by Mindy Cohen, '99
The Egyptians were among the first to use cosmetics and perfumes. As early as 10,000 BCE, both men and women used scented oils and ointments to clean and soften the skin (and to mask body odor), and dyes and paints to color it. They rouged their lips and cheeks, stained their nails with henna, and lined their eyes and eyebrows heavily with kohl, a dark-colored powder made variously of crushed antimony, burnt almonds, lead, oxidized copper, ochre, ash, malachite and chrysocolla, a blue-green copper ore.