Ancient Beauty Secrets That Are Useful Even Today

By Editorial Staff in History On 16th June 2017
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#1 Olive Oil

Ancients called this product "golden," and with good reason: olive oil is now a base for numerous skin and hair care creams, shampoos, and balms.

#2 Baths

Ancient Roman women spent many hours in their baths, enjoying small talk and changing hot and cool water.

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#3 Aromatherapy massage

Massage has always been a favorite of many beautiful ladies, and when aroma balms and oils are added, the session is a dream come true.

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#4 Textured fabric instead of a scrub

When there’s no scrub at hand (or it’s not yet been invented), a cloth perfectly deals with doing away with dead skin cells.

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#5 Sugaring

Ladies loved this unique idea of using sugar for epilation as it had long-lasting effect.

#6 Rosehip and cream balm

This is simple yet brilliant as the roses enhanced the fragrance and the cream softened the skin.

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#7 Honey Masks

It is very much preferred even today to get rid of marks on the skin.

#8 Red Ochre

Egyptian women often used this natural pigment as lipstick and cheek stain. The ochre was ground finely and mixed with water then applied with a brush to the lips and face.

#9 Burnt Almonds

Egyptian women used burnt almonds to paint their brows black and fill them out. They were on top of the eyebrow game before it even got started.

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#10 Henna

Henna can do much more than just beautiful skin detailing. The Egyptians used henna to naturally dye their fingernails yellow and orange. Researchers found that the henna conditioned their nails as well. All natural and growth promoting? Count us in.

#11 Castor, Sesame, and Moringa Oil

The Ancient Egyptians were obsessed with beauty and the idealized version of themselves. Pharaohs were always depicted as slender and young despite their true appearance. Aside from in art, wealthy Egyptians used oils to fight wrinkles and preserve their youth.

#12 Rose water:

Rose water speaks of romance and luxury now, and dates back to ancient Egypt, where it did as well. Rose water prevents aging by reducing wrinkles and tightening skin pores. It was also used as a cleanser because it can easily remove dirt, oil and other pollutants from the skin.

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#13 Avocado:

Avocado was used centuries ago by Aztec civilizations as a skin moisturizer. Avocado oil will help to balance the skin by reducing pore size to produce healthy looking skin. The oil is easily absorbed by human skin and it will not clog pores.

#14 DIY a Turmeric Mask

Turmeric is the DIY mask ingredient of choice for many brides in the Middle East, and it turns out Chinese women feel the same about this potent orange root; Brian says women in ancient China would make turmeric masks to help reduce wrinkles and even their skin tone. “Mix one tablespoon of almond milk, one teaspoon of honey, and one teaspoon of turmeric,” she instructs. “If you want the consistency of your mask to be thicker, you can use yogurt or add a drop more honey, but I like using almond milk because it contains vitamin E and antioxidants.” She uses a face brush to apply the mixture to her face (“turmeric can be messy!”) and leaves it on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing off. The result? Skin worthy of an empress.

#15 Beach waves

Ancient Greeks had a thing for "beach waves" too. "To enhance the texture of the hair, Hellenistic women often curled their hair and held it in place with combs," reports fashioningthepast.com. Today you can purchase a curling wand or stick and perfect waves in a few minutes. Whether curled or worn straight hair played a role as a social communicator and emphasized class differentiation. Back then a short razor cut meant you weren't a slave to fashion, you were an actual slave. Upper class women only cut their hair in periods of mourning.

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#16 Once you go red you never go back

Even back in ancient days women may have been trying to find that perfect shade of red. Henna was used as a red hair dye, for moisturizing, sun protection and its ability to transform skin with red patterns. Considered the oldest documented cosmetic, Henna was widely used throughout the Middle and Far East. Rumor has it Henna fans included famous Egyptians Queens, Cleopatra, Nerfertiti, Fatima (the Prophet Muhammed's daughter), and Mumtaz Mahal, to whom the Taj Mahal was built. Henna tattoos and hair dye are still popular today.

#17 Don't be afraid to get caught with a little egg on your face

Eggs: You may be all about your morning egg white omelettes, but there’s a whole bigger world out there. Eggs have been a primary ingredient in skincare for thousands of years. “Zhang Lihua, renowned beauty and Imperial Consort of the Chen Dynasty compiled the earliest recorded skin care recipe, dating back to 600 B.C. Egg whites applied to the face and neck will tighten the skin, providing an instant temporary face lift. The protein in the egg will also hydrate the skin!” says Mike Marenick, the Founder of Heal Fast Skin Care.