Antique Beauty

Honey, rose water, lemon juice, clay, aloe... These is just some of natural heritage antique beauties applied to look their best. Three thousand years ago and more, antique beauties, like gorgeous Helen rubbed their skin with thyme and iris oils, exfoliated skin with gentle sand, applied clay masks, decorated their eyes with coal, drank ginger and cinnamon to achieve sensual voice.

Herbal recipes for eternal beauty were passed from generation to generation: even in 2006 Cleopatra and her eyes are still a symbol of beauty. Egyptian queen emphasized her eyes with coal and brought out her eyebrows with green shadow. Some antique queens whitened their skin with and they sew small pillows on their clothes in order to achieve womanly curves. Roman women soaked their hair in violet oils and bath themselves in donkey's milk so their skin would felt smoother and silkier. They were creating their own lye powders, alabaster, salt, honey... Women were making eye powder out of crushed malachite; they waxed them selves with mixture of natural resins and honey; they were making scented oils out of leaves, roots and flowers to gain desired fragrances.
Since then tradition has changed, but many of those ingredients still represent an important part of cosmetic preparations. We highly recommend you try this recipes; most of needed ingredients you probably already have at your homes.


Magical ALOE 

Aloe originates from family of lilies. Since ancient times aloe has been known as elixir of youth. Because of its nutritive values and healing features, aloe has been recognized as queen of healing herbs.
Aloe is rich in vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, C, E and folic acid), amino-acids, enzymes, minerals (magnesium, mangane, zinc, copper, chromium, potassium and iron). Healing part of aloe are leaves. They contain juice, out of which aloe's extract is made.
When cooking aloe's juice, waxy, hard and glass-like mass is made, which is tasteless, but used both internally and externally. In medicine mostly aloe's gel is used, which looks like gelatin mass, found in aloe's leaves. Somehow Cleopatra knew aloe contains more than 240 nutritive ingredients: Egyptian women applied aloe's gel for gentle, but deep skin penetration. Gel is ideal for dry skin, because it rejuvenates and cleanse skin, gives protection and regenerates.

Ingredients:
2 spoons of aloe juice
½ cup of olive oil
2 spoons of *rose water

*rose water: 10 clean and dry rose petals, ½ dcl distilled water; crush petals in water; leave overnight; filtrate.   

Put all ingredients in clean container and mix well with wooden spoon or something similar until all ingredients blend well.
Apply mixture on face and neck. After 15 minutes rinse well with lukewarm water. Your skin will feel smoother and softer after this treatment.


HONEY: symbol for softness    

Honey is one of the oldest preparations for skin care. In ancient Rome rich people bathed themselves in donkey milk sweetened with honey. Besides skin care, honey is also often used in hair care. Blended with scented plants (mostly with saffron), honey was important ingredient in antique perfumes.

Lip balsam
Warm up honey and mix one spoon with one teaspoon rose water. Put it in a container with a lid and leave it to cool. Apply this homemade lip balsam whenever you need it.  

Hair Conditioner
On steam warm 1 dcl honey; melt honey in 1 liter water. Massage this conditioner in hair, wrap head in towel. After 10 minutes rinse well with water.


SCENTED RESIN

Resin is a sticky substance that becomes yellow to orange and hard after is taken from trees. Right before resin concretes 'orange tears' run down the branches, leaving whitish trace with beautiful aroma. Resin has incredible scent and is also known for aphrodisiac features. In ancient Egypt scented resin played an important role in magic rituals.

Orange tears: filter of love
 
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons of pansy oil
4 teaspoons of grape seed oil
5 drops of thyme essential oil
5 drops of rose essential oil

Mix pansy oil with grape seed oil. Add thyme and rose essential oils. Blend well. Massage your face with this mixture. You can also use it for your body; best right after showering. If you keep this mixture in a dark glass bottle, it will last approximately 6 months.


CLAY- Beauty Ally

Clay cleanses body from inside and outside: in cosmetics clay is most often used as face mask. It is produced in a form of fine powder or granules, and it can be purchased in herbal pharmacies or cosmetic stores.
Thanks to oriental tradition, clay never left the bathroom. Besides healing features, clay is known for having nutritive and regenerating benefits. We differentiate red, yellow, gray and green clay. Supposedly most effective of all is green clay. 
Clay is used in skincare and haircare:
Shampoo with clay gives hair volume and regulates sebum excretion
Soap containing clay removes dirt from skin, dead cells and blackheads
Clay both relaxes body and tones skin
Toothpaste containing clay (and mint) represents true remedy for sore gums

Clay Against Wrinkles       
 
Ingredients & Preparation:
2-3 spoons of white clay
½ cup of soft water (no chloride)

Put clay in ceramic or plastic container (any material but metal, so the mixture doesn't oxidate). Cover clay with water and leave it for half hour. Instead of water, clay can also be melted in juice, grape seed oil or few drops of rose essential oil. Do not mix- clay will slowly melt itself. After half hour blend mixture quickly in order to even the structure. The mixture shouldn't be too thick in order to penetrate deep skin layers.
Apply on face and neck. After 15 minutes rinse with lukewarm water.
Look yourself in the mirror. Do you recognize yourself?


EGYPTIAN HENNA

Henna is a plant, with origins from Far East. Henna is gained from dry leaves and skin of henna tree. Blended with water, henna gives yellow-red mixture. Since ancient times henna has been known for its healing features: henna strengthens hair roots, gives hair beautiful shine, while toning it in copper color. Among Muslim women henna is used for skin decoration as a substitute for jewelry: they decorate feet, arms and fingers.

Protective Hair Dying

Ingredients:   
65 ml sterilized water
½ cup henna powder

Preparation:
Blend powder and water until achieving smooth and dense mixture. Gently massage in dry, clean hair. Cover head with plastic cap (you can also use some sort of plastic bag) and wait 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the intensity of color you want to achieve. Rinse hair thorough and wash it with gentle shampoo.