Ancient Egypt's Beauty Secrets Revealed
By Janet Martin
Ancient Egypt has not only given us the Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. The beauty treatments and procedures that many of us are enjoying nowadays are in fact inspired or derived from the practices of the old Egyptian civilization.
It
is not really surprising that Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony found Egypt
as an interesting and intoxicating place. Although much of the perceptions
of beauty that these two men had were influenced by their desire for
the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, it is safe to say that both Marc Anthony
and Julius Caesar also found all Egyptians amazing because of their
penchant for proper hygiene and beauty. Furthermore, women in Egypt
were not the only ones who were concerned about the way they look and
smell. Egyptian guys also fuss as much when it comes to their appearance.
In fact, scientists found that bath oils and other beauty implements were used as payment or wages, even to the lowliest of laborers. Moreover, cosmetics and other beauty-related products or ingredients, and not food, were the primary reason why ancient Egypt engaged in foreign trade. Here are some the beauty secrets from Ancient Egypt that can still be practiced even today.
Milk Bath
You must have heard of how AHA, or Alpha Hydroxy Acid, is important
in exfoliating your skin. In fact, if you look at the ingredients of
many skin products sold in the market today, you will realize that majority
of them contain AHA. Queen Cleopatra, the epitome of beauty even up
to the present, used AHA through milk baths to keep her skin soft and
smooth as ever. It is a common misconception that AHA is a synthetic
ingredient. In reality, however, this substance is naturally found in
milk and other citrus fruits.
Since it would be quite wasteful (and expensive) to put gallons of full cream milk on your tub everyday, you can reap benefits of AHA in different ways. Surely there are bath soaps, bubble baths and lotions that contain milk to help you achieve the same effect as the milk bath enjoyed by Queen Cleopatra during the old days.
Honey Mask
Did you know that when mummies where excavated and examined, experts
found that one food substance used on the bodies to keep them unspoiled
was honey? In fact, many scientists believe that honey is one of the
reasons why mummies of Egypt were preserved well.
Honey is not only beneficial in the embalming process. In fact, people who are alive and healthy can also make use of it to keep a clear and smooth skin. Since honey is a humectant, it can attract and maintain water, keeping your skin well-hydrated. You can use honey for your face, skin and hair. Just make sure that you rinse your face and body a few minutes after you put honey because you don't want to stain your sheets. Moreover, always go for pure natural honey, otherwise ants and other insects will feast on you because of the sugar content found in low-quality honey.
Myrrh
If there is one substance that kept Egyptians, particularly those in
the highest social strata, smelling fresh and clean, it is myrrh. This
fragrant oil was prized because it has to be imported from other places.
Egyptians used myrrh as an incense and oil to disinfect their bodies
or clothing and to make their breaths smell good.
Botanical Oils
Researches have discovered that people during this time used over 21
aromatic oils to protect their skin from the scorching sun, keep them
from smelling bad, and treat skin problems like stretch marks, wrinkles
and probably even cellulite. But since it would be hard to secure the
same recipes for lotions and creams at present, it would be better for
us to just stick to the lotions and creams that are available now.
What you can copy from the Egyptians is their diligence and regular application of these lotions and creams. Incidentally, if you have problems with cellulite, you may want to regularly apply an anti-cellulite cream, such as Celrase, to help minimize the appearance of dimples on your skin.
About the Author:
Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast
and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at
the premier online news magazine. http://www.thearticleinsiders.com.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/ancient-egypts-beauty-secrets-revealed-458542.html
Category: Ancient Egypt
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