the beauty secrets of ancient egyptians

Beauty was big business in ancient Egypt.

It didn’t matter if you were a man or a woman, rich or poor. Everyone used makeup and ointments. It was part of life.

Blame it on the climate. They Egyptians needed something to protect their skin from the boiling desert sun and the incessant insect bites.

Cosmetics were so important to them, little lotions and potions were buried with the dead, so they could use them in the afterlife, too.

Curious to find out their beauty secrets? Here are all the beauty products the ancient Egyptians knew and loved:

Body Oils

Egypt has a torrid and windy windy climate that dries out your skin, cracks it open and burns it. Ouch! No Egyptian would have left the house without slathering on a good dollop of moisturiser to keep their skin soft and hydrated. This was such a necessity that even workers received body oils as part of their wages. If they didn’t, they’d cause a riot (literally!). If they didn’t have oil, they’d resort to honey to moisturise their skin. While they were at it, they created concoctions to remove stretch marks and prevent baldness… but I highly doubt they worked!

Soaps

Did you know the Ancient Egyptians believed an unclean and smelly body to be impure? They bathed regularly with soaps made with clay or ash mixed with scented oils. I hope they moisturised afterwards, cos soaps are super harsh and drying on the skin!

Related: Should You Still Use Soap To Wash Your Face?

Eyes

The Ancient Egyptians used black and green paints on their eyes. The black paint, made from powdered galena (now known as kohl), was to protect eyes from the hot sun.

The green paint, made from malachite powder (a green coloured mineral), was used to make eyes appear larger. Plus, they believed this paint invoked the eye of Horus, the god of The Sky & Sun and healing. If you wore it, the god would protect you.

To make these paints, the Egyptians powdered the minerals on a palette and then mixed them with a substance (probably derived from animal fats) that would make them adhere to the eyes better. To apply these paints they used either their fingertips or little sticks made of wood, bone or ivory.

Red ochre

The Egyptians used red ochre mixed with fat or gum resin to colour cheeks and lips. Red ochre was also mixed with kohl and sycamore juice to create a mixture that could help heal scars caused by burning.

Henna

Henna is a natural dye derived from the leaves of the Lawsonia Inermis shrub. Once its green leaves are crushed and dried, they create a reddish powder. The Egyptians would mix this powder with water to form a paste, which they used to paint nails and dye grey hair. FYI, both men and women used it to stain their lips red.

Perfumes

The Egyptians loved strong scents and made lots of perfumes using ingredients like myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, chamomile, lavender, peppermint, lily, cedar, aloe, rosemary, rose, olive oil and almond oil blended with animal fats and oils.

They knew several ways to make perfumes. A common method was enfleurage: flowers, roots or resins were soaked in layers of fat to create creams and pomades. These were worn in the shape of a cone on top of their heads and would melt throughout the day, running down their faces and necks, scenting them.

Another popular method was called maceration. Basically, they would heat fats or oils to a temperature of 65 degrees Celsius. Then, they would add flowers, herbs or fruits to it. Finally, the mixture was sieved and, once cooled, shaped into cones or balls.

Hair

On festive occasions, both men and women wore wings made of human hair. Archaeologists also found short fine tooth combs and hair pins used by Egyptians on their hair.

Containers

Although everyone, regardless of their social status wore makeup, you could tell who was rich and who was poor by the quality of the applicators and pots they used (kinda like today). Rich people kept their cosmetics in beautiful ornate and jewelled containers and used ivory applicators, while the poor had clay pots and small sticks.

What do you think of the ancient Egyptians’ beauty secrets? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

About Gio

Hi, I'm Gio. I'm a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever - every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what's worth the splurge and what's best left on the shelf - using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.