Did you know that the existence of beauty products dates all the way back to 4,000 B.C.E.? In ancient Egypt, eye cosmetics were kept in cylindrical containers made out of either stone, ceramics, or wood for preservation.1 When they were first created, these eye products were used by their people for adornment reasons. However, as time went on, Egyptians developed kohl – a paste which was made up of mainly galena, a mineral form of lead sulfide. They realized this could be used for medicinal purposes as well—causing the quality and quantity of eye cosmetics throughout Egypt to increase drastically.
By 2,000 B.C.E. the accustomed eye cosmetic known as kohl was advanced drastically. Scientists have recently used a method called wet chemistry to determine this evolution.1 In addition to kohl being used to add personal sense of style to their faces, it was also a new and quite interesting source of protection. Therefore, both men and women took advantage of kohl.
At first, kohl was not used in the way we use eyeshadow today, but more like eyeliner. An extremely thick ring of eyeliner surrounded the whole eye.3 It also was not only used for beautifying purposes, but also for protection.4 Since the first kohl creation was a very dark black shade, it reflected light off of the dark pigment, protecting the eyes from harmful sun rays. Kohl was used to surround the eyes of both men and women. Simultaneously, kohl’s main ingredient, galena, was known as a disinfectant among the people of Egypt. This led the ancient Egyptian physicians to lean toward kohl as a prescribed drug for various diagnosed eye diseases.1 The Egyptians didn’t necessarily benefit aesthetically through obtaining a whole color palette of kohl. The medicinal side was extremely influential. The galena was mixed with other ingredients, including water, to create pastes of various tones. Among the most popular of these tones was a dark black and a very vibrant green.6
The deep, dark black kohl was created by the mixing of galena and soot. Soot is an extremely flaky substance that contains high amounts of carbon, which gave it the jet-black look.7 The green kohl on the other hand was made up of galena and malachite, a green pigmented rock. This rock was pummeled and mixed with the galena and water, creating a thick, vibrantly colored paste.8
Although the people of Egypt don’t use kohl the way they used to in 4,000 B.C.E., we can most certainly conclude that where we are today in the cosmetic industry would have definitely been delayed if it weren’t for the Egyptians. Their exploration of cosmetics is the base of our creams, exfoliators, and enhancers that exist on the shelves today.8
- P. Walter, et. al., “Making Make-Up in Ancient Egypt,” Nature 397, no. 6719 (Feb 11, 1999): 483-484. ↵
- P. Walter, et. al., “Making Make-Up in Ancient Egypt,” Nature 397, no. 6719 (Feb 11, 1999): 483-484. ↵
- Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, 2005, s.v. “Western Cosmetics,” by Kathy Peiss. ↵
- P. Walter, et. al., “Making Make-Up in Ancient Egypt,” Nature 397, no. 6719 (Feb 11, 1999):: 483-484. ↵
- P. Walter, et. al., “Making Make-Up in Ancient Egypt,” Nature 397, no. 6719 (Feb 11, 1999): 483-484. ↵
- F.T. Walton, “My Lady’s Toilet,” Greece & Rome 15, no. 44 (May 1946): 69. ↵
- Marguerite Johnson, Ovid on Cosmetics: Medicamina Faciei Femineae and Related Texts (United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016): 11. ↵
- Zoe Diana Draelos, “Overview: cosmetics and the art of adornment,” Dermatologic Therapy 14, No. 3 (September 2001): 175-177. ↵
- Zoe Diana Draelos, “Overview: cosmetics and the art of adornment,” Dermatologic Therapy 14, No. 3 (September 2001): 175-177. ↵
57 comments
Mariet Loredo
This was a great article, very informative. I love makeup and this article thought me how makeup started. I had to idea that the origin of makeup dates back to 4,000 BCE. I did know that makeup was made in Egypt because of Cleopatra. I remember learning about her and what stood out to me about her was her makeup. She had that very dramatic cat eye, that makeup artist and users still do to this day. I wonder if she was the one who started the cat eye look, because she did a pretty good job at it.
Rafael Azuaje
At the San Antonio Museum of Art there is a decent sized gallery that contains ancient Egyptian glassware. Some of the pieces there are little bottles with tiny spoons inside. In ancient times those bottles contained cosmetic products. They came in all sorts of colors and styles. The word kohl makes me think of the store Kohl’s. I wonder if the store got its name from this ancient cosmetic. Corporate names are funny sometimes. Did you know that the name of the pasta sauce Prego, in Italian, means “you’re welcome”? I wonder why they named it so.
Megan Barnett
I liked this article because it went straight to the point and included information that I have never heard about before. For instance I had no idea that something similar to eye liner could be used as protection for your eyes. However, I wish there was more explanation about the pictures because I didn’t really understand how the first and last one were related to the topic.
Alejandra Mendez
I knew of the Egyptian’s cosmetics and knew this is where makeup originated from, but I did not know that this eye makeup served as more than just an eyeliner. I can see why they would use it to shield their eyes from the sun’s rays, similar to how baseball players, and football players as well, use the black stripes under their eyes to reduce glares. What surprised me, however, is them using this kohl as medicine as well. Very interesting and fascinating topic.
Sebastian Castro Ramos
Before reading this article I didn’t know about the origin of cosmetic products, and I didn’t imagine it was about 4000 years ago. In movies where Egyptians were portrayed, they always seemed to use some kind of eyeliner but I always thought it was for aesthetics and not because they actually used it. It is also interesting how cosmetic products changed from having medicinal and protective uses into having only an aesthetic purpose.
Matthew Rios
It most certainly is an interesting thought, being that the products applied to the eyes during this time was used as a form of protection. Could’ve fooled me though, I never once thought about it having any sort of practical application other than beauty! It’s interesting to see how its use has evolved though, because now its mainly a beauty product.
Christine Sackey
It is fascinating to know that they used the eye makeup for other purposes than for looks. For instance using the khol as a form of protection against the sun rays. I always thought that it was just for looks especially when it was a different color from black. It is also cool to think that men also wore makeup commonly as well. It would make sense for the makeup to be more of a unisex thing if it was for medical reasons.
Tara Sellers
This was an interesting article. I knew ancient Egyptians used to wear kohl but I did not know what it was used for. The fact that kohl was used as medicine as well as makeup is very intriguing to me. Also, the fact that it was an ancient form of sunglasses is fun. I wish they would have told us what exactly the different colors did but overall the article was good.
Thomas Fraire
I didn’t not realize that make up has been around since Ancient Egypt times. It was a really interesting and well written article. That showed not only the origins of something that we use avidly in American society. But I didn’t realize that these products used in ancient time also had medical use, its crazy how innovative this society was.
Ezequiel De La Fuente
I always thought that this sort of eye-makeup within the Egyptians was a symbol of a high class, but I didn’t know that it was used widely by many for healing properties and to protect the eyes from the harmful rays of the sun. It seems, they were much more ingenious then we thought they were. Their makeup seemed to serve a higher purpose. I wonder if this was a direct inspiration of how football players paint black under their eyes for the same reason. Over great article! I enjoyed reading it.