The Egyptians were the first to say, “Cleanliness is part of faith

Ancient Egyptians

The Egyptian civilization inspired many civilizations of the modern world, with its great arts and sciences. And the ancient Egyptians paid attention to various cosmetics due to their spiritual and aesthetic importance, and the graves were full of many cosmetic tools.  The women, men, and children used to decorate according to their different ages.

 Here are ten things about cosmetics in ancient Egypt:

 Wig

Wig from New kingdom 18 dynasty

 Men and women in ancient Egypt used to shave their hair and wear wigs, and shaving hair in Egypt had many benefits, the first of which was that it was very comfortable in a hot climate and it is protected from the danger of lice, this is other than personal hygiene and wigs.  The noble queens and women used to wear long wigs and divide them into three parts, and they used to call it an idol, and the common people wore it at a later time. In the Old Kingdom, there were two types of short and long wigs, and braids were wrapped on each other in horizontal lines. As for the modern state, people liked wigs in the shape of a long ponytail In the Tell el-Amarna era, wigs became shorter and simpler and were made of natural hair, sheep's wool, and plant fibers.

 eye makeup

Tutankhamun eye makeup

 The Egyptians used black and green eyeliner and made the eye almond-shaped, and the black kohl was from galena, and greens from malachite and copper carbonate.  Al-Rutbah was used to collect them and purify them from rock salt and natron, and they used eye make-up for medical reasons. Doctors used kohl against eye diseases and galena as a disinfectant. The kohl protected the eyes from the sun's rays and prevented insects and Egyptian mothers.

 Priests without hair

Bronze statue of Priest 6th century 

 The priests shaved off their hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, and their whole body because of lice and for religious rites

 Adornment in ancient Egypt

Egyptian make up box

 The Egyptians used the red color for their cheeks and lips and extracted it from natural colored clay, and henna was a natural plant that they painted with their fingernails and dyed their hair, and men and women put it on their lips for their lips to remain red and there were studies of the mummies' tombs.  Many cultures wear henna at weddings for brides until now. Women were painted blue on their chest veins. They decorated the nipples with gold and painted tattoos. The men put on make-up and painted their eyebrows and wore earrings and anklets. They were found in the tomb of Ptah-hotep. A pedicure was also spread, and mascara was spread over the skin and the eyes were too hot to protect.  Winds and diseases were not just to beautify the eyes. Also, the Egyptians innovated in boxes of make-up tools, and they were made of ivory and wood, not only. They also made creams of oils to clean their skin of make-up and wore bracelets, earrings, and rings of lapis lazuli and turquoise.

 Body oils

Body oils

 The weather in Egypt had storms and hot, and drought in the skin, and because of this, it was necessary and very important for the Egyptians that they use oils for their body to remain moist. Even the workers used oils to moisturize their bodies, which was part of their salaries, and honey was also for moisturizing. As for the women, they used creams that tighten the skin.  And men because their hair comes out and eliminates baldness.

 personal hygiene

Soap 

 Soap was a basic thing for personal hospitality, and the Egyptians thought that it was the body that we did not add and its smell, and the fragility of an impure body, and for that reason, their body was adding and purified, and soaps used it from clay or ash mixed with aromatic oils.  "They took a shower like once each day with a cleansing paste of water and natron, which was a daily routine, and that they rubbed frankincense oil on their skin, which made the skin moist and soft.

 perfume

  Egyptian miniature glassware vessels

 Egypt was the largest country in the world in the perfume industry and cooperated greatly with the international perfume trade. The Egyptians used strong scents of chamomile, lavender, cinnamon, olive oil, and almond oil mixed with animal fats and oils. In the ancient world, the most expensive types of scents and the best quality were from Egypt, and the most popular of them was still  Of lily, cinnamon, and aromas were stored in beautiful alabaster pans, and there was evidence that there were blue cans that they used. The most famous Egyptian scents were made in the city of Mendes in the Delta and exported to Rome and it was made of resin.

 Hair problems

 The Egyptians used to dye their white hair, and this was in the middle of the fourth century BC, and sometimes they painted their hair and colored it with a medicinal substance consisting of the juniper tree and berries and other needs and plants that were not known, which used to change the color in the hair. Also, by magic, they used the crushed black horn of deer, spoiled donkey liver, and bull’s blood  Black people to prevent white hair and the Egyptians took care of hair problems, especially young people, and used fat from caribou, lions, snakes, crocodiles, geese and hippos for their scalp to preserve their youth as we do until now, and although baldness was present in ancient Egypt, but the Egyptians did not like baldness and wanted  Their hair was sweet, so they put minced oils, fats and lettuce on their skin.

 Different hairstyles for children in ancient Egypt

Hair styles for girls 

 The children's hair was shaved or short, except for a long strand of hair on the north side of the head, and its name was the Youth Lock. The lock is drawn as a hieroglyphic symbol for young men, children, girls, and boys. They made this shape until the beginning of puberty. Children decorated their hair with spells from small fish that protect them from the dangers of the Nile,  And the boys shaved their heads, the girls wore braids, and sometimes they made a horse’s dil, and the little dancing girls wore a long, heavy braided horse.

 Hairstyles for women and men in ancient Egypt

Statue of Kai a man from old kingdom 

Statue of Nofert 

 Egyptian men wore short hair wigs that showed the ears, and there was another story in the form of curly-covered ears. As for the women, they preferred their hair to be smooth, natural waves, and long curly. In the era of the modern state, the women had long hair or wigs and decorated their hair with flowers and linen ribbons. The Egyptians wore turbans on their heads  They tied their hair with ivory and metal pins and used beads to tie wigs and tufts of wigs. They also used combs, tweezers, razors, and hair curlers. As for the combs, they were made of wood or bone, and some of them were very soft with a long handle. The Egyptians shaved their hair with a blade of stone and two dimensions of copper.  The middle blade was bronze.