All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

cosmetics

The ancient lipstick vial found in Iran. Left) the carved chlorite vial containing the cosmetic preparation. Right) image of mineral composition of the substance found. Source: Left: M. Vidale, Right: F. Zorzi /Nature CC BY 4.0 DEED

Ancient Red Lipstick Found in 4,000-Year-Old Vial Unearthed in Iran

Archaeologists studying a unique artifact obtained from an ancient cemetery in Iran have identified it as a small cosmetics vial made from chlorite. Most notably, inside the vial they found the...
Lead white was a lethal pigment. Source: rodjulian / Adobe Stock.

Lead White Was a Lethal Pigment That Painted a Deadly History

Lead white, a pigment as notorious as it is historic, has painted a perilous line through human history. For over two millennia, this deceptively vibrant hue has been a silent killer , lurking in the...
Archaeologists discovering roman era makeup and jewelry at the Aizanoi archaeological site and, right, an example of the makeup. Source: Anadolu Agency

2,000-Year-Old Roman Era Makeup & Jewelry Unearthed in Ancient City of Aizanoi

In the ancient city of Aizanoi, located in Turkey's Kutahya province, archaeologists have unearthed remnants of cosmetic products, which include jewelry items and makeup materials, dating back over 2...
Snail slime was used for beauty products. Source: Volodymyr / Adobe Stock.

Ancient People Harvested Snail Slime for Beauty Products (Video)

Harvesting the natural benefits of snail mucus has a history dating back to ancient civilizations . This unique substance, valued for its nutrient-rich qualities, has found its way into modern beauty...
Beautyberries (left) have revealed insights about mint family composition. Source: Left: Tom Cardrick / Adobe Stock; Right: Public Domain

Ancient Medicinal Mint Has Untapped Potential, New Research Reveals

Researchers from Michigan State University recently completed a comprehensive study of the genomes of several species of mint plants , to trace their evolutionary pathways at the chemical level...
Mary, Queen of Scots was said to bathe in white wine. Source master1305 / Adobe Stock

Mary Queen of Scots Washed with White Wine

While Cleopatra is fabled to have bathed in sour donkey milk , Mary Queen of Scots is said to have washed with white wine to ensure a smooth complexion. A devout Catholic, throughout her life Mary...
People have been dying to be beautiful for centuries, and toxic cosmetics are nothing new. Many makeup ingredients have proven painful, or even deadly, over the years. Source: KNV / Adobe Stock

Dying to be Beautiful: 7 Crazy Ingredients Used in Ancient Cosmetics

Makeup has been around for centuries, but getting your glam on in ancient times wasn’t as simple as going to your local Sephora. Before safe and regulated products existed on the market, ancient...
Hygiene has evolved over the years, but we’ve been taking showers for centuries. Women bathing in a public gymnasium; Gouache painting based on an ancient Greek vase. Source: Wellcome Collection / Public Domain

Hygiene Through History: How Filthy Were Our Ancient Ancestors?

People in the past have a reputation for being dirty and unhygienic, but is this true? While many aspects of personal hygiene have evolved over the centuries, others have remained surprisingly...
Chinese woman in white makeup, illustrative of how lead white makeup was once worn.	Source: yuri2011 / Adobe Stock

The Chinese May have Been First to Use Synthetic Skin-whitening Cosmetics

A new study suggests that the Chinese may have been the first to use synthetic skin-whitening makeup and were making it before the Greeks and Romans. Bronze jars excavated from an elite tomb in...
Main: Earliest surviving beadnet dress with the lozenge pattern (CC by SA 3.0). Inset: A bead-net dress. Photo source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Dress like an Egyptian: Fashion, Style and Simplicity in Ancient Egyptian Clothing

The ancient Egyptians may have created some of the most mind-bogglingly complex and intricate monuments known to man, but when it came to clothing, they kept it remarkably simple. Ancient Egyptian...
 Wall fragment with Two Women Roman 1-75 CE Plaster and pigment fresco.

Scientists Amazed to Discover 2,000-Year-Old Face Cream Still Containing Last Finger Imprints

When archaeologists came across a tin containing an unknown 2000-year-old ointment they were both pleased and bemused. It was not discovered in a home as one might think, but rather near an ancient...
Elizabeth Taylor, ‘Cleopatra’ (1963).

A Brief History of the Enduring Iconic Female Phenomenon of Red Lipstick

Red lipstick is a modern-day symbol of sex appeal and an attribute of femininity. Many modern women may be surprised by the fact that our recent generations are not the ones which invented this...
A picture of an Egyptian woman applying kohl to her eyes.

Bygone Beauty and Body: The Origins of Cosmetics in the Ancient World

Cosmetics may be defined as “substances that you put on your face or body that are intended to improve your appearance”. The desire to improve one’s appearance is something that seems to be...
Roman women bathing

Swans Fat, Crocodile Dung, and Ashes of Snails: Achieving Beauty in Ancient Rome

Now learn, my dears, the art of beautifying your faces; learn by what means you can retain your charms. This line, taken from Publius Ovidius Naso's (Ovid's) Medicamina Faciei Femineae , or The Art...
4,000-year-old cosmetics shop

4,000-year-old cosmetics shop found in Cyprus

Archaeologists have unearthed a unique 4,000 year-old cosmetics workshop at the Pyrgos-Mavroraki archaeological site in Limassol, Cyprus. It is the first time that evidence has been found of...
Gavdos - Ancient Plant used for Roman perfumes

Experts discover plant which is the mother of ancient Roman perfumes

Researchers have discovered a new plant growing on coastal areas in the eastern Mediterranean which is the maternal ancestor of Reseda odorata, a plant used in ancient Roman to make perfume and...