10 Ancient Egyptian Beauty Tips You Can Try

They left us science, religion, and of course, the pyramids. But did you know the ancient Egyptians left us beauty tips, too?

By Arwa Lodhi

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems that every generation throughout history likes to believe that they’re the most ‘advanced’ – economically, morally and commercially. Whilst we may have made some serious changes in these areas, it’s hard to say whether as time progresses, we actually ‘advance.’

Take the realm of beauty, for example. While we have indeed made changes in recent centuries. Namely with plastic surgery and facial injections like Botox. Whether these indicate a progressive move or not is up for debate. The same could be said for clean beauty. Many see this as an evolution in the cosmetics industry. But to be honest, it’s just a (welcome!) step back to a more natural past.

The ancient Asians, Indians and Egyptians were all famous for having a wealth of beauty treatments at their disposal, and many of the products they used – be it neem oil, kohl eye liner or a honey and natron  face scrub for acne – still provide powerful treatments today.

Whilst cosmetics were made of stuff you could use today, but may not want to – saffron was used as an eyeshadow and burnt almonds were used to darken eyebrows, for example – ancient skincare ingredients were more practical and effective.

In fact, there are so many potentially useful ingredients from those ancient cultures that it would be tough to list them all here. But we have come up with a few key ancient Egyptian beauty tips that can still be incorporated to your beauty regime, with incredible effects.

Ancient Egyptian Skincare Secrets

1. Use Moringa & Castor Oil for Wrinkle Removal

Anti-ageing treatments are among the most popular cosmetic pursuits, with an entire category of the industry dedicated to it. The ancient Egyptians however, used the natural goodness of castor oil, sesame oil and moringa to tighten their skin and remove wrinkles.

These oils nourished the skin from within, and made it appear tighter and firmer with prolonged usage. Needless to say, this beauty secret has been adopted in the form of extracts in commercial products; however, nothing beats gently massaging the pure, organic stuff onto your face.

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Eliminating wrinkles.

2. Apply Aloe Vera To Tone Skin

Not only was Cleopatra clever and powerful, she was also the epitome of beauty for her time. Apparently, one of her everyday essentials was aloe vera, which she used to tone her skin and rinse off the day’s impurities. This particular beauty ritual is still performed by millions today, and has become more popular due to the rise of clean beauty.

It’s simple to use: just take a bit of the gel from a leaf, apply it to a cotton pad, and wipe over the face. It also works great to soothe sunburned skin!

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Cleansing and toning the skin.

3. Salt Scrub Away Dead Skin

Sea salt is known to be far more beneficial to the body. That’s due to its compendium of minerals which rejuvenate skin and combat a number of skin conditions. When in its purest form, it’s also very useful in preventing acne, as it reduces  the toxic contents of the skin, and keeps bacteria at bay.

In practice, sea salt leaves the skin feeling luscious and quite clean. Other than a salt bath, sea salt scrubs are also great! Just scrub some pure salt over your skin before a bath to remove dead flakes. It will also condition the skin after a good soak.

Note, however, that everyday table salt will NOT do anything good for your skin – or your health! Make sure you’re using pink Himalayan, Dead Sea or Epsom salts.

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Exfoliating.

4. Clean With Vegetable Oils 

Soap wasn’t present in the ancient Egyptian bathroom. Instead, vegetable  oils were applied all over the body, then scraped off, along with all the nasty dead skin and other accumulated muck. It sounds gross, but the end result was  clean, soft and silky skin.

The upper  classes would often infuse the oils with expensive perfumed herbs to boost the beneficial effects and provide a nice scent. Whilst you may not want to swap your soap for oil, you could at least try using an oil facial cleanser. There’s a reason they’ve become a huge trend this year! Try Damask Rose, Coconut or Sweet Almond Oil.

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Cleansing the face and body.

5. Adorn With Henna

This plant based colourant has been used to cover grey and change hair colour for millennia. It’s perfectly safe, easy to use, and an effective alternative to harsh, highly chemical hair dyes. But that’s not all!

Henna was also used in important ceremonies to imprint long-lasting, beautiful designs on the hands. It was also used on other parts of the body.

In fact, rather than take the risks involved with permanent tattoos, why not try a henna tattoo instead?

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Decorating the skin and colouring the hair.

6. Seduce With Kohl

This powder has long been used as an eye cosmetic. It’s traditionally made by grinding stibnite into a fine powder. It’s then mixed with water and used as eyeliner, eye shadow, and even mascara.

You can still buy pure kohl powder to use as makeup if you like, unless you live in the USA. It’s banned there, due to concerns regarding lead content. However, a January 2010 study showed that the heavy eye makeup that ancient Egyptians wore may have had medical benefits.

That’s because at submicromolar concentrations, the specially made lead compounds in kohl can actually elicit overproduction of nitric oxide (NO), which in turn can trigger an enhancement of the immune response.

In addition, the powder brings benefits in the form of protection from disease, bugs and sun rays. You’re welcome, American football players!

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Naturally darkening the area around the eyes.

7. Style With Shea Butter

This all natural, thick paste were used as hair gels and to hold their hairstyles in place. It was also used to condition the hair. You can still use it today today, of course. And it’s cheap as chips! It works especially well on the tips of the hair to moisturise, strengthen and to tame frizz.

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Taming frizzy hair; moisturising skin.

8. Brighten With Avocado

Rich in fatty acids and vitamins, avocado masks have long been used as a mask to nourish the skin and hair. Eating this fruit also helps with maintaining a great complexion from the inside out. And as a bonus, if you make like an ancient Egyptian and place avocado paste under the eye, it even helps reduce puffiness. Don’t believe us? Try it!

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Making the eye look brighter.

9. Dab On Some Frankincense

Some of the most expensive and luxurious fragrances used in ancient Egypt were derived from some of the best incense ingredients, often imported from East Africa.

Frankincense, myrrh, and various aromatic woods were likely reserved exclusively for the gods, and possibly the very richest members of society. In fact, according to some inscriptions, pleasant smells may even have been associated with the gods of ancient Egypt.

One of the most popular scents was – and is – frankincense. Made from the resin of the Boswellia tree, it has a rich, earthy aroma.

In addition to smelling divine, it can also help manage arthritis, asthma, and other health conditions. Just smelling its essential oil can relieve chronic stress and anxiety, reduce pain and inflammation, and boost immunity.

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Having a fragrance appealing enough for a god!

10. Look Sweeter With Sugar

Yep, even back in the days of Cleopatra, having smooth legs was a thing. And the favoured hair removal method was sugaring.

The ancients would remove unwanted hair with a mixture of sugar, lemon, and water. Of course, this technique is still used today.

One of the best ancient Egyptian beauty tips for: Hair removal.