What cosmetics did the Greeks, Romans and Germanic peoples use?
Cosmetic products have been an important part of many people in this world since ancient times. Today they are an integral part of the daily care and beauty routine and also ensure that we do not get sick. However, cosmetics were not always intended for all citizens. In the last few centuries, perfumes, make-up and creams were exclusively intended for the authorities. At that time, cosmetics were pure luxury and were intended to boost the self-confidence of the nobility and kings. It was not until the 19th century that cosmetic products were produced for the masses. Since then, cosmetics have no longer been a privilege and are accessible to (almost) everyone in this world. Personal care primarily affects health and youth. Cosmetics were developed for greasy hair, pimples and sweat odor. A better sense of well-being and self-perception are the positive effects of care products. But what did personal care look like in the last few centuries? What was hygiene like in the Middle Ages and which bath additives were used there? - We'll take a look at that in this article!
Body care and its history | What was taken into account in cosmetics?
Cosmetics and body care played an important and a minor role among the Germanic tribes, Egyptians and Romans. Each of these cultures had its own way of caring for their bodies. Body care was an expression of one's own culture and personality and in each case had its own peculiarities.
Body Care in Ancient Egypt
The Egyptians are among the oldest peoples on this planet. They lived from 3,000 to 300 BC and had a very high level of culture. People wore beautiful clothes and had unique hairstyles that could only be achieved with good cosmetics and body care. Egyptian men at this time had short hair, even bald heads. They wore wigs made of wool, as well as leather or felt caps. Even women wore wigs to complement their own hair. They also wore headbands made of lotus flowers and balsam cones. As far as hair color went, the hair was limited to black. However, red henna was also sometimes used. Alongside braiding, curly hanging locks were also very popular with the ancient Egyptians. Clay curlers were already part of the cosmetics of this time.
The people of ancient Egypt loved to have massages and to take baths with fragrant oils as a bath additive! For further care after bathing, perfumed ointments and creams were used. applied to the skin. When it came to cosmetics, yellow-painted faces were all the rage. The shape of the eyes was also highlighted with black eyeliner and the eyelids in green. Another ideal of beauty was to line the lips and to color the palms of the hands and fingernails with red henna. When it came to personal hygiene and cosmetics, the people of ancient Egypt left nothing to chance!
Body care in ancient Greece
The Greeks, thanks to them we can now enjoy mathematics, democracy and many other things! In addition to these achievements, they laid the foundations for Western culture. From 1,500 to 150 BC, the ancient Greeks were the masters of a very large country and therefore of a very large number of people. Architecture, poetry and science were celebrated here more than anywhere else in the world. This is evidence of a high level of culture. For the ancient Greeks, however, the measure of all things was man himself. Harmony and a well-groomed mind and body were therefore always the goal. Sport, attractive clothing, stylish hairstyles as well as cosmetics and body care were very important for this. In terms of clothing, the following people wore:
Scholars and poets long hair and beards
- Soldiers and athletes short/curly hair and shaved face
- Fashion icons medium-long/wavy hair (men were also clean-shaven)
- Women wore wavy hair with headbands and long, loose hair
Women's hair was also often held in place with clips, nets and ribbons. All of these decorative clothing and hairstyles therefore required good personal hygiene. Long baths with soothing bath additives were the order of the day here. This is precisely why the ancient Greeks built dozens of bathhouses, so that their people would be clean and healthy. Relaxing massages with healthy oils and gymnastics for a clean body and mind were also very important. Cosmetics were also not skimped on. Snow-white face paint was particularly fashionable. Lead white make-up was used for this. Today we know that this is poisonous! Nevertheless, the lips were accentuated with Menning red and the body was sprayed with scents from natural essences to boost self-esteem and a sense of well-being.
Personal Hygiene in Ancient Rome
From 500 BC to 500 AD, most of Europe belonged to the Romans. The cultural achievements of the Greeks were simply adopted by Rome. Luxury, a lavish lifestyle coupled with a strong self-confidence characterized this period. For men, a full hairstyle and a trimmed beard were popular. Knotted hairstyles and nets were celebrated for women. But curly hairstyles, snake curls and braided hairstyles were also worn by women. Tiaras and blonde dyed hair were worn by women who could afford it. Like the Egyptians and Greeks, the ancient Romans loved to bathe! The milk of donkeys and goats was used as a bath additive . This was supposed to make the skin beautifully soft and supple. Massages, ointments and sweat baths were supposed to cleanse the body and ensure a good sense of well-being. The epilator (slave) was responsible for removing annoying head and facial hair. Dozens of recipes have been handed down for cosmetics and cosmetic products. This is especially true for facial care! (Read also: Which bath additive helps against pimples? ) Fruits, oils and honey were also used as bath additives. Lip make-up and powder were applied by both women and men.
Personal hygiene in the Middle Ages (Romanesque – Gothic – Germanic)
When we think of the Middle Ages, we think primarily of noble knights and pretty damsels! However, personal hygiene in the Middle Ages was constantly changing and was sometimes important and sometimes less so. Each era and time had its own peculiarities. In the Romanesque period, men wore short hair and a shaved face. But medium-length hair was also worn. Slightly wavy or curly hairstyles in the shape of a pageboy were worn by the male nobility around the 11th century. Women had to choose between loose hair, a veil or hair with a shapel. Married women braided their hair, into which colorful ribbons and sometimes flowers were worked. Plaits were also not uncommon. Personal hygiene at this time was the barber. He took care of nail and wound care, beard and head hair, and oral hygiene (tooth extraction, etc.).
In the Gothic period, people were very religious. In the period between 1250 and 1450 AD, men's style was pretty much the same as in the Romanesque period. For women, however, the role of hairstyle took a back seat. Girls had long, wavy hair and braided hairstyles. Married women also wore imaginative hannins and butterfly and turban caps. Blonde and black hair was universally accepted and worn. Red hair was ostracized because women with this hair color could only be witches (witch hunts). Public bathhouses for personal hygiene did not have a good reputation in the medieval Gothic period. Many of these bathhouses were closed due to illness and depraved bathing customs. Barber shops were now responsible for shaving, making wigs and haircuts. Barbers treated wounds and teeth and washed the body. Poor people and farmers had to take care of their own personal hygiene.
From 1600 BC to 800 AD, both men and women of the Germanic tribes wore different hairstyles. The Germanic tribes were not a closed people. They were more of an association when it came to battle against the Romans. Only then did the many small peoples (Franks, Alemanni, etc.) join together to defeat their arch-enemy Rome. The Germanic tribes lived in what is now Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and part of Poland and France. In terms of personal hygiene and cosmetics, however, things were a bit different compared to today. Free men wore long hair. Slaves and criminals, on the other hand, were shaved bald. Tribal hairstyles include floating knots, ponytails, and braids. In the Bronze Age, men did not wear beards. In the Ice Age, however, beards were compulsory for the sake of warmth alone. In the Bronze Age, women wore hanging braids and clips. In the Ice Age, women wore loose, falling hair and a middle parting. However, body care and cosmetics in the Middle Ages among the Germanic tribes were rather plain and simple. Bathing was done in cold baths. Hard soap was the only additive used in baths. A typical cosmetic product was sheep's wool fat, which was applied to the skin. Ear spoons were used to clean the ears. Decorative cosmetics, as was the case with all other peoples (make-up, lipstick, etc.), were overrated among the Germanic tribes. This type of cosmetics was not understood here and was therefore not used.
Personal hygiene over time | Bathing, however, was always a must!
How people washed themselves depended entirely on the time, religion, marital status and social position. It is striking, however, that baths played a key role in every culture. A wide variety of herbs, oils and natural products were used as bath additives . When it comes to cosmetics and body care, however, it is striking that the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians did a lot more than was the case in the Middle Ages and among the Germanic tribes. Today, people shower every day to look well-groomed, confident and healthy. Baths are taken to relax and for intensive cleansing. So that you can really relax during your next bathing experience, you will find a wide range of bath additives, oils and soaps in our shop. Have a look around and be inspired!