Cosmetics had been a part of medieval medicine, and the topic was carried over in the transition to print. Cosmetics could also be a topic for criticism, seen as dishonest or promoting vanity. The processes by which cosmetics were made were the same as for making medicines, so cosmetics are also included in some recipe books.
A choice manuall, or, Rare secrets in physick and chyrurgery: collected, and practised by the…