Did you ever question where some of the current trends in beauty came from? Amazingly, most of them date back to famous boss babes like Cleopatra and Nefertiti for several centuries.
The tremendous attraction to the ancient Egyptians’ beauty and their tenacious pursuit of it are well documented. In ancient Egypt, women and men indulged in extensive skincare, cosmetics, and other beauty routines as this was considered a status symbol and related to “holiness.”
Egypt’s natural beauty evolution has undergone substantial alteration and expansion recently. Could this be Egypt’s chance to shine on the global scene in the same vein as K-beauty?
Ancient Egyptian Beauty Regime Is The Next Big Trend
In the past few years, netizens went crazy after Korean beauty, which resulted in the rise in sales of several K-Beauty products. However, Egyptian beauty seems the next big thing now, so let’s read on to find out how Ancient Egyptian beauty trends have influenced our current skincare and beauty regime.
We all know the famous cat eye was originated in Ancient Egypt and discovered when ancient Egyptian statues of queens like Cleopatra were discovered. Egyptians used kohl to achieve the famous cat eye, but it also served other benefits like improving immunity and protecting the eyes from the sun.
Ancient Egyptians also used henna as a hair color, moisturizer, and sunblock. Imagine how advanced they must have been to protect themselves from the UV rays of the sun thousands of years ago!
Nefertiti and Cleopatra used henna regularly and are famous for their beauty. Ancient Egyptians paid close attention to hairstyles as well.
Their elites were renowned for wearing their incredibly long hair in braids, plaits, and curls while accessorizing them with jewelry and flowers. Makeup and hairstyles aside, the ancient Egyptian elites were famous for paying special attention to skincare and overall hygiene.
Body Oils
To begin with, both men and women of ancient Egypt utilized body oils to preserve and moisturize their skin and protect it from Egypt’s hot and dry climate. Sesame, moringa, and castor oil were a daily staple in their skincare regime and were used to preserve youth and eliminate wrinkles and is very popular today as well.
They referred to moringa oil—known as Bak—as sacred, and its use had a mystical significance. The ancient Egyptians so adored moringa oil that containers full of it were placed in Egyptian tombs with the deceased. The fatty acids, zinc, oleic acid, anti-inflammatory chemicals, and vitamins C and E found in moringa oil are all beneficial to skin and hair.
Clay and Honey Face Masks
After lots of research, we have found the advantages of honey and clay for skin. However, the ancient Egyptians were already using this to provide nourishment and hydration to their face with the added benefit of the sweet smell of honey.
Honey is a potent humectant with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties; therefore, in addition to making their skin incredibly velvety, it also helps heal their wounds and keeps them from becoming infected. The ancient Egyptians also used clay combined with water or oils as a face mask because they thought it would draw dirt from the skin while leaving it looking clean and fresh.
Sea Salt Baths
We all love a nice warm bath infused with sea salts, and the ancient Egyptians benefitted from the dead sea by taking a dip in it after a long hot day for relaxation, detox, and exfoliation.
Milk Baths
This is probably the most famous beauty practice of the ancient Egyptians and is mostly linked to Cleopatra, who practiced this regularly for soft, supple, and beautiful skin.
Sugaring
It also appears that sugaring, a hair removal technique, was utilized to maintain smooth, hair-free skin. Ancient Egyptians used a method that is still widely used today to remove unwanted hair: a solution of water, lemon, and sugar.
Soap
Since good hygiene held a lot of importance among the Egyptians, they used to make soap paste from Natron, an alkaline mixture naturally found in the form of Sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate with some parts of sodium sulfate and sodium chloride. They would include animal fat, vegetable oils, and clay to increase their beneficial qualities. They washed their body with this soap paste, which also hydrated, cured, and treated infections.
Wrap Up
It’s reasonable to conclude that the Ancient Egyptians practiced excellent beauty regimens that preserved their young visage and healthy skin. Next time you follow your skincare routine, know that most of it originated in Ancient Egypt, the greatest civilization there ever was!