Once ingredients were gathered, time-consuming preparation was needed to make them ready to apply. Minerals were ground into powder and then mixed with a carrier agent often animal fat in order to make it easy to apply and stay on the skin.
Egyptians mostly used galena more commonly known as kohl and malachite powder a green mineral for eye makeup. Galena was a black paint that shielded eyes from the sun, while malachite powder made the eyes appear larger and protected those who wore it. Both were applied using ivory, wood, or sticks made of metal. Black was mostly used around the eyes and an almond or feline-inspired shape was the norm. However, the galena could also be applied to the eyebrows and eyelashes for added definition.
Green pigment was placed all over the eyelid and underneath the brow bone. Though styles varied as time went on, black and green were staples of beauty in ancient Egypt. Cosmetic reasons played a large role in the daily application of eye makeup, but it was also used for health and protection. Both men and women participated in this elaborate ritual for a variety of reasons , such as a way to imitate the gods, to protect the skin from the sun kohl was believed to repel flies and ward off infections, among other things , and offer protection against evil eyes without makeup were thought to be vulnerable to the Evil Eye.
As a result, makeup became a source of personal power. The most obvious way to differentiate the upper class from the poor was to look at their applicators and storage. While everyone had access to the products used to decorate the skin, poorer people relied on clay pots and sticks.
Those with money had ivory containers and applicators that were beautifully carved and bejeweled. Though the eyes had the highest importance, men and women drew attention to the lips as well. This was typically done with the use of red ocher. It was often applied alone but in many cases was mixed with resin or gum for a longer lasting appearance. According to a Harvard paper on the history of lipstick , popular color choices included red, orange, magenta, and blue-black.
Cleopatra wore a unique red lipstick created from flowers, red ochre, fish scales, crushed ants, carmine, and beeswax. Her signature shade made red a popular choice, and as a result, the use of carmine became more widespread.
Ingredients were mixed in either brass or wooden bowls depending on class levels and once the color had been created it could be applied directly onto the lips. This was done using wet wooden sticks that acted as an applicator brush. There were many cosmetic reasons the Egyptians chose to accentuate the mouth. This clearly shows just how essential kohl was in daily life but also in the afterlife, which indicated that it had important religious functions.
Kohl was associated with the deities Horus, Ra and Hathor and was regularly used in ritual. Egyptians also exaggerated their eyes with bold liner in veneration of the gods, as they believed it possessed magical properties in providing protection from diseases and warded off the Evil Eye Tapsoba et al. Though these magical benefits of kohl may seem irrational to us today, these protective qualities are fully supported by recent studies of the various ingredients found in kohl.
Egyptians faced many health issues that effected the eyes; from dust from the desert, to insects and bacteria from the flooding of the Nile, diseases such as conjunctivitis, cataract, trachoma and trichiasis played the population. The proscription of kohl to treat and prevent these illnesses can be found extremely early on in the Ebers papyrus , but were ancient physicians correct to think kohl could heal them? Kohl contained multiple ingredients that not only added to the beautiful shine of galena, but are also known for their medicinal benefits.
Zinc oxide is a powerful natural sunblock, neem has astringent and antibacterial properties and also possesses anti-viral activity like silver-leaf, while fennel and saffron were often used to fight many eye diseases. Other ingredients, such as chaksu and precious gems, were also believed to improve sight Pak , A biomedical study , which made the news in , ended controversy over the harmful effects of kohl.
By analysing various samples found in Egyptian tombs and recreating ancient recipes, reported by Greco-Roman authors, scientists were able to test the effects of these led compounds on skin cells. Amazingly instead of causing lead poisoning, these lead compounds instead triggered an overproduction of nitrogen monoxide NO o , which stimulates nonspecific immunological defences. This data suggests that the daily wearing of kohl made Egyptian eyes almost immediately resistant to bacterial infections due to the spontaneous response of immune cells.
Although concerns about the toxicity of lead, overshadowed its benefits, this study proves that the lead compounds found in kohl did in fact serve a significant medicinal function. Tapsoba therefore argues that these compounds were deliberately manufactured and used in cosmetics to prevent and treat eye diseases Tapsoba et al.
The addition of these various ingredients to kohl supports the magical protective beliefs of Egyptians and shows an understanding of ancient physicians of the many benefits this cosmetic possessed.
Although kohl was used by the Egyptians to beautifully decorate their eyes, its daily use for religious and medicinal purposes were extremely important. Its use, in various forms, has been important to many cultures throughout history and it remains a popular cosmetic across the world today. Popielska-Grzybowska, O. Iwaszczuk eds.
Facial Makeup in Ancient Egypt. Importance Of Makeup In ancient Egypt, makeup was important both for appearance as well as for protection. This included: Black Makeup: This makeup mixture was made of carbon, lead sulfide and manganese oxide and was used to enhance the beauty of the eyes. Green Makeup: This was made from copper-based minerals like malachite.
Red Makeup: This was a mixture of red ochre and water. IT was used to makeup lips and cheeks. Henna: This was used to make hair look more beautiful and stunning Egyptians. They also used it for dying their fingernails in colors like yellow and orange and for making hand tattoos. Ancient Egyptian Face Makeup To protect their face from bad atmospheric conditions and to look beautiful Egyptians used wonderful makeup on their face, especially red makeup that enhanced the beauty of their lips and cheeks.
Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. History vs. Why did ancient Egyptian men wear cosmetics? The Ancient Egyptian Cosmetics Counter " ". Ancient Egypt Sacred Luxuries. Summer Sherrow, Victoria.
June April 15,
0コメント