It may be romanticized in books and movies, but life in the 1700s was anything but romantic for most people. This is particularly true when it comes to everyday modern amenities and hygiene practices. You may think it’s always been normal to brush your Teeth or hop in the shower, and surely you’ve never thought about a day when toilet paper didn’t exist. But these and many more would have been luxuries — or in most cases, not even conceived of yet — in the 18th Century. Here are 10 Astonishing Facts about life in the 18th century!

Brush Your Teeth, or Not

An Italian company called Marvis began making toothpaste in the early 1700s, but that doesn’t mean people became fans of brushing their teeth. In the 1700s, dental hygiene consisted of using a toothpick and wiping the gums down. Forget about the flossing and two minutes of brushing twice a day!

No Brazilian Wax Jobs

Forget the Brazilian waxing and eyebrow tweezing, hair grooming for women was not around, period. It was not popular to shave underarms or legs until the 1920s in America. And as for the other delicate areas that are commonly groomed today, that wasn’t popular for several more decades.

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