10 Amazing Beauty and Makeup Tips from Ancient Egypt

23.01.2023 - 11:32

The ancient Egyptians were known for their love of beauty and perfection, and it's no surprise that they had a wide range of beauty and grooming products at their disposal. From hair care to makeup, skin care to anti-aging oils, the Egyptians had a solution for everything. In fact, many of the beauty products we use today have evolved from those used thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt.

We'll take a closer look at some of the famous beauty products used by the ancient Egyptians and how they used them to enhance their appearance!

1. Eyeshadow was an important part of make-up. The oil in it was sticking to the eyelid due to its sticky structure and increased its permanence. The color range was also quite wide.

The darker colors were obtained by crushing coal and sulfur. They made the green shade by crushing the copper stone. Orange, red, copper tones were made from materials such as copper oxide earth stone. The purple tones came from the essences of the flowers. They were benefiting from the blessings of nature to the last drop.

2. Their eyeliners are still used today.

Kohl is used to draw thick jet-black razor-like lines on the lashline. It adds a touch of mystery and adds depth to the eye, allowing you to have mesmerizing looks.

The original version of the carriage was made of stibnite stone, and upper-class women used it as a sign of their nobility. Later, because it looked very stylish, it became fashionable and began to be used by both women and men and spread among all classes.

3. They were even making blush.

To look younger and healthier, adding light color to the cheeks was popular not only in Ancient Egypt, but in all ancient civilizations. The blush that is still widely used today was obtained by the Egyptians at that time by washing the clay and drying the remaining sand in the sun. The clay dried in the sun was turning into sweet pink shades of colors, and they applied this clay powder to their faces with soaked wooden brushes.

While people who were upper class could access makeup supplies from grocery stores, people in the lower class made their own supplies at home.

4. Coloring the lips was a sign of wealth.

The first lip paint was invented by the Sumerians and passed on to the Egyptians from them. Again, the lip paint trend, which started as an indicator of wealth of people in the upper class, distinguished them from other classes. These dyes, which are made with soil-based substances, were obtained by adding plant roots and beating with a mallet. The favorite lipstick color of the famous queen Cleopatra was Carmine red.

5. Henna was often used.

Henna, a natural and rich dye, was used in Ancient Egypt to dye hair, shape eyebrows, paint nails and even make tattoos. Because it has a red tone when used by itself, it was mixed with other plant extracts to obtain different shades.

After henna has become the beauty routine of the Egyptians, it has started to be used in wedding ceremonies. Henna was served to both the bride and her relatives and friends with a small party. Even the servants and dancers who were there would put henna on their feet with the wish that the bride would have a good marriage.

6. The first examples of skin care were seen in Egypt.

Egyptians, who produced many skin care products to overcome the damage caused to their skin by desert heat and sandstorms, had certain routines to prevent aging. The royal family used to do sea salt massages and moisturizing luxurious baths made using donkey milk.

They were having in-depth hydration using honey and milk on a weekly basis. In their daily routine, they would first wash their skin with water, then rub it with sand and apply oil. They also had a thousand and one kinds of oils such as almond, rosemary and castor oil to moisturize. They also believed that these oils rejuvenate the skin.

7. The pioneers of waxing were also Egyptians.

It was quite common for both women and men to remove the hair on their bodies because they had a highly developed aesthetic understanding. They wanted to look smooth. For this, they were using a sticky paste that was used by mixing sugar lemon and water.

This paste still retains its popularity in today's Egypt, as it pulls the hairs from the roots. Of course, now they buy at the grocery store at an affordable price instead of making it at home.

8. They wouldn't go out without a fragrance.

The ancient Egyptians used smells both for their own pleasure and used spiritually pleasant, intoxicating smells as offerings to the gods and as protectors against evil energies. The royal family even had their own private perfumers. They used special scents for different situations.

There would be special laboratory-type rooms in the palaces to produce perfumes, essences and incense. They used to extract essence from plants and flowers by a method they called maceration to extract odors. How this process is carried out is kept as a secret. It's still a matter of curiosity.

9. Hair was also very important.

Famous for their wigs, it was very common for men to shave their heads in the ancient Egyptian traditions. Especially when queens did not use wigs, they did not mind using false hair and jewelry. There were so many different kinds of wigs that it was almost impossible to see people who did not use them.

While men generally preferred to have short hair or no hair, women's hairstyles varied depending on their age and whether they were married or single. Adult women who had children wore their hair light and long, while single young women wore their hair in a ponytail. The youngest girls, on the other hand, braided their hair. In order for their hair to be strong and shiny, they used natural oils, combed it with combs made from fish bones or wood.

10. They also used cosmetic products in the making of medicines.

No matter how important beauty had a place for the Egyptian civilization, cosmetic products were produced for superstitions just as much. Hiding from evil eyes, pleasing the gods, protecting from the sun, maintaining order are the most popular of them.

Interestingly, it was also important that they were beautiful after death. When people died, in addition to their precious belongings, makeup materials, combs, oils were added to the grave. So, they believed that they could continue to show off in the next life as well.