ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BEAUTY SECRETS

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ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BEAUTY SECRETS By Judith Illes

An Introduction Exfoliants, depilatories, anti-wrinkle cream. Methods for the elimination of stretch-marks, halitosis and unpleasant body odors. Hair extensions. This all sounds pretty modern, doesn't it? It could perhaps be a list of advertisers from a fashion magazine on the newsstand on the street today. Yet all of the above were also concerns and creations of

ancient Egypt. In no other country or culture, was the concern with beautification and body care so extensive. Their interest in beauty transcends time- it is not restricted to a specific period. Cosmetic implements, particularly eye-makeup palettes, have been discovered in the earliest graves. Yet 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. Vestiges of the ancient Egyptians' concerns with beauty and body care linger even today. Modern Egyptian glass perfume vials may be as treasured and coveted today as were the carved alabaster unguent pots of distant ages. American shampoo manufacturers tout Egyptian henna and the virtues of Aloe. Every few years, eye makeup styles based on those of ancient Egypt reemerge once again in popularity. Egyptian concerns with beauty and body care transcended economic status. Although many of the artifacts that we are able to analyze today derive from the upper classes- kohl tubes bearing the names of Nefertiti and her daughters have been found, for instance- body care was considered a prerequisite for all Egyptians. Records show that sufficient body oil for daily use was one of the basic supplied issued in the form of wages paid to even the lowliest workers. Cosmetics and body care were a common daily concern cutting across all society divisions, just as they do today. Body care was no triviality, but a central part of daily - and economic- life. Egyptians used body scents and incense (for fumigation of the body and clothing and medical as well as temple use) in tremendous quantities. Most of it had to be imported. After timber, the trade in cosmetics was perhaps the chief reason for Egyptian foreign commerce. Modern interest is piqued by Egyptian funerary practices and yes, many aromatic substances were necessary for the after-life and for religious practices, yet they also held many uses for the living. Ancient Egyptian concerns with beauty and body care transcended gender lines. Women and men both used cosmetics and body oils. The need for skin protection and moisturizers in a hot, arid climate was perceived as necessary for both genders. Both sexes, of all classes, oiled their bodies regularly. Many of their ancient formulae remain to us: while some were obviously targeted towards women (there are several suggestions for the removal of stretch marks following pregnancy), the many suggestions for stimulating hair-growth and eliminating bald-spots were probably directed largely towards men. Ancient Egyptian concerns with beauty and body care transcend their distance from us. The past may sometimes seem very remote to us- oh, it's interesting all right, even intellectually stimulating, yet we often feel removed from the past, all too aware of the distance of years and history and perceptions. It is hard to envision an area where history and people come alive more than in the study of ancient body care and beauty. No where is the bridge between humans more firm and sure. Egyptian concerns mirror our own. They, too, worried about weight gain and hair loss. An ancient manuscript is entitled The Beginning of the Book on How to Make the Old Young. A title like that could be a best-seller today. If we could time travel and speak to the individuals of long ago, the subject of body care would be easy common ground. Our extensive knowledge of the Egyptians' beauty regime can be credited to their burial customs and also to the arid climate which preserves artifacts so well. The earliest graves contain cosmetic implements, not only eye palettes but also tweezers and razors. Later tombs contained sealed unguent pots. The perfume industry of ancient Egypt was justifiably famous; the scents contained in these pots lingered even when they were opened thousands of years later. Wig boxes have been found in graves, the remains of ancient wig factories located. We are now able to scientifically analyze and catalog the contents of cosmetic and perfume jars. We know, for instance, that the Egyptians had access to and used some 21 different types of vegetable oils for cosmetic purposes, a vast repertoire even by our standards. Many are still in use today. While the ancients might have some interest in hearing about Rogaine and Glycolic Facials from us, I suspect that we are the ones who would benefit from any possible interaction. Aromatherapy, the art of manipulating fragrant, volatile, essential oils for cosmetic and therapeutic use, was revived in 20th century France. Its roots lie in ancient civilizations, particularly that of Egypt. The goal of Aromatherapy is to provide "holistic" therapy. Holistic indicates the belief that the body cannot be separated from mind, soul and spirit. All must be approached simultaneously. While we strive to achieve the ideals of a holistic world-view, the Egyptians were such masters of the holistic, they may as well have invented the concept. For the ancient Egyptians, beauty, magic and medicine were inseparable. No where is this seen better than with eye-makeup. Although cosmetics were occasionally applied to lips and mouth, it is difficult to envision an image of an ancient Egyptian lacking the characteristic eye-make up. This make up was most typically Mesdemet, deriving either from Galena (lead sulphide) or from Stibnite (antimony sulphide.) This eye-make up had magical uses: it protected against the evil eye and in fact, the Egyptian word for eye-palette seems to derive from their word for "protect". Yet it also had medicinal purposes. Galena has disinfectant and fly-deterrent properties. Medical papyri also prescribe Mesdemet for complaints of the eye. Linking those two concerns, magical and medical, is beauty. We have only to look at the images the Egyptians left, to see for ourselves how stylish, meticulous and beautiful they were. The images that they created were very often idealized rather than realistic, very much like those of our own times. If thousands of years from now, the only remaining images of our society were fashion magazines and videos of couture shows, would an observer think that all women from our time resembled super-models? The writings of the Egyptians, their concerns with weight and wrinkles indicate something of our own insecurities. They, too, felt the pressure to embody an ideal. We can recognize ourselves in each other. We can recognize many of their cosmetics formulas too. The ancient Egyptians recognized that body care and beauty begin 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 herself thoroughly with a special cleansing paste made from water mixed with natron. Natron is a naturally occurring compound of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. It is most famous today as an integral component of the mummification process yet it had many daily uses in Egypt as well. They made a toothpaste from natron. You can easily create a semblance of this toothpaste at home: mix a little water into some baking soda, stir it with your toothbrush and brush! It's clean, refreshing and effective. (Don't do it too often, though- the baking soda will eventually damage your teeth's enamel. It is often remarked upon that Egyptian mummies' teeth are worn down, the enamel damaged, with the blame laid upon diet. Perhaps some examination of their teeth cleansing process should be considered as well?) To enhance the experience, add one drop of Essential oil of Myrrh to the baking soda/water paste. Myrrh was particularly beloved by the ancient Egyptians, note Pharaoh Hatshepsut's expedition to Punt to bring back actual botanic specimens. Myrrh had many uses, in ancient Egypt and in modern aromatherapy. Then, as now, Myrrh was indicated for healthy gums. (Check the ingredients on many tubes of natural toothpaste: myrrh is a popular component.) To be a modern student of aromatherapy and to read ancient cosmetic papyri is to gasp with recognition. My first successful foray into aromatherapy came some fifteen years ago, when I sampled a formula that was reputed to diminish or remove scars. The scars in question were removed completely, I was delighted and hooked and embarked upon a new career path. The main ingredient in my anti-scar cream? The ancient resin, Frankincense. To this day, it remains perhaps my favorite essential oil. An extremely gentle oil, it is used for various health complaints but mainly for skin care. Used for scars and stretch-marks, it is also reputed to slow down the proliferation of wrinkles and perhaps diminish and/or remove existing ones. Thus without trying it, I can recognize the potential effectiveness of this ancient Egyptian anti-wrinkle cream: Ingredients include a mixture of (yes!) Frankincense, Moringa Oil, Grass and Fermented Fruit Juices, recommended to be applied daily. Unfortunately this particularly formula has not yet been tested as not all the ingredients have been positively identified. (Also because of the devastation of native plant species around the world, it may not be possible to perfectly reproduce a formula.) However it is possible and fairly simple to create a modern skin oil that recaptures something of the essence of the older one. Ancient Egyptian Anti- Wrinkle Cream Updated One Teaspoon Sweet Almond Oil Two Drops of Essential oil of Frankincense Apply to the cleansed face nightly with a gentle massage. 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. Frankincense is still imported from Somalia and Oman, trade routes the ancients would have found familiar. If the aroma of Frankincense is too reminiscent of a church for you and if expense is no deterrent, add one drop of Rose Attar, also a very gentle oil reputed to heal and strengthen facial skin and well known to the Egyptians. HAIRCARE AND WIGS Beauty and body-care is where we find our common ground with the ancient Egyptians. Just as for us today, hair care was a major concern for the ancient Egyptians. Thousands of years ago, they demonstrated our own current cultural anxieties with baldness, thinning, receding and graying hair. Reminiscent of modern attitudes, the ancient Egyptians associated healthy, luxurious hair with youth, sexuality and sex appeal. Egyptian hairstyles varied over the ages. Evidence of these styles is provided by surviving wigs, inscriptions, tomb scenes and statuary. During the Old Kingdom, men and women alike kept their hair basically short and simple, although there were variations in style. Young girls, then as now typically the most interested in fashion, wore their hair short or sometimes sported a pony-tail style, falling down the center of the back. The end of the tail either curled naturally or was encouraged to do so. (An implement has been recovered in association with wigs that looks suspiciously like a curling iron.) If a flip wasn't desired at the end, the pony-tail might be weighted down with an ornament or metal disc. Hair was also a popular place for ornaments and amulets; small fish, in particular, were attached to childrens' hair, perhaps to protect against the dangers of the Nile. By the time of the New Kingdom, styles had become more sophisticated. Both sexes wore their hair longer. Flowers and ribbons were now used to decorate women's hair. One popular Upper Egyptian women's hairstyle was a closely shaven head with the exception of a few tufts of curls, a hair-do identified at the time as Nubian and still identified with that ethnic group. Throughout, a distinctive hairstyle was reserved for children. The head was shaved completely with one long strand left on the side of the head, the so-called "sidelock of youth." This "s" shaped side lock served as the hieroglyphic symbol for child or youth. This style was worn by both girls and boys until the advent of puberty. An example of this style can be seen in images of the god Harpocrates, who is depicted with the distinctive sidelock, his finger to his lips, an Egyptian gesture indicating extreme youth, which was misunderstood by Greek interpreters who took it to mean silence or secrecy. The sidelock can also be viewed in the many depictions of the daughters of Akhenaton and Nefertiti; their hairstyles indicate their evolving age and inform us of the passage of time. This hairstyle is generally accepted as solely indicating age. However, another insight may perhaps be gleaned from a hairstyle still current amongst some modern tribal African groups. Even today in traditional African societies, the appearance of one's hair can be used to create a social announcement. Some hair-do's for instance are reserved for married women or for women who have borne sons. The heads of small children are often shaved with one or more tufts remaining, similar to the Egyptian sidelock. The tuft is dedicated to a saint and exactly where the specific tuft is left indicates which saint has been invoked for the protection of the child. One can literally read the anxieties of the parent upon the child's head. Very little in ancient Egypt seems random or at least not well thought out; hairstyles also can be interpreted for political significance. Joyce Tyldesley's biography, "Nefertiti: Egypt's Sun Queen" (Viking Books, 1999) analyzes the variety of that queen's hairstyles and how they indicate her shifting political role. Sometimes Egyptian men and women retained their own hair; quite frequently they did not. Wigs and hair extensions were extremely popular. Sometimes the wigs were placed atop one's own natural hair: statuary and paintings alike often afford a glimpse of the real hair sticking out from underneath the false. Total removal of body-hair was customary for both men and women in ancient Egypt. Many men and women also preferred to shave their heads bald, replacing their natural hair with a wig. Priests, who maintained stringent codes of cleanliness, are frequently depicted with perfectly bald heads. At least from what ancient imagery recounts to us, despite her shaved head, the average Egyptian woman did not walk around bald, but invariably wore a wig. Shaving the head may have served a multitude of purposes: eliminating one's own hair may have been more comfortable in Egypt's hot climate, cleanliness may have been easier to maintain and head lice certainly easier to avoid. Wigs may have fit better once the natural hair was gone, however the bald look itself does not seem ever to have been a generally popular style for Egyptian women. Although, of course, what was or wasn't worn in the comfort and privacy of one's own home may remain an eternal mystery. Wigs also apparently held sensual connotations, based on the frequent references in Egyptian romantic poetry. Wigs were popular amongst the upper and middle classes, the wealthier presumably maintaining a greater selection of wigs. A wig-making workshop has been discovered overlooking the Temple of King Mentuhotep at Deir el-Bahri. Wigs were made by barbers or by wig specialists, one of the occupations open to Egyptian women. Because wigs were also considered necessary for the afterlife, they were buried in tombs, some contained in specialized wig chest. Quite a few wigs have survived, in particular from the New Kingdom. Wigs varied in quality (and presumably price.) The finest wigs were made entirely of human hair. Others, apparently in the mid-price range, have vegetable fibers intertwined with the hair. What appear to be the least expensive wigs, certainly the least realistic wigs, are made entirely from vegetable fibers. Although wigs depicted in artwork are recognizable as such, the effect given is always realistic. The ideal for a good wig seems to have been that it should look like real hair, only better. Care of natural hair retained upon the head was also taken seriously. We know that the Egyptians cleansed their hair, although we don't know with what frequency. Hair combs appear among early grave goods, even from pre-dynastic days. Both single and double sided combs, made from wood or bone have been found. A wide variety of surviving formulas indicate that preventing baldness and graying hair, both of which can be perceived as signs of aging, was a serious concern. Like us, the Egyptians were anxious to preserve youth or at least a youthful appearance as long as possible. Egyptian artwork invariably depicts shiny black hair. No other color is depicted except in association with a foreigner. (Asiatic men, in particular, are usually depicted with full facial hair and unruly brownish hair on their heads, presumably to show how little they conform to Egyptian ideals of beauty.) Because the imagery is so consistent does not necessarily mean that everyone in Egypt possessed perfect raven-black hair, but it certainly does indicate something of their ideal standard of what it meant to be beautiful, of what "beautiful" should look like. Certainly, the medical papyri includes several formulas to maintain black color and avoid gray. An ointment made from the pressed juice of juniper berries was used to darken the hair. A brown powder, discovered at the aforementioned wig factory, is at present believed to be hair dye. Who knows? This may even have been one of the incentives for wigs. I've personally known quite a few men who've responded to receding hairlines by shaving whatever is left completely off, preferring the drama of no hair to watching their remaining hair decrease. Perhaps the Egyptians were similarly inclined. If your hair wasn't black enough, thick enough or plentiful enough, a good wig may have been considered preferable to one's sorry reality. Not that all Egyptians took impending baldness lying down, however. There were many current recommendations for stimulating hair growth. Chopped lettuce patches were applied to bald spots to stimulate growth. (Beyond whatever therapeutic effects this may or may not have had, lettuce was also associated with Min, the Egyptian god of virility.) Another formula is actually quite similar to one utilized in modern aromatherapy. Fir tree resin was incorporated into a scalp massage to stimulate hair growth. It is unlikely that the average person will be able to reproduce the old Egyptian formula precisely. This is because over the centuries methods of extracting aromatic materials have changed. Modern aromatic materials are typically extracted via steam distillation, a process not in general use before the 10th century CE. The Egyptians extracted aromatic substances using manual techniques, thus they would have used the fir resin itself or made an infusion (a strong tea) from the needles. Unless you own a Christmas tree farm and have plenty of fir trees to play with , it is unlikely that you will have ready access to the pure resin. Modern aromatherapy still utilizes Fir but it now distills the oil from the needles and young twigs. Although Fir is still used, both in perfumery and therapeutically, it's now most likely to be used for soothing respiratory ills. Rosemary Oil is the modern oil commonly associated with stimulating hair growth. Rosemary is a common Mediterranean plant, and may very well have been familiar to some Egyptian doctors, although there's little evidence for its use. Interestingly, Rosemary has also been used at present to subtly darken hair and to bring out the highlights in darker hair. The following formula can be used to stimulate hair growth or merely to improve the texture and appearance of one's hair. Almond Oil and Castor Oil were among the vegetable oils used by the Egyptians. Castor Oil is frequently used in an attempt to encourage hair growth but it has a very viscous texture. Mixing it with the Sweet Almond Oil will improve the aroma and make the resulting oil smoother and more easily spread. However, if you wish to somewhat reproduce the stickiness and "tacky" feel of resin from the original formula, eliminate the Sweet Almond Oil and double the proportion of Castor. Try the Fir Oil if you want to recapture the essence (or at least fragrance) of the original Egyptian formula. Use Rosemary Oil, if you prefer to place your trust in more modern research. You can also combine the two Essential Oils, however no more than an entirety of 10 drops should be used, whether of one oil or both. In addition, Rosemary Oil should not be used during pregnancy or by those suffering from high blood pressure or by those who are prone to seizure disorders. Essential Oil of Fir is generally considered a gentle oil, however, if you have very sensitive skin, you may find a high concentration irritating, in which case use fewer drops or more oil. Both oils are antiseptic and invigorating. Scalp and Hair Stimulation Oil One Teaspoon Sweet Almond Oil One Teaspoon Castor Oil 10 Drops Essential Oil of Fir Needle (Abies spp) OR Essential Oil of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Mix the Sweet Almond Oil together with the Castor Oil in a small bowl and then add no more than 10 drops of Essential Oil. Mix with your fingers and then rub vigorously into your scalp, concentrating on areas where hair is thinning.

 

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