages are indirect or background only, but the main teaching is clear: cosmetic display was usually viewed as worldly and spiritually risky. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Most early Christian writers treated cosmetics as part of vanity, not as a neutral habit.
- Clement, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Arnobius all warned against makeup, dyes, or beauty tricks.
- The main Bible texts used were 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3-4.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Why did early Christians warn against cosmetics and face-painting?
Several early Christian writers say cosmetics, dyes, and painted appearance signal vanity, disease of the soul, or shameless luxury. Their language frames cosmetic display as spiritually harmful, not merely a matter of style.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Direct teaching
Just as the plastered hand and the anointed eye exhibit from their very look the suspicion of a person in illness, so also cosmetics and dyes indicate that the soul is deeply diseased.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Direct teaching
Women must not smear their faces with the deceptive tricks of clever cunning. Instead, let us show them the adornment of self-control. First of all, the best beauty is spiritual beauty, as we have often said. For when the soul is adorned by the Holy Spirit, and filled with the bright charms that come from Him — righteousness, wisdom, courage, self-control, love of what is good, and modesty, than which no more lovely color has ever been seen — then bodily beauty too should be cared for: a well-shaped body and limbs, with a healthy complexion. Here the adornment of health is proper. Through it, the artificial image is brought over to the truth, in keeping with the form that God has given. But self-control in drink, and moderation in food, are effective in producing natural beauty. For these not only keep the body healthy, but also make beauty appear. For from what is fiery come gleam and sparkle; from moisture come brightness and grace; from dryness come strength and firmness; and from what is airy come easy breathing and balance. From these this well-proportioned and beautiful image of the Word is adorned. Beauty is the free flower of health. Health is produced within the body, whil
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Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness
Let women, said he, adorn themselves with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with broidered hair, nor gold, nor pearls, nor costly array, but as becomes women professing chastity, with a good conversation.
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Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching
They taught them also to paint the eyes with blackness drawn round them in a circle, and to stain the cheeks with a deceitful red, and to change the hair with false colors, and to drive out all truth, both of face and head, by the assault of their own corruption.
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Tertullian, On the Apparel of Women Supporting witness
For they who rub their skin with medicaments, stain their cheeks with rouge, make their eyes prominent with antimony, sin against Him .
More related quotations from this section 8 shown
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Arnobius, Against the Heathen Direct teaching
... these around their necks, pierce the tips of their ears, bind their foreheads with bands, look for cosmetics to decorate their bodies, and darken their eyes with henna? And though they were in the form of men, should they not be ashamed to curl their hair with curling irons, to make the skin of their bodies smooth, to walk with bare knees, and by every other kind of shameless behavior both to put aside the strength of their manhood and to become more and more womanish in habits and luxury?
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Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness
...nd virginity is appointed for the kingdom of God, what do they have to do with earthly clothing and ornaments? While they are trying to please men with these things, they offend God. They do not consider that it is declared, "They who please men are put to confusion, because God has despised them," and that Paul also has spoken gloriously and sublimely: "If I still pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). But continency and modesty do not consist only in purity of the flesh. They also consist in propriety, and in modesty of dress and adornment, so that, according to the apostle, she who is unmarried may be holy both in body and in spirit. Paul instructs and teaches us, saying, "He that is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please God; but he who has entered marriage cares for the things of this world, how he may please his wife." So both the virgin and the unmarried woman think on the things of the Lord, so that they may be holy both in body and in spirit (1 Corinthians 7:14). A virgin ought not only to be so, but also to be seen and believed to be so. No one, on seeing a virgin, should have any doubt whether she is one. Perfectio
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Tertullian, On the Apparel of Women Supporting witness
Nay, moreover, the force of the cosmetics burns ruin into the hair;
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness
And others, as if they had certain efflorescences, in order to appear comely in the eyes of spectators, stain their faces by adorning them with gay-colored ointments.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness
So those women who wear gold, occupying themselves in curling at their locks, and engaged in anointing their cheeks, painting their eyes, and dyeing their hair, and practising the other pernicious arts of luxury, decking the covering of flesh — in truth, imitate the Egyptians, in order to attract their infatuated lovers.
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Tertullian, On the Apparel of Women Background
...paves the way for affection for the sake of your salvation. That salvation—and not the salvation of women only, but of men also—consists principally in showing modesty. For since, by the introduction into us of the Holy Spirit, we are all the temple of God, Modesty is the sacristan and priestess of that temple. She must allow nothing unclean or profane to be brought into it, lest the God who inhabits it should be offended and completely forsake the polluted dwelling. But at present we are not speaking about modesty itself, because the divine precepts that press on us from every side are enough to enjoin and require it. Rather, we are speaking about the things that belong to it—that is, the way in which it behooves you to walk. For most women—and this very thing I trust God may permit me to rebuke in all, with a view, of course, to my own personal rebuke—either through simple ignorance or else through dissimulation, have the boldness so to walk as if modesty consisted only in the mere integrity of the flesh and in turning away from actual fornication. They act as though there were no need for anything outward besides this, in the matter of the arrangement of dress and ornament, t
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Background
..., which allowed only harlots to wear flowered clothes and ornaments of gold, forbidding respectable women from love of ornament, and allowing only courtesans to deck themselves. On the other hand, the archons of the Athenians, who affected a polished mode of life, forgetting their manhood, wore tunics reaching to the feet, and had on the crobulus, a kind of knot of the hair, adorned with a fastening of golden grasshoppers, supposedly to show their origin from the soil, in the display of licentiousness. Now the rivalry of these archons spread also to the other Ionians, whom Homer, to show their effeminacy, calls "Long-robed." Those, therefore, who are devoted to the image of the beautiful, that is, to love of finery, not to the beautiful itself, and who under a fair name practice idolatry again, are to be banished far from the truth, as people who by opinion, not knowledge, dream about the nature of the beautiful. And so life here is to them only a deep sleep of ignorance. From this it becomes us to rouse ourselves and hurry to what is truly beautiful and comely, and desire to grasp this alone, leaving the ornaments of earth to the world, and bidding them farewell before we fall
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Background
what are we to imagine ought to be said of love of ornament, and dyeing of wool, and variety of colors, and fastidiousness about gems, and exquisite working of gold, and still more, of artificial hair and wreathed curls;
Did early Christians tell women not to paint their faces?
The clearest early Christian admonitions tell women not to smear, paint, or alter the face with cosmetics, blackness, rouge, dyes, or similar arts. These sources consistently contrast outward beauty with modesty, self-control, and inward character.
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Tertullian, On the Apparel of Women Supporting witness
Of course, now I, a man, as being envious of women, am banishing them quite from their own domain. Are there not, in our case too, some things which, in respect of the sobriety we are to maintain on account of the fear due to God, are disallowed? If it is true, as it is, that in men, for the sake of women, just as in women for the sake of men, there is implanted by a defect of nature the will to please; and if our sex acknowledges in itself deceptive tricks of appearance peculiarly its own, such as cutting the beard too sharply, plucking it out here and there, shaving around the mouth, arranging the hair, and disguising its grayness with dyes; removing all the first soft hair over the whole body; fixing each hair in its place with some womanly pigment; and smoothing all the rest of the body with some rough powder or other; then, further, taking every opportunity to consult the mirror, and gazing anxiously into it—while yet, when the knowledge of God has put an end to all wish to please by means of sensual attraction, all these things are rejected as frivolous, as hostile to modesty. For where God is, there is modesty; there is sobriety, her assistant and ally. How, then, shall we p
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Tertullian, On the Veiling of Virgins Supporting witness
The next thing is, they consult the looking-glass to aid their beauty, and thin down their over-exacting face with washing, perhaps withal vamp it up with cosmetics, toss their mantle about them with an air, fit tightly the multiform shoe, carry down more ample appliances to the baths.
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Commodianus, Writings Direct teaching
...ck. God is the overlooker, who dives into each heart. But these things are not necessary for modest women. Pierce your breast with chaste and modest feeling. The law of God bears witness that such laws fail from the heart which believes. For a wife approved by her husband, let it suffice that she is so, not by her dress, but by her good disposition. Put on only the clothes that the cold and the heat, or too much sun, require, so that you may be approved as modest, and show forth the gifts of your capacity among the people of God. You who were formerly most illustrious, give yourself the appearance of one who is contemptible. She who lay without life was raised by the prayers of the widows. She deserved this, that she should be raised from death, not by her costly dress, but by her gifts. O good matrons, flee from the adornment of vanity. Such attire is fitting for women who haunt the brothels. Overcome the evil one, O modest women of Christ. Show forth all your wealth in giving.
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Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness
15. And indeed in that very matter, for the sake of the fear which faith suggests to me, for the sake of the love which brotherhood requires, I think that not virgins only and widows, but married women also, and all of the sex alike, should be admonished, that the work of God and His fashioning and formation ought in no manner to be adulterated, either with the application of yellow color, or with black dust or rouge, or with any kind of medicament which can corrupt the native lineaments.
Did early Christians also criticize men for grooming, dyeing, or luxury display?
A few sources broaden the warning beyond women and criticize men for dyeing gray hair, shaving, arranging hair, removing body hair, or otherwise using deceptive appearance. These texts show that the concern was not limited to one sex, even if women are discussed more often.
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1 Timothy 2:9 Direct teaching
in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,
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Jeremiah 4:30 Direct teaching
And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life.
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1 Peter 3:3 Direct teaching
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
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1 Peter 3:4 Direct teaching
but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
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1 Peter 3:5 Supporting witness
For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
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Ezekiel 23:40 Direct teaching
“Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness
The Instructor tells them to go out in proper clothing and to dress themselves with modesty and self-control, as 1 Timothy 2:9 says, being subject to their own husbands. Then, if any do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, while they observe, he says, your pure conduct. Their beauty should not be outward beauty, such as braided hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine clothes. Instead, let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:1-4
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Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness
...our riches. In his own words, he sets a proper limit for your clothing and ornaments. He said, "Let women adorn themselves with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or expensive clothing, but as is fitting for women who profess chastity, with a good way of life." 1 Timothy 2:9-10 Peter also agrees with these same teachings and says, "Let a woman's adornment not be outward, in clothing, or gold, or fine dress, but the adornment of the heart." 1 Peter 3:3-4 But if they also warn that women who are used to excusing their dress by referring to their husband should be restrained and limited by religious observance according to the Church's discipline, how much more right is it for the virgin to keep that observance? She has no excuse for adorning herself, nor can the deceitfulness of her fault be laid on another, but she herself remains guilty of it!
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Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness
1 Timothy 2:9-10 Also Peter consents to these same precepts, and says, Let there be in the woman not the outward adorning of array, or gold, or apparel, but the adorning of the heart.
More related quotations from this section 1 shown
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Matthew 6:16 Background
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
Common Questions
Did early Christians think makeup was wrong?
Many early Christian writers warned against makeup as part of vanity and sexual display, and they called for modesty instead.
Which Bible verses did early Christians use about cosmetics?
They most often used 1 Timothy 2:9, 1 Peter 3:3-4, and warning passages like Jeremiah 4:30 and Ezekiel 23:40.
Was the early Christian view only about women?
No. Some writers, especially Tertullian, also criticized grooming and dyes in men, though most of the discussion focused on women.
Source Index for Cosmetics
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 195 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 112
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
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Unknown, Unknown Work
Bible Passages 80 shown of 83
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.
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Book 79 1:32
