Could Boudica Have Saved Queen Elizabeth I?

The choice of personal care products by Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603 a.d.) was not a good one, certainly not up to her usual high standard of decision making. During her lifetime, little was known of the detrimental effect of certain ingredients, even the natural ones that caused her problems. In fact, many historians believe them to have been responsible for her death.

This is especially sad for the Boudica Shampoo & Conditioners team, since it is our mission to protect every woman, man and child who uses our products. That’s why we’ve always precluded ingredients that are potentially harmful. The more natural, healthier ingredients are often more expensive, but quality and length of human life warrant the expense. And our loyal customers continuously tell us so. Fortunately, even today’s worst ingredients are far less harmful than those used during the 16th century. Nevertheless, we still strive to be as healthy as possible. In 500 years, we don’t want anyone reading about how the personal care products of the 21st century harmed the population.

So dark were the dark ages (500-1400 a.d.), that Boudica (30-61 a.d.), a lover of nature with legendary hair, was forgotten about for a thousand years. However, it is known that Elizabeth I would have heard of Boudica, Queen of the Iceni Tribe in England. Petruccio Ubaldini, a noted author, wrote a famous book, celebrating the ‘Lives of Noble Ladies of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England’, in the 16th Century, which also referenced Boudica. And Elizabeth I was certainly a lady of letters, a practice that she encouraged throughout the realm. Is it any coincidence that Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and John Donne, all thrived during her reign? In 1588, when Elizabeth I and her subjects successfully defended her nation from an invading force, had she been inspired by an earlier Iron Age Queen who similarly, held out against overwhelming forces (at least for a while)?

It is known that Elizabeth I continuously used white makeup, derived from poisonous white lead and vinegar. Although both these ingredients are natural, lead is certainly not suitable for human applications. It is thought that Elizabeth I may have suffered blood poisoning as a result of the use of this makeup, which may have caused or contributed to her death. In other words, natural ingredients are a great place to start for healthier personal care products, but they should only be deemed safe, when certified through scientific understanding and research.

In that regard, we feel that had Elizabeth I had access to healthy, natural personal care products such as Boudica Shampoo and Conditioners, it would have prevented the tragedy of her premature departure.