Medieval beauty: 5 books on women’s lives and beauty rituals from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance

Ideas of appearance, grooming and survival have always been tied to cultural expectations, and the medieval period through the Renaissance was no exception. In a world where illness, limited hygiene and rigid hierarchies shaped daily life, women’s strategies for managing beauty and self-presentation were as much about resilience as they were about aesthetics. Books that trace this history shed light on practices, perceptions and lived realities, showing how beauty was entwined with survival and status. For modern readers, they open a window into a time when the smallest detail—from hair arrangement to the use of herbs—could reflect health, morality or social position. This selection of works explores how women navigated beauty, necessity and identity across centuries.

Read more: 8 Scandinavian beauty brands that deserve a city on your vanity

‘Medieval Woman: Village Life in the Middle Ages’ by Ann Baer

‘Medieval Woman: Village Life in the Middle Ages’ by Ann Baer (Cover: Michael O'Mara)

Ann Baer’s Medieval Woman is an accessible account of a year in the life of, well, a medieval woman, detailing food, clothing and domestic routines. Beauty appears not as ornament but as survival, with attention to fabrics, skin care and the effect of hard agricultural work on appearance. It is an entry point into the texture of medieval beauty in everyday life.

‘The Experience of Beauty in the Middle Ages’ by Mary Carruthers

‘The Experience of Beauty in the Middle Ages’ by Mary Carruthers (Cover: OUP Oxford)

Mary Carruthers examines how beauty was perceived rather than practised in The Experience of Beauty in the Middle Ages. Drawing from philosophy, theology and literature, the book explains how beauty functioned as a moral and intellectual category. Though not a manual on cosmetics, it reveals the frameworks within which medieval beauty was judged and valued.

‘The Trotula’

‘The Trotula’ (Photo: University of Pennsylvania Press)

A cornerstone of medical writing from Salerno, The Trotula compiles remedies and instructions concerning women’s health. Its sections on skin, hair and treatments for blemishes provide one of the earliest written guides to medieval beauty techniques. It reflects both medical theory and the everyday concerns of women seeking to manage health and appearance.

‘How to be a Tudor’ by Ruth Goodman

‘How to be a Tudor’ by Ruth Goodman (Photo: Penguin)

Ruth Goodman’s How to Be a Tudor reconstructs the lived experiences of men and women in Tudor-era England, from diets to washing habits. Chapters on cosmetics, clothing and daily routines demonstrate how beauty in this period intersected with practicalities. The book connects medieval beauty traditions with the emerging Renaissance, showing what was carried forward and what shifted with time.

‘How to Be a Renaissance Woman’ by Jill Burke

‘How to Be a Renaissance Woman’ by Jill Burke (Photo: Wellcome Collection)

In How to be a Renaissance Woman, Jill Burke traces the ways women of the Renaissance used appearance to negotiate power, reputation and identity. Beauty is considered through painting, cosmetics and medical advice, highlighting continuity with medieval beauty practices while introducing innovations in style and self-presentation.

NOW READ

9 luxurious hair care products to stock up on in the world's beauty capitals

From etiquette to table setting: a reading list for stylish home entertaining

From Tudor courts to White House kitchens: 8 food books that explore kitchens of the powerful