Amish feel cosmetics lead to pride
Amish are known as “Plain people”, and emphasize plainness in all areas of life, including appearance.
Amish clothing is plain, and Amish do not wear jewelry. Likewise, Amish women generally do not wear cosmetics or makeup.
Amish girls during the adolescent period known as Rumspringa sometimes do wear cosmetics. During this time, they are not considered to be church members, however. Some Amish women have been reported to discreetly wear light makeup, though it is not common.
Amish feel cosmetics draw attention to the individual, which can lead to pride. Amish value the inner beauty which comes from leading a Christian life.
Read more on Amish plain clothing.
Photo credit: o5com
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Shaving
Hi, my name is Sofia and I am deeply interested in the Amish culture. I was surprised when I read here in this article that some Amish women might wear very light make up (althought it was not common at all) and I was wondering if they could shave their legs and underarms. I mean, I know it might not be a common practice, but is it “allowed”?
"Makeup" and the Amish
I love the trio of books, “Lizzie Finds Love,” by Linda Byler ( she is an Amish author and I believe a scribe for The Budget, as well ). These books were originally published in smaller volumes, and in a more limited printing. But in one of these books, which are ( generally ) autobiographical, Linda mentions that as an adolescent, her mom bought her a bottle of acne-treating medicine that was tinted, almost matching her skin color and hiding the red of the acne. She even mentions it was almost like makeup. I do hope this detail is true, because if it is, I believe I used the same product when I was a teenager!
Just a short follow-up to your question, not sure whether it helps or not, but I hope so!
The Amish girls/women I knew as a kid in Kansas did not shave their legs or underarms, or use make-up. I remember thinking that was just awful–I was a trying to talk my mom into letting me start doing all of those things, and they were hurting my argument! Lol!