78 TOPSANTÉ Facebook.com/ TopSanteMagazine @ TopS a nt eUKBEAUTY | EGYPT
EGYPT
Combine ancient secrets of the pharaohs with some of nature’s
best beauty ingredients for goddess-like glowing skin
C
L E O PAT R A H A S
long been a beauty
icon. Famed for her
milk baths, heavily
made-up eyes and
alluring fragrance, the
Queen of the Nile, like most Ancient
Egyptians, was hugely interested in
her appearance. Both men and women
wore cosmetics: malachite (copper
ore) was used to paint eyes green;
black kohl used to accentuate them;
red ochre boosted lips and henna was
used to paint nails yellow. While an
Egyptian medical text reported the
use of copper to retain beauty,
Cleopatra also favoured another
mineral: gold. She is reported to have
slept in a gold facemask every night.
The Ancient Egyptians also highly
prized skin cleanliness and fragrance.
Bathing rituals would occur in canals
or rivers, and the Ebers Papyrus,
written around 1550 BC, documented
cleansing bars made up of animal fats,
vegetable oils and scent.
Aromatherapy was used to honour
the gods in the burning of incense; inINGREDIENTS INSIDER
‘Egyptian brands have the benefi t of
utilising high-quality, homegrown
ingredients. This has always been the
Egyptian beauty industry’s natural,
organic and cruelty free USP,’ says
Lydia. You’ll fi nd the following at the
heart of most products:● Egyptian geranium: This fresh,
uplifting fl oral is used in perfumes.
The oil, which is antiseptic and
astringent, can be used to tone skin.
● Sea salt: Salt, sourced from the
lakes of the Nile delta and the
Mediterranean Sea, were regarded as
an important purifying agent.
● Beeswax: A popular ingredient
in ancient Egyptian cosmetics, today
beeswax is used as a water-resistant
barrier to lock in moisture.
● Floral waters: Cleopatra favoured
rose fl oral water but now other
fl owers, include geranium, jasmine,
neroli and chamomile, are found in
waters to cool, moisturise and refresh.
● Vegetable oils: Ancient Egyptians
used moringa oil and black castor oil
to strengthen and condition their hair.BRANDS TO WATCH
For a line-up of at least 30 Egyptian
beauty and lifestyle brands, head to
Source Beauty (sourcebeauty.me)
where you’ll fi nd the likes of Urbanbaths, which featured heady
concoctions of jasmine, myrrh and
rose; and post bathing when skin, hair
and nails would be lavished with
scented oils to hydrate and to bring
the wearer ‘closer to God’.
Today, Egyptian women are looking
for a different type of illumination.
‘Egyptian women are always seeking
a natural glow,’ explains Lydia
Schoonderbeek, founder of Source
Beauty (sourcebeauty.me), an insider’s
guide to Egyptian beauty products. ‘In
terms of make-up, our most requested
item is the No Make-up Glow by
Osvaldo’s, a tint for lips and cheeks
that gives a lightweight shimmer and
fresh sun-kissed look. The brand’s
founder, Sandra Osvaldo, has a beauty
routine that includes mostly natural
products to cleanse and tone,
including tea tree oil or rose fl oral
water, as well as natural scrubs,
especially body scrubs, to clear the
skin of any impurities and boost cell
renewal and blood circulation.’ Find
her on Instagram @osvaldos_natural_
beauty for more inspiration.Ancient Egyptians greatly valued skin
cleanliness and fragrance, and used soap
bars made of animal fats and scent.
BEAUTY SPOTLIGHT
EGYPTEGYPTEGYPTEGYPT