The Older Cosmetic

Long before the chemical cosmetic industry, the women of the ancient and medieval world made their own preparations from materials they ground, steeped, and mixed themselves. The recipes survived in the medical and devotional literature. They were intended for the beauty of the eye, the brow, the lip, and the skin, and they were inseparable from the older theology that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and the face is its door. This page is a working record of the recipes, adapted for safe modern preparation.

A safety word, first

The editors are direct. Some historical cosmetic ingredients were toxic, and several were notoriously so. Lead-based ceruse (the white foundation of the Elizabethan court), cinnabar and vermilion (mercury-based reds), belladonna drops (deadly nightshade, used to dilate the pupils), and the original lead-galena kohl of certain ancient Egyptian preparations are all unsafe. Where the historical recipe contained a toxic ingredient, the modern adaptation below substitutes a safe equivalent. The site does not provide medical or dermatological advice; readers with skin conditions, allergies, or sensitivities should patch-test all preparations and consult appropriate professionals.

I. Kohl — the eye black of the ancient world

Kohl is the oldest documented eye cosmetic in continuous use, attested in ancient Egyptian tomb deposits from at least 3500 BCE. The Egyptians used kohl on both upper and lower eyelid, around the entire eye, in the distinctive elongated shape preserved in their art. Kohl is mentioned in Pliny (Natural History XXXIII) and in the biblical record (Jezebel and Jeremiah both reference it).

The original recipe: ground stibnite (antimony trisulfide, dark grey) for the safer Egyptian preparation; ground galena (lead sulfide) for the older and more toxic version. Mixed with oil and applied with a thin rod (the kohl stick or kohl pencil).

The medieval modification: the kohl tradition continued through the Islamic Golden Age (where it was integrated with the prayer practice; the Prophet Muhammad is recorded as recommending kohl made from stibnite for the eyes) and into the medieval Mediterranean, including among Christian women of the Levant.

Safe modern preparation:

• Burnt almond kohl. Roast a few raw almonds (no oil) in a dry cast-iron pan until they turn deep black and smoky. Cool. Grind to a fine powder with a clean ceramic pestle and mortar. Sift through a fine cloth to remove any larger particles. Store in a small glass jar with a tight lid. Apply with a clean rod or fine brush to the upper lash line and, sparingly, the lower waterline. Lasts approximately three months in a sealed container.
• Burnt cork kohl. The same principle, with cork. Lighter pigment than burnt almond, gentler on sensitive eyes.
• Activated charcoal with coconut oil. Mix a small pinch of food-grade activated charcoal powder with a few drops of coconut oil to form a smooth paste. Apply with a fine brush. Easy to remove with more coconut oil on a cotton round.

All three of the above are safe for most users; patch-test on the inside of the wrist first if you have sensitive skin or eyes. None contains lead, antimony, or mercury.

II. Malachite — the green eye-paint of Egypt

Egyptian women painted the upper eyelid green with ground malachite (copper carbonate, a vivid green stone), often in combination with kohl on the lash line. Cleopatra is known to have used malachite; the visual effect — deep green on the lid against black on the lash line — is preserved in Egyptian art.

The original recipe: finely ground malachite stone mixed with animal fat or oil.

Modern caution: ground malachite contains copper and should not be used directly on the lid. Safer green-pigment substitutes are available in modern cosmetic-grade mineral pigments (chromium oxide green is the typical cosmetic-grade green; available from mineral cosmetic suppliers).

Safe modern preparation: a pinch of cosmetic-grade chromium oxide green pigment mixed with a small amount of jojoba oil or shea butter, blended on a small palette and applied with a fine brush to the upper eyelid. Approximates the Egyptian green without the copper exposure.

III. The Salernitan Trotula (12th century)

The Trotula is a collection of three Latin medical texts on women’s medicine composed at the medical school of Salerno in southern Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries. The third book, De Ornatu Mulierum (“On Women’s Cosmetics”), contains dozens of recipes for the face, hair, teeth, and skin. The text was widely copied through the medieval period and reflects the genuine practice of medieval European women, drawing on Arabic, Greek, and Roman sources.

Safe modern adaptations from the Trotula:

• Rose water tonic for the face. Distilled water with rose petals (real Rosa damascena, not artificial fragrance). Apply with a cotton pad after washing. Refreshes, gentle astringent. Buy distilled rose water from a reputable supplier or distil at home if you grow roses; the medieval recipe involved gentle simmering and condensation, achievable with a simple stovetop still.
• Honey-and-oil cleanser. One teaspoon raw honey mixed with one teaspoon olive oil. Massage gently into damp skin, then rinse with warm water. The medieval European face-cleansing standard.
• Almond-and-rose face wash. Ground almonds (almond meal) mixed with rose water to a paste; massage gently into damp skin; rinse. Gentle exfoliation plus the rose water’s soothing effect.
• Beeswax-and-olive-oil lip balm. Equal parts beeswax and olive oil melted together (gentle heat, in a double boiler), poured into a small container to cool. Add a drop of rose oil if desired. Lasts months. The medieval lip preparation.

IV. Saffron and the golden glow

The Roman tradition used powdered saffron (Crocus sativus) for a golden tint on the eyelids and at the corners of the eye. Saffron is non-toxic and beautiful in colour, though expensive; the modern dyer’s saffron (Carthamus tinctorius, false saffron) is a cheaper substitute with similar colour and good safety.

Safe modern preparation: a few strands of true saffron steeped in a tablespoon of warm rose water for an hour. Strain. The pale golden liquid can be brushed lightly at the inner corner of the eye for the highlight, or used as a face mist for the warm tone. Real saffron only; the colour is gentle and safe.

V. Walnut hull tincture for the brows

The medieval European recipe for darkening the eyebrows used walnut hulls (the green outer husk of the walnut, before the shell hardens) steeped in olive oil or water. The resulting dark tincture stains the brow hairs naturally for several days.

Modern preparation: walnut hulls (foraged in autumn from a walnut tree if you have access; otherwise available dried online) steeped in olive oil for two weeks in a dark cabinet, then strained. Apply sparingly to the brows with a fine brush. Tints the brow hair naturally; lasts about a week. The same tincture also makes a serviceable ink.

VI. The standing rules for the older cosmetic

1. No lead, no mercury, no antimony, no belladonna. The toxic historical ingredients stay in the history books.
2. Patch-test new preparations. Inside the wrist, twenty-four hours, before applying to the face.
3. Clean tools, clean containers. Glass jars sterilised in boiling water; brushes washed weekly; tools dedicated to cosmetic use only.
4. Short shelf life. Homemade preparations without preservatives last weeks to months, not years. Discard at the first sign of off-smell, discolouration, or texture change.
5. Discontinue if irritation. Stop immediately at any sign of irritation, redness, or sensitivity.

The disposition

Making the cosmetic by hand is itself part of the older discipline. The medieval woman who made her own preparations spent time on her own face that the modern consumer spends in the cosmetics aisle. The time spent in the making is time spent in attention to the face the reader was given to steward. The reader who makes the kohl herself is making more than the kohl. She is participating in the older practice of the temple-keeper.

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