When it comes to skincare, often you try to go chemical–free by using all natural ingredients to treat the skin. Honey, rose water, cucumber, papaya, milk and more were used for skincare and grooming. But did you know that long before these came to be passed down as our families' skincare secrets, they were used by another iconic person?
Sitting in the deserts of Egypt, the famous queen Cleopatra was known to use many natural ingredients for her skin, which are still used today. The Queen, known for her beauty and sharpness, was surely futuristic and a trend-setter in her own way.
Let’s discuss some of Cleopatra’s beauty secrets and see if they match with the skincare routines you follow today.
Moisturiser from the hives
It is believed that Cleopatra got fresh honey from the hives and used it as a moisturiser and for antimicrobial treatments. Today, honey is an extremely common ingredient available in masks, cleansers, face packs, and it is used to hydrate the skin and also control acne problems. Honey also worked well as a hydrant back in the days because of its cooling properties and the fact that Egypt was a very dry region.
The Milky Way
Imagine going stress-free in a large bath pool, only you are taking a bath in donkey milk and not water. Cleopatra spent her days taking long bath rituals with donkey milk, which has lactic acid and natural AHA for exfoliation and softening the skin. Today, a modernised version with milk, water, essential oils, honey and more are used for the same purpose.
Toning all the way
What is the most go-to product when you are looking for a good skin toner? Drawn from other beauty secrets of Cleopatra, the rose water can be used as a toner or a mild mist over the face, hair, underarms and body. It is best for those who have sensitive or ultra-sensitive skin.
Sea secrets
While today you have seaweed or sea salt based scrubs, packs, or even multani mitti, back in the days, Cleopatra took an entourage and travelled to the Dead Sea to collect its mud for it held beauty secrets that benefitted her. The salt and mud found at the Dead Sea were used as skin packs for strengthening the skin texture and healing. Today, these are still used as detoxifying agents.
Comforting Kohl
Kohl or Kajal, which is now made from burning carbon, was used by burning lead sulphide in her times. This beauty streak is still very popular and, although just a line, makes or mars the look of a person. While lead was toxic, today’s kajals are not as dangerous.
Aroma essentials
A major part of skincare also included smelling good and masking the smell of sweat. Essential oils like almond or myrrh were used quite often back then. Today a more modern form like roll-on, perfumes, deo sprays etc, is available along with essential oils. Ingredients like Argan oil, almond oil or rosehip oils are quite popular in the making of each of them.
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