Since ancient times, women have actively explored different ways to preserve their beauty. Of all the ladies throughout history, Cleopatra is arguably the best known for her creative beauty methods, alongside her skills as a political leader. In fact, she built a reputation for herself by using her looks as a weapon to help her protect her kingdom and her status as ruler.
While some of the strategies she employed were somewhat dubious, such as using crocodile dung combined with donkey milk as a face mask, some have been proven effective in helping women maintain their beauty. Listed below are some of the techniques that have stood the test of time.
Many beauty experts will agree that the first step to beauty is making sure that you take care of your skin. In order to preserve the youthfulness of her appearance, Beauty and Tips Magazine says that the Pharaoh used aloe vera to keep her skin moisturized. She also used it on her hair to condition it. In fact, her love for aloe vera went further than just applying it to her skin and hair. Cleopatra reportedly ingested aloe vera as she said it helped with her digestive system.
Honey and Milk Bath
If you have ever wondered how beauty care manufacturers have come up with the idea of infusing milk and/or honey in their products, look no further than the Ancient Egyptians for coming up with this quirky concept. Cleopatra was well known for bathing in a combination of milk and honey, which was said to have exfoliating and moisturizing properties. The blend was also used by her as a face mask to help stave off wrinkles.
Aside from honey and milk, she was also said to have been a fan of bathing in the Dead Sea. This was probably because of the high content of minerals in the sea, including salt, which would have also helped exfoliate and nourish her skin, as well as repair damaged skin. Today, many beauty companies claim to use substances from the Dead Sea in their products to try to boost their sales.
Dark-lined Eyes
Cleopatra may have lived several centuries ago, but people can still recognize her in her various depictions because of her distinctive look. Aside from her blunt bob, she is known for sporting kohl-rimmed eyes, and this particular aesthetic is commonly used by brands that use Cleopatra as a focal point to promote their products. Gaming site Slingo used her distinctive, and hypnotizing kohl-rimmed eyes as the central point of their Cleopatra mobile slot game, which showcased her heavily made-up eyes for the game’s visuals. The Egyptians were said to have invented the cat eye, which continues to be a popular style for eye makeup. They used lead as their eyeliner. Modern-day versions of this makeup no longer contain metal, which is a good thing because women no longer have to expose themselves to toxic substances in the name of beauty. Nonetheless, the concept of dark, heavy eye makeup that originated from Cleopatra’s time continues to be popular today.
Olive Oil for Hair
Cleopatra maintained her thick, lustrous hair by applying olive oil on a daily basis. If you want to try this particular technique, beauty experts recommend combining it with castor oil and then warming the mixture first before massaging it into your scalp. Leave it on for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before washing it out to make your hair soft and shiny.
Sugaring for Hair Removal
Hair removal is not a modern-day vanity. Marie Claire claims that the Ancient Egyptians invented body sugaring to get rid of unwanted body hair. This trend continues today and is in fact preferred by many women compared to other hair removal procedures such as waxing and shaving.
If you also know some other ancient beauty secrets that have lasted the test of time, kindly don’t forget to share with us in the comment section below. Your comments will be appreciated. Thanks for your time!