Clothing in Ancient Egypt Part 4: Hygiene and Cosmetics – Revisited
Two weeks ago, the article Clothing in Ancient Egypt Part 4: Hygiene and Cosmetics was published. A study has recently become popular that has produced additional information which is not only pertinent to this topic, but also very interesting. The study researched the medicinal properties of kohl, a black powder used as eyeliner, which was mentioned in the above article.
The process of making kohl is long and slightly difficult. It begins with a muslin cloth, only a few inches square, dipped in a paste of sandalwood or the sap from the Blackboard tree. Both true sandalwood and the blackboard tree are found in India and south Asia and could have been imported to Egypt. Other species of sandalwood are found throughout the world, and in Africa, but it appears the most common source of this ingredient was from India and southern Asia. This step of dipping and drying in the shade was repeated throughout the course of a single day. A wick was then made out of the muslin cloth. It is placed in a lamp filled with castor oil and burned. The burning lamp is placed in a brass container that is sealed with an opening large enough to only let in the required oxygen to allow the wick to burn. Once burnt out, the remaining soot is mixed with a drop or two of cow’s butter or castor oil. It is stored in a dry container (http://en.wikipedia.org).
Easier ways of obtaining kohl include simply burning camphor or an almond while holding a spoon over the flame to catch the soot (http://www.copperwiki.org).
The recent study, released on December 23, 2009, found that, in addition to the ingredients mentioned by Graeco-Roman authors, kohl also contained two non-natural forms of lead chloride. These lead salts were ground and added purposely to the kohl. They add no visual component to the kohl as the lead is dull and black, as is the kohl without the lead chloride present. The ancient papyri mention these lead salts as being highly medicinal. Scientists began researching this line of reasoning and discovered that the lead was responsible for eliciting specific responses, such as the overproduction of nitrogen monoxide, which stimulates immunological defenses (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac902348g).
In addition to the possible health benefits of lead salts in moderation, there are other medicinal aspects to kohl. It repels sand mites that are common in Egypt. These insects are attracted to the eyes, often blinding humans. It also helps clean the eyes of dust and sand while, much like the eye black used by American football and baseball players, it reduces the glare from sunshine. Lead is still considered highly toxic, however, and kohl has been banned from being imported into the United States in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration (http://www.copperwiki.org).
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