If you thought there wasn’t a civilization that was more obsessed with beauty and appearance than today, you haven’t met the Egyptians. Were it not for the efforts and inventions of Ancient Egypt, we wouldn’t have makeup, hair care products, or even fashion…at least not in the way we know it today. Anyone who cares about fashion and beauty will enjoy learning about the Egyptians’ fascination with keeping themselves primped and looking nothing short of perfection.

Daily beauty and skincare regimens as we know them today came from Egypt. The Egyptians were not only diligent about remaining clean, they saw doing otherwise as a sign of impurity. They took their regimens seriously and always set about to find the next best beauty or skincare find to enhance their looks and overall sense of wellbeing. For one thing, facial and body hair were frowned upon, which led to many women and men shaving their legs, chests, arms, genital area, and any facial hair. Fancy wigs were worn by those of the noble class and what facial hair the men did sport back then were often fake and only worn for ceremonial times or celebrations.

Egyptian women cared about remaining youthful and beautiful and used only the best skincare creams and oils to keep their complexions supple and tight, and their skin soft. Especially due to the hot climate, Egyptians sought to protect their skin from sun damage by using essential oils to keep their skin from becoming dry and cracked. The majority of homemade beauty recipes undoubtedly found their origination from the Egyptians as well. For example, Egyptian women learned very early on that the use of certain natural resources provided great benefit to the skin and body, such as the use of eggs and face paints as facial masks, chalk and oil as makeup remover, barley and butter mixtures to eliminate blemishes, and milk and honey mixed together to make even the toughest skin smooth and firm. The use of cosmetics was so important to the ancient Egyptians that many accepted these items as a form of payment. And they didn’t stop at skincare products. The Egyptians also perfected the use of beauty tools such as tweezers and razors to further enhance their beauty.

Makeup was also a large part of Egyptian culture. Men and women alike wore makeup and paid extremely close attention to detail. From their darkened eyebrows to their eye makeup and lipstick, no Egyptian went out unless they were properly put together. Black kohl was a heavily used item in makeup, and the Egyptians favored indigo blues and greens as well. Red was also a popular color for the lips, cheeks, and the nails (red nail polish was created using the fat of a sheep and its blood). Darker skinned Egyptian women lightened their complexions through the use of chalk, powders, and white lead.

In terms of fashion, both men and women wore skirts and form-fitted clothing that flowed outwards down to the feet were highly popular. Many of these garments were made of sheer and oftentimes completely see-through fabrics. Because of the hot climate, lighter fabrics were mandatory to keep cool. Linen and cotton were the most used fabrics for Egyptian clothing, along with animal fur and leather. Throughout time, the styles got fancier, as the Egyptians got a hold of more colorful garments, accessories, and designs.

Without the ancient Egyptian’s way of life all those years ago, it seems impossible to be able to predict how our society would have handled fashion, beauty and skincare.

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