While fake tan is all the rage today, there was a time when having a golden glow meant you were a common labourer.

As brutal as it sounds, scientists came up with a solution to make you as white as a ghost and that solution was a concoction of mercury and arsenic. Both chemicals were used to make a variety of creams and lotions that could be applied to bleach your complexion. Thankfully there are far safer methods available on the market today.