When it comes to important historical female figures, Ancient Egypt has this covered with Cleopatra. She was an incredibly smart and knowledgeable Egyptian Queen, while her beauty tends to be talked about more, we’ll be merging both her wisdom and beauty by talking about her beauty practices that would also work in a modern setting.
Source: Unsplash
Understanding The Importance of Ancient Egypt
We really don’t talk enough about how amazing Ancient Egypt is, as the focus tends to be more on Ancient Greece. From creating the foundation of modern medicine to the creation of ink and paper, they’ve impacted civilization as a whole in such incredible ways.
In fact, Ancient Egypt is so inspirational that it has impacted a myriad of other modern sectors including even the casino one. There are online slot machines that have Ancient Egyptian themes like Eye of Horus Gambler or Shrine of Anubis Gold Hit. In fact, this motif is one of the most popular ones out there with more and more games following it being churned out.
This speaks to how impactful this nation has been even to even the most modern of sectors. But today, we’ll be specifically talking about its effect on the beauty industry. After all, beauty was regarded as a sign of holiness, for both men and women so it makes sense that some of their methods would still be valid today. This part of their history was so important that it warranted being preserved in tombs, along with things that were valued just as much such as gold.
Cleopatra and Her Beauty Routine
As we mentioned above, Cleopatra was well-known for being beautiful. While her beauty in part certainly had to come from genetics, she had quite the regimen to upkeep it. You’ll also be surprised to hear that most of it would work for a person in the 21st century.
Let’s start with one of the most famous Ancient Egyptian beauty techniques which is the use of milk baths. While the kind of milk she used is still debated, with the most common theory being donkey milk, it’s the lactic acid present in milk that is what matters not where it came from.
Not only does it help gently exfoliate skin but it also helps your skin retain moisture. While it’s certainly an indulgence that not many would enjoy, a topical application would also work just as well. Those milk baths would also be typically paired with bath salts, which are a more palatable and mainstream option that anyone can enjoy.
Another important part of her beauty regimen was the use of honey. Honey has countless benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antibacterial properties along with being a natural moisturizer. This makes it great for a variety of skin conditions, from more complex ones like psoriasis to simple chapped lips.
Finally, we have to mention the iconic cat eye achieved by using kohl, which is still used in countries like Morocco and Eritrea. It also has the very practical use of reducing the glare from the sun, which minimizes the chances of premature aging caused by squinting.
Source: Unsplash
The use of natural ingredients might be sometimes scoffed as a gimmick, but it couldn’t be further from the truth as all of the above practices have a scientific basis to them. There is plenty we can learn from ancient civilizations when it comes to improving our own lives, even when it comes to something as simple as beauty.