Biography of Cosmetics! Egypt

EGYPT









As early as 10,000 BCE, men and women used scented oils and ointments to clean and soften their skin and mask body odor. Dyes and paints were used to color the skin, body and hair. They rouged their lips and cheeks, stained their nails with henna, and lined their eyes and eyebrows heavily with kohl. Kohl was a dark-colored powder made of crushed antimony, burnt almonds, lead, oxidized copper, ochre, ash, malachite, chrysocolla (a blue-green copper ore) or any combination thereof. (Cohen) It was applied with a small stick. The upper and lower eyelids were painted in a line that extended to the sides of the face for an almond effect. In addition to reducing sun glare, it was believed that kohl eyeliner could restore poor eyesight and reduce eye infection. (ED 370) Kohl was kept in a small, flat-bottomed pot with a wide, tiny rim and a flat, disk-shaped lid. (Carnegie Museum)
Cosmetics were an inherent part of Egyptian hygiene and health. Oils and creams were used for protection against the hot Egyptian sun and dry winds. Myrrh, thyme, marjoram, chamomile, lavender, lily, peppermint, rosemary, cedar, rose, aloe, olive oil, sesame oil and almond oil provided the basic ingredients of most perfumes that were used in religious ritual and embalming the dead (Cohen) For lips, cheeks and nails, a clay called red ochre was ground and mixed with water. Henna was used to dye fingernails yellow or orange. Makeup was stored in special jars that were kept in special makeup boxes. Women would carry their makeup boxes to parties and keep them under their chairs. (ED 370) Although men also wore makeup, they did not carry their makeup kits with them. (Brand)
The ancient Egyptians took great pride in their appearance and cleanliness. Most Egyptians bathed daily in the river or out of a water basin at home. Wealthy homes had a bathroom where servants would pour jugs of water over their master (equivalent to a modern day shower). The runoff was drained through a pipe to water the garden. A cleansing cream made of animal or vegetable oil mixed with powered lime and perfume was used instead of soap. (Rigby) People rubbed themselves daily with a perfumed unguent oil that had soaked in scented wood. The mixture was left in a pot until the oil absorbed the wood scent. Perfumed oil was used to prevent the skin from drying out in the harsh climate. At parties, servants would place a cone of perfumed grease on the head of each guests. The grease had a cooling effect as it melted and ran down the faces of each guest. Everyone, regardless of age or gender wore makeup. Highly polished silver and copper mirrors aided the application of makeup. (Rigby, Brand)

Some hairstyles were very similar to that of todays. The common folk wore their hair short. Young girls usually kept their hair in pigtails while boys had shaved heads with one braided lock worn to one side. (ED 370) Egyptian men shaved their head in order to avoid getting lice. (PSU) Wigs made of sheep’s wool or human hair were worn by men and women to parties, official functions and for protection from heat. A hairpiece might be used to enhance real hair. When not in use, wigs were stored in special boxes that were displayed on a stand at home. (ED 370) To preserve hair from the effects of sun,
 it
was treated with a moisturizing cream in the shape of a cosmetic cone. Evidence comes from sculptures, reliefs and paintings from the New Kingdom. The cone would gradually melt and give the wig a pleasant fragrance. (Rigby)
Because jewelry has been inherently connected to cosmetics, makeup and apparel, some abridgment is necessary. Everyone in Egypt wore some type of jewelry to include children. Because the Egyptians were very superstitious, rings and amulets were worn to ward off the evil spirits and injury. (Carnegie Museum) Both men and women wore pierced earrings, armlets, bracelets, anklets and beaded necklaces. The wealthy wore jeweled or beaded collars, necklaces, and pendants made of gold, silver, or electrum (gold mixed with silver) and inlaid with semi-precious stones of turquoise, lapis lazuli (a deep blue stone), and carnelian (a copper or reddish orange stone). The peasants wore jewelry crafted from copper, wood, leather, metal or faience, a gem made by heating powdered quartz. (ED 370, Brand) Various classes wore jewelry made of amethyst, garnet, jasper, onyx and shells. (Carnegie Museum) Only the upper class and Pharaoh’s family could afford jewel-studded gold cartouches with their names engraved in hieroglyphs. (Brand)
Clothes were made of linens ranging from coarse to fine texture. During the Old and Middle kingdoms, men wore a short skirt called a kilt. Women wore a straight fitting dress held up by straps. The wealthy men wore pleated kilts, and older men wore a longer kilt. When doing hard work, men wore a loin cloth, and women wore a short skirt. Children ran around nude during the summer months and wore wraps and cloaks during the winter. Noblewomen wore beaded dresses. (ED 370) The upper class and royal family dressed like the lower classes, but added elegant accessories and dyed the fringes of their clothes. (Brand) Kings and Queens wore decorative ceremonial clothing fitted with feathers and sequins. Most people went barefoot, but wore sandals on special occasions. The king wore very elaborately decorated sandals, and sometimes decorative gloves on his hands. Clothing styles were chosen for comfort in a hot, dry climate. (ED 370) Egyptian sandals were made of papyrus and palm-fiber, and sometimes of goat or gazelle's skin. (Portland State University)
Anyone who worked for a Pharaoh had to be ritually pure and have fresh breath. Breath was freshened by chewing on pellets made of ground tamarisk leaves -- there is no evidence of toothbrushes or toothpaste. Bad breath and bad body odor was grounds for shame. (Brand) Beautiful smells were essential to the Egyptian belief that ‘cleanliness is godliness.’ Egyptians had learned how to distill essential oils thousands of years ago. (Brand) The Egyptian science of perfumery eroded over the centuries "until its final rupture in the Middle Ages." (Rady) Because "Smell" was incomprehensibly fundamental in Egyptian society, perfumery began as a secret art in Egypt that was perfected by 2,500 BC. It was practiced by the priesthood in the temple of Denderah where pharmaceutical products were made. (Rady) One of the temple walls shows a method of oil extraction and distillation that is still used by Egyptian farmers today. (Rady) The function of perfumery was to achieve spiritual rather than physical perfection by perfecting the physical, emotional and mental aspects of Human existence. (Rady) Perfumes made the body function perfectly. Ra, the sun god, was the source of all smell. Under Egyptian belief, "to smell beautifully was a sign of holiness," and ONLY perfect-smelling persons would be received by the gods when they died. (Rady) Egypt was deeply driven by spiritual concerns and virtually everything invented had a spiritual application, e.g., the science of mummification was the immediate beneficiary of perfumery.
Cedar Oil was considered the most sacred of all the distilled oils and the principle oil used in mummification. (Rady) Egyptian priests discovered the true power of oils and believed that certain types of perfumes could add to one’s personal power. Since the neighboring civilizations were perceived as primitive, hostile, morally corrupt, spiritually inept, lacking the maturity, evolution or self-control to use oils, the priests did not want them to have their knowledge. (Rady) It was believed that the spiritual essence of plants had healing qualities and supernatural power; the embodiment of the plant’s healing spirit, rather than the plant’s chemistry made the extraction process and the oil sacred. (Rady) The seven sacred oils used for mummification were: The Festival Perfume, Hekenu, The Syrian Balsam, Nechenem, Anointing Oil, The Best Cedar Oil and The Best Libyan Oil. These oils also formed the foundation of ritual Egyptian magic. (Rady) The most famous Egyptian fragrance, kyphi, meaning "welcome to the gods", was said to induce hypnotic states. The City of the Sun, Heliopolis, burned resins in the morning, myrrh at noon and kyphi at sunset to the sun god, Ra. Aside from religious use, kyphi could lull one to sleep, alleviate anxieties, increase dreaming, eliminate sorrow, treat asthma and act as a general antidote for toxins. One recorded recipe includes a heady blend of calamus, henna, spikenard, frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, cypress and terebinth (pistachio resin), and other ingredients. The ingredients were also mixed and matched for variety. Cubes of incense was prepared by mixing ground gums and plants with honey; a similar technique used by the Babylonians that the Greeks and Romans adopted. (Keville, Green)
Commensurate with Egyptian practices are the traditions of neighboring countries that developed similarly: Women in India did not use soap either but instead used a turmeric germicidal cream treatment composed of gramflour or wheat husk mixed with milk. The wheat husk would remove dead cell tissue. The ancient Hebrews employed fragrance to consecrate their temples, altars, candles and priests. The book of Exodus (approximately 1,200 BC) provides a recipe for the Holy anointing oil given to Moses for the initiation of priests. It contains: Myrrh, cinnamon and calamus mixed with olive oil. Although the Mosaic Law decreed severe punishment to anyone who used Holy oils or incense in a secular fashion, some aromatics were less restricted. (Keville, Green) Two biblical references to perfume include Proverbs 27:9, "Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart," and Song of Solomon 1:13-14,
"A bundle of myrrh is my beloved unto me; he shall lie all night between my breasts. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire [henna] in the vineyards of En-gedi." (Keville, Green)
By the late 5th century, Babylon was the principal market for the perfume trade. The Babylonians used cedar of Lebanon, cypress, pine, fir resin, myrtle, calamus and juniper extensively. When the Jews returned from captivity in Babylon, they brought back a heightened appreciation of fragrance, especially in the form of incense. (Author Keville, Green)