Short answers, pulled from the story.
Cosmetics are substances applied to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. The word descends from the Greek kosmetike tekhne, meaning the technique of dress and ornament, rooted in kosmos, meaning order and ornament.
L'Oreal is the world's largest cosmetics company. It was founded by Eugene Schueller in 1909 as the Societe Francaise de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux, with later ownership split between Liliane Bettencourt at 26 percent, Nestle at 28 percent, and 46 percent traded publicly.
Early cosmetics often contained harmful ingredients such as lead, which caused serious health problems and sometimes death. White lead, including the ceruse used in the Renaissance and the Japanese oshiroi, swelled the eyes, weakened tooth enamel, and blackened skin, and the mascara Lash Lure caused blindness in the early 20th century.
Lillie Langtry, an English actress and socialite, became the first celebrity to endorse a commercial product in 1882 when she became the poster girl for Pears of London and allowed her name on face powders and skin products.
Cosmetics testing is banned in the Netherlands, India, Norway, Israel, New Zealand, Belgium, and the UK. The European Union banned the import and sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals, with EC Regulation 1223/2009 taking effect on the 11th of July 2013, and California banned the sale of animal-tested cosmetics in 2018.
The worldwide cosmetics and perfume industry generates an estimated annual turnover of 170 billion US dollars, according to Eurostaf in May 2007, with Europe leading at roughly 63 billion euros.
In the United States, cosmetic products and ingredients do not require FDA approval before going to market, except for color additives. Manufacturers are required to assure the safety of their products, and the FDA monitors marketed products and enforces against companies that break the law.