The beauty secrets that once swept Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian women were well-known for their interest in beauty and cosmetics.

An archeological expert told Al-Arabiya.net that at the time each woman would have her own box of facial makeup, kohl (eyeliner), hair pins and combs and perfumes.

Dr. Abdelrahim Reehan added that a study by archeologist Abir Sadeq at the ministry of archeology showed that ancient Egyptian women's makeup was simple and only focused on accentuating the facial features.

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According to Reehan, they used two types of kohl, malachite and black kohl. They used powdered hematite to stain their cheeks. When crushed, hematite has a deep red color and was also used to decorate the tombs of pharaohs. The women of Ancient Egypt also used henna to color their hair and nails. Modern Egypt remains one of the main commercial suppliers of the henna plant.

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He also said that perfumes were extracted from the lotus and lily flowers. The lotus flower often appears in ancient Egyptian decorations. Aromatic material was extracted from bulls, deer and geese, the expert added.

For soap they used natron, a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate and around sodium bicarbonate, along with small quantities of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate. Natron was harvested directly as a salt mixture from dry lake beds in Ancient Egypt.