Looking into it, there’s a surprisingly large amount of beauty care and skincare treatments that originated in the Middle East. Many beauty rituals we often take for granted with no knowledge of where they came from usually come from cultures such as Egypt’s, North Africa, or various regions of the Middle East.
Nail polish.
Nail polish comes from Egypt although at the same of ancient civilizations, they tended to use stained bright orange or red with henna dye made from dried leaves of the Lawsonia inermis plant. This is a far cry from the type of nail polish we use today. This same sort of dye was also applied to hair as a form of natural hair dye.
The Turkish bath.
Turkish baths were traditional baths having originated in – you guessed it – Turkey. That said, the hammam experience is also common to Morocco as well. Today, you’ll find these same Turkish-style baths in traditional bathhouses and spas all over the world. They usually consist of a scrub, massage, time spent in a steam room, and a splash of cold water. A similar approach to Turkish baths were applied using milk and honey as substitutes, which were believed to de-age, moisturize, and exfoliate the skin.
Hair extensions.
Loose human hair has been discovered at several archaeological sites in ancient Egypt. Archaeologists believe this to be proof that wigs and hair extensions were common in this area. At times, horse hair was also incorporated into these sort of Egyptian hair extensions.
Eyeliner from Egypt.
The first people to use eyeliner regularly was ancient Egyptians. They also used mascara and eyeshadow long before anyone else did. Men and women alike in ancient times accentuated their eyes using this makeup. Tracing the shape of a thick black line was very common in this period. At the time, the ingredients used to make up these lines were predominantly galena, a lead-based substance and charcoal.
Perfume.
Perfume was originally made from tree resin and is a key part of ancient Middle Eastern culture. Ancient Egyptian civilizations regularly prepared their own fragrances, from a combination of myrrh, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, and frankincense.
Argan oil.
Applied to the hair to give it a shine as well as to moisturize the skin, the first place the world saw Argan oil used like this was in Morocco. This is where the Argan tree grows. For many guru Instagrammers, bloggers, and beauty care aficionados, they know how powerful Argan oil can really be.
Sugaring.
A paste of sugar, lemon juice, and water was applied to the hair as a type of Egyptian hair removal. Although sugaring was extremely popular back in its day, it is used much less so today. A similar modern alternative is waxing, despite the fact that sugaring is way less painful and more moisturizing.
Lipstick.
As if all that wasn’t enough, yes, lipstick actually comes from the Middle East as well. The rouge originates from a clay-earth pigment, red ochre. It is them applied with a brush. It is sometimes burned for a more vivid color or left in the sun, or mixed with resin. Reds and oranges were extremely popular in this time period although some yellow and purple hues were also possible.
If you want to look and feel your best, know that a Turkish bath, steam bath, or infrared sauna are absolutely amazing for your skincare and beauty. Contact a representative at Steam Sauna for further information.