Beauty Tips From Ancient History [Infographic]

Samantha Duffy http://daffodilhotel.co.uk 5m 1,349 #beauty

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

Beauty Advice From The Past

Beauty regimes and make up have been used since ancient civilisations to achieve the ideal look. Many of the lotions and make-up they used to be questionable to say the least and yet did you know that some of them are still being used in makeup and lotions we use today?

From the catwalk to TV celebrities and film stars we see so many beauty icons are choices are endless. There’s even social media accounts that show us how to exemplify our beauty routines and get the maximum benefits from the way we exercise, many of which have been inspired by ancient idols, such Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships and the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti.

This infographic shows some of the beauty rituals that were used by ancient civilisations along with today’s equivalent. We’ve included budget to high end options that you can find in today’s market so that you can use these ancient rituals in your daily beauty routine.

Read on to find out how the beautiful Cleopatra took a bath, how the fist health spa was visited by Herod the Great and why crushed snails were liked by Hippocrates to take your beauty regime to another level.

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BEAUTY TIPS FROM ANCIENT HISTORY

DAFFODIL HOTEL & SPA

Before the Kardashians there was Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Venus, and Athena. Women, deities, and goddesses who paved the way for our beauty rituals and still inspire many of them today. You might think some of the latest trends in your beauty treatments are brand new, but chances are, they’ve been around before.

Ancient Egypt
Ancient Greece
Ancient Roman
Ancient Asian

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TYPES OF TREATMENTS	THEN	NOW	TIPS
MILK As practiced by: Ancient Egypt	Cleopatra’s milk baths. Milk exfoliates and rejuvenates the skin. Contains properties which dissolve the proteins that hold dead skin cells together. Leaves the face and body extremely healthy, clean and soft.	Many of today’s shop-bought soaps and bath crémes use the same components. Or, you could create your own by mixing ½ a cup of honey to 2 cups of milk, stir well and add to the water in your bath tub.	BEST USED FOR: All over skin BUDGET BUY: Radox Feel Heavenly Bath Soak with Coconut Milk. For a mere €1, you can sink into this luxurious bubble bath with the scent of paradise. From bargain to bliss in minutes! OPULENT OPTION: For that truly decadent experience, you can buy a luxury bath with running chocolate milk for €10,000 from Bathstore. It will cost you a further €100 every time you fill it though.
SALT As practiced by: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome	Bathing in the Dead Seas – it as one of the first health resorts (for Herod the Great). Sea Salt was exported to be used in bathing and as a scrub. Rich in minerals and nutrients, it can reduce wrinkles and help cure various skin problems.	Dead Salts are now widely available, so no need to travel to the middle east to experience the benefits. They can be added to your bath or mixed with olive oil to use as a body scrub.	BEST USED FOR: All over skin BUDGET BUY: Mineral rich, genuine Dead Sea Salts area available in resealable pourches via the likes of Boots and Superdrug. 500g for just €3.99 won’t break the bank. OPULENT OPTION: For €65 you can buy 50kg of Dead Sea Salt, but for the authentic experience you might want to travel to Jordan, stop in a luxury hotel and take a dip in the real thing. That should set you bakc a few thousand pounds. Celebrity fans include Elizabeth Hurley and Gwyneth Paltrow.
SUGAR As practiced by: Ancient Egypt	Body scrube and exfoliator. Sugar can be used as a natural method with no harsh chemicals.	Ready made exfoliators are available but you can easily make a DIY version in your kitchen. You just need sugar, lemon, water, and patience.	BEST USED FOR: All over skin BUDGET BUY: Superdrug’s Vitamin E Sugar and Oil for just €4.99 for 250ml. Contains natural exfoliants of sugar, sea salt, and walnut oil. OPULENT OPTION: If you want your sugar experience to be a bit more “high end”, try the Perfect Forms Shower Scrub Body Sugar by Germaine de Capuccini. A complex emollient of natural origin and sugar rich crystals in sucrose. €38.50 for 200ml and avaialble in exclusive spa treatments. Try the Daffodil Hotel Spa in The Lake District for pure indulgence.
OLIVE OIL As practiced by: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece	Used alongside beeswax as a cleanser, moisturizer and antibacterial agent, as well as a rejuventating hair treatment. Olive oil is packed with anti-ageing antioxidants and hydrating squalene, making it superb for hair, skin, and nails.	Pre-shampoo treatment, lip scrub, eye makeup remover, ear wax remedy, shine serum, shaving cream, antibacterial balm, cuticle conditioner, eczema remedy, cracked heel repair… Really, waht can’t you use it for?	BEST USED FOR: All over skin, Hair, Cooking BUDGET BUY: Your basic extra virgin olive oil from the supermarket will do, and will only cost around €2-€3 for a 500ml bottle. OPULENT OPTION: for those with more expensive tastes, treate yourself to a Spa Day at the Daffodil Hotel in the Lake District where they ahve a Hydration package at €120pp. It includes a salt and oil exfoliation, olive and rosemary candle massage and express facial and noursihing hand treatment.
GREEN TEA As practcied by: Ancient China	Green tea was an incredibly popular drink. It was also used “neat” and applied to ance or as a cleanser. Used as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, it also slows down the signs of ageing.	Green tea has seen a resurgence in recent years. It is readily available in shops. You can drink it, or apply it to the skin in creams. You’ll find it’s an ingredient in a lot of today’s cosmetics.	BEST USED FOR: FACE, DRINK BUDGET BUY: Try Twinings Tea, who sell a loose leaf Gyokuro at €12 for 125g. OPULENT OPTION: The fine wine of Japanese Green Tea is Samovar Gyokuro and it can sell for around €50 for 100g. So you’d better enjoy every sip.
KOHL As practiced by: Ancient Egypt	Painted in thick lines around the eyes. Used to protect against eye ailments and the harsh rays of the sun. It was thought that the kohl helped protect both physical conditions, as well as against the evil eye.	These days it’s used purely for style, but still an everyday item for many women. Styles and colours have evolved over the years, with developments including liquid eyeliner, crayons, and waterproofing, but kohl remains a best seller even after thousands of years.	BEST USED FOR: Eyes BUDGET BUY: Kohl has remained releavitely cheap. You can find a good kohl eyelinder from Colllection, Rimmel, Barry M, or Max Factor for no more than €3. OPULENT OPTION: A traditional receipt Kohl eyeliner is available from andulairah.com. Made by hand in copper and bronze dishes, it sets you back around €27.
SNAIL MUCUS As practiced by: Ancient Greece	Famous physician Hippocrates reportedly prescribed crushed snails and sour milk to cure inflammation. It was also used to treat skin conditions. Skin softening and protective qualities. Stimulates the formation of collagen and elastin to diminish existing damage to the skin and minimize the effects of free radicals. Prevents signs of aging.	Not one to DIY! You might have to go to more specialist shops but snail mucus is now making an appearance in a lot of skin care products.	BEST USED FOR: Face BUDGET BUY: The notion of having snail slime on your face isn’t that appealing, but it’s amazing what a celebrity endorsement can do to chagne the public perception. Katie Holmes, aka ex. Mrs Tom Cruise is apparently a fan of snail face cream. Holland & Barrett stock a €20.99, 50ml jar which tripled in sales following the news. OPULENT OPTION: Dermatologist Dr Lancer has created Contour Décolleté containing snail venom for his line of Lancer Skincare products. It’s used by Victoria Beckham and is an eye watering €155 for 50ml.