Ancient Egyptian cosmetics

Ancient Egyptian cosmetics were preparations applied to the body for adornment, hygiene, protection, and ritual use, including mineral eye paints, oils, and scented substances.

Kohl: A dark eye cosmetic made from mineral pigments and applied around the eyes. Galena-based kohl was a common eye paint in ancient Egypt.
Eye makeup: Cosmetic coloring applied around the eyes to alter or emphasize their appearance. Egyptian eye paints shaped a distinctive and widely practiced form of eye makeup.
Predynastic Egypt: The period of Egyptian history before the unification of Egypt under the first dynasties. Predynastic palettes and pigment containers provide early evidence of cosmetic use.
Nefertiti: An Egyptian queen and Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten during the fourteenth century BCE. Her sculpted bust is a famous image of carefully emphasized eyes and facial adornment.
Lead poisoning: Illness caused by harmful exposure to lead, which can damage multiple body systems. Some Egyptian eye cosmetics contained lead compounds, raising questions about exposure and risk.
Galena: A lead sulfide mineral with a metallic luster, historically used as an ore and pigment source. Its ground powder supplied a dark pigment for Egyptian eye cosmetics.
Ancient Egyptian medicine: The healing practices and medical knowledge developed in ancient Egypt. Some cosmetic ingredients were also used in remedies and protective treatments.
Narmer Palette: A ceremonial slate palette from around 3100 BCE bearing images associated with King Narmer. It connects early palette forms with royal imagery and the grinding of pigments.
Tutankhamun: An Egyptian pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty whose tomb was discovered largely intact in 1922. His burial included cosmetic containers and equipment among its grave goods.
Antimicrobial resistance: The ability of microorganisms to survive exposure to substances that would normally inhibit or kill them. Claims that lead cosmetics protected against infection require evidence distinct from modern antimicrobial resistance.

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