Australian Science Illustrated – Issue 51 2017

scienceillustrated.com.au | 21

When Did Humans Begin

to Use Cosmetics?

How early were humans familiar with cosmetics,

and what made up early make-up?

The use of cosmetics is probably as old as vanity

itself, but the most ancient archaeological clues

include 7,000-year-old bowls used for green and

black eye make-up. About 2,000 BCE, the

Egyptians had expanded their cosmetics

repertoire considerably. Their "kohl" eye make-

up is well known, and neat looks were a symbol

of being in control. They used deodorant made

from dried balls of scented porridge placed in
the armpits. The porridge absorbed sweat,
whereas the perfume spread a pleasant
fragrance. Wrinkles were combated on a daily
basis using resin from the frankincense tree,
wax, and pulverised grass.
The Egyptians also removed body hair by
using a cream made of boiled and pulverised
bird bones, fly faeces, gum resin, mulberry
juice, and cucumber, which was heated and
applied to the skin. It must have worked!
IBSS

PERFUME WITH LILLY

AND CINNAMON SCENT

A Egyptian make-up also functioned as protection.

Papyrus Ebers, a detailed

medical text from about 1500

BCE, suggests their famous

lead-based eye make-up

could also have been used to

fight infection, as the mineral

boosts the immune system

B Perfume bottles were little works of art made

of processed alabaster. One

of the most popular scents

was Susinum, which was

made of lillies and cinna-

mon, and Cy prinum based

on henna oil and cardamom.

A

B

In glass bowls, carob tree pods, honey,

etc., were mixed into an ointment counter-

acting stretch marks.

FRANCO BANFI/GETTY IMAGES

WORLD RECORDS

400 years old

Which vertebrate lives the longest?

The Greenland shark is a slow creature,

which swims no faster than 2.7 km/h,

albeit at a depth of hundreds of metres.

The shark also grows slowly, and a big

creature may live until it is over

GREENLAND SHARK

Habitat: The waters around

Greenland and Iceland.

Length: Up to 7 m.

Sexually mature: After 156 years.

The Egyptians

invented hair

removal

products, rouge,

lipstick, etc.