Such is the sentiment of an 1882 book, Deportment and Social Culture. Books of this sort abounded in the Victorian era, when natural and unadorned beauty was touted as the only acceptable form of appearance... and, of course, when numerous recipes and products aided the 19th century lady and gentleman to subtly improve on what nature forgot.

"The eyes should not be tampered with. Their beauty cannot be improved by art. It is said the beauty of the soul often hath its index in the countenance, hence, if you would beautify the eyes, you must study pleasing traits of character, and let the thoughts be beautiful and pure-- and those beautiful impulses of the soul will become manifest in the eyes."¹

This was a time period of great change in the personal appearance. The first half of the 19th century was very similar to the century previous; cleanliness meant removal of visible dirt. If you didn't look dirty, then you were clean. Washing daily was encouraged (meaning with a cloth or sponge), and bathing in a tub once a week was the ideal.²

The Industrial Revolution in the middle of the 19th century began a vast change in the nature of hygiene. Science became the way to achieve a good appearance, as the discovery of microbes gave greater understanding to both dirt and smells.  Improved printing methods allowed greater numbers of etiquette books, such as the one quoted above, which instructed readers in the "proper" ways of improving their appearances.³ 

"Ingenious Art, with her expressive face,
    Steps forth to fashion and refine the race."

¹ Stuart, John. Deportment and Social Culture. San Francisco: D. S. Colby & Co. 1882, p. 366.

² Shoffner, Melissa and Merrilee Garner. "Nineteenth Century Hygiene, or, Dirty or Not: Standards of Cleanliness, 1800-1906". Proceedings of the 2005 Conference and Annual Meeting of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM), pp. 77-78.

³ ibid., p. 78.

Image from Deportment and Social Culture, 1882.