Ancient Egypt was known for its magnificent beauty, exotic perfumes, beautiful clothes, flamboyant style and vivacious hairstyles. They used soaps, creams, and oils for skin care. They used aromatic perfumes and dramatic hairstyles to fight the intense heat. They unearthed the art and importance of birth controls and spas. Ancient Egypt Beauty Secrets placed a high emphasis on beauty
It has been said that Cleopatra’s beauty secret was bathing in milk and honey. Even ancient Egyptians apparently understood the benefits of these wonderful ingredients…the lactic acid in milk and the wonderful antiseptic and humectant properties of honey.
Egyptians used cosmetics regardless of sex and social status for both aesthetic and therapeutic reasons. Oils and unguents were rubbed into the skin to protect it from the hot air. Most frequently used were white makeup, black makeup made with carbon, lead sulfide (galena) or manganese oxide (pyrolusite) and green makeup from malachite and other copper based minerals. Red ochre was ground and mixed with water, and applied to the lips and cheeks, painted on with a brush. Henna was used to dye the fingernails yellow and orange.
Kohl was applied to the eyes with a small stick. Both upper and lower eyelids were painted and a line was added extending from the corner of the eye to the sides of the face, the eye brows were painted black. It was believed that the makeup had magical and even healing powers.
Standards of Ancient Egypt Beauty Secrets
The ancient Egyptians recognized that body care and beauty begins with cleanliness. They were very conscious of body odors and associated unpleasant smells with impurity. Good smells indicated the presence of the sacred. Once again, we run into the unity of the holistic. To be healthy, attractive and magically-protected, one must be clean. To begin her toilette, the well-groomed Egyptian woman washed thoroughly with a special cleansing paste made from water mixed with natron.
Almonds were a popular ingredient in ancient Egyptian cosmetics. The Egyptians used oil from Bitter Almonds but Sweet Almond Oil is perhaps the most popular base oil used in modern aromatherapy and very readily available. It has a slight, mild aroma, is light in texture and is absorbed into the skin very quickly.
In no other country or culture, was the concern with beautification and body care so expensive. Cleopatra VII, last of the Ptolemies, was herself credited with writing a book of beauty secrets, an art that she was universally acknowledged as mastering.
