Ancient Egypt the civilization developed from 5,500 BC on the banks of the Nile and which attracted the attention of the entire Mediterranean was an example of an advanced civilization despite the temporal position, a civilization rich in culture and ingenuity in all fields and not least in the aesthetic field. Let’s now know what makeup was like in ancient Egypt: curiosities and characteristics.
This was makeup in ancient Egypt: curiosities and characteristics
Several findings have suggested that the Egyptian civilization was the home par excellence of cosmetics . Unlike the Sumerians , the Egyptians had great respect for cosmetic practices, and gave makeup a deep religious meaning, so much so that they contemplated two deities involved in cosmetics, one was Bes , protector of cosmetics and the other was Thot , god of wisdom who presided over the production of perfumes and cosmetics. Makeup, therefore, was not used simply for aesthetic purposes, but during religious ceremonies it had the specific function of connecting with deities.
But what was that makeup that was used in ancient Egypt like? Well made from natural ingredients that were mainly used to make up the eyes, eyelashes and also the lips as well as the nails.
The makeup artists of Ancient Egypt
Varied products since every Egyptian woman had beauty secrets to maintain her charm, secrets that she carried with her to the afterlife. We well know that the Egyptians contemplated a life after death, conceived as a continuation of the uses and customs of earthly life and among the various objects found in the tombs are, among others, chests containing creams, lipsticks, shades of eyes and so on. Papyri were also found in the pyramids that testify to the existence of true beauty professionals already at that time, who had very specific tasks such as “guardians of cosmetic pencils”, “makeup artists of kings”, “guardians of the cosmetic chest” , and papyri with secret ointment formulas to firm tissues and fight wrinkles and redness.
How the Egyptians cared for themselves
For the Egyptians, the care of the body, very important, already began in the morning, they used to shave the whole body , this was followed by a bath with water and natural carbonate of lime, after which the body was rubbed with emollient oils enriched with scented essences. As for the Egyptian women, they had a real beauty kit with, more or less, everything that we find in ours today, namely depilatory tweezers, hair straighteners, manicure sets, creams, perfumes and oils.
In addition, each woman had a small mortar where she prepared khol, the famous black pigment with which they used to make up their eyes and draw their eyebrows . This was a black or green pigment that was extracted from black galena and green malachite, respectively. The ingredients used for the various preparations were mainly of plant origin such as cinnamon, sage, myrtle, coconut and olive oils, all mixed with animal fats, although there were some rather strange ingredients such as manure, ground bones and animal blood.
To make up the lips , they used a dye that they made from a mixture of red ocher and natural iron oxide and that also served to make up or add some blush to the cheeks .
Egyptian cosmetics, however, were not limited to makeup or perfumes, in fact it also consisted of painting the nails , an operation that both men and women did by applying henna on them, as well as remedies against baldness and halitosis.
