Global Skincare Secrets: Egypt
Filed Under Natural Goddess |
This series will chronicle my journey through different countries and cultures searching for the ancient natural secrets to skincare around the globe. My first destination is Egypt.
In August of 2007, I had the opportunity to travel to Egypt. Not only was this journey a chance to rest, it was a chance to learn about a fascinating country, its people, and their traditional practices of beauty and personal care.
The markets are filled with vendors of herbs, flowers, and oils that can be combined to create elixirs, flower baths and fragrant body oils. My biggest treat was being able to visit one of Egypt’s most famous “perfume” houses in the Aswan region. This establishment provides many of the coveted essential oils to prestigious perfume makers in Europe who still use pure essentials oils as the scent of their perfumes. The oils were of excellent quality and extracted naturally, using traditional steam methods. Not only did I learn about Egypt’s most famous oils, but I learned much about natural beauty remedies of ancient Egypt.
Rose:
In Egypt the rose in one of the most coveted flowers. It is used in the form of pure essential oil and fresh or dried petals. In either form, rose lends gentle yet powerful healing and purifying properties to baths, body oils, and facial remedies. In fact, who needs modern acid-filled beauty creams!? One of the best ways to preserve the quality of your skin through the years is to blend rose, sandalwood, and frankincense oils with a small amount of almond oil and apply it directly to clean skin. This concoction doesn’t make you break out or create extra oiliness, yet it leaves your skin feeling pleasantly moisturized and firm.
Sandalwood:
Considered the best oil for general healing in Egypt, pure sandalwood oil is used for massage, in facial masks, for arthritis pain, and to heal dry, cracked skin. The pure oil is the consistency and color of liquid honey and has a deliciously woodsy fragrance.
Frankincense:
Frankincense oil has a calming affect on the mind. It can also help balance skin irritations. In ancient Egypt it was used as an offering to the gods. It was also used as part of a rejuvenating facial mask: a blend of sandalwood, rose, and frankincense oils mixed with whole milk goat yogurt.
Fenugreek seeds:
In ancient Egypt, the oil from fenugreek seeds were used as a natural skin softener. A tea made from the seeds was believed to increase milk production and breast size. I can’t attest to that one, but I have used fenugreek blended with other oils to create an earthy-smelling bath oil. Fenugreek oil is very pungent and should not be used without dilution in the skin.
As the owner of a natural body care company, I wanted to create products that are just a bit different from the norm—and make them chemical-free to boot. What I realized is that many of the ancient civilizations had the art of personal care down pat. These ancient cultures used the gifts of Mother Nature to cleanse and purify their bodies with great success. So join me in the future for information about the natural beauty secrets of Ghana, Japan, and the Maya of Mexico!
Jane Large
