Little information has been preserved about how women took care of themselves at a time when it was necessary to go to an alchemist for the necessary ingredients, and no one dreamed of advanced and technically advanced beauty salons. The necessary hints can be found in the paintings of medieval artists, in historical chronicles and literary works that have come down to us. If we talk about antiquity (the era of Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and the Macedonian Kingdom), it is almost impossible to find reliable information. But if you look at the embossed profiles of famous ladies of antiquity, you will be surprised by the inner beauty, hidden strength and grace, which, at first glance, do not fit in with an era that has long sunk into the past.
Let's take for example Cleopatra, the queen of Ancient Egypt. Very little is known about her life, if we leave out the sensational story with Mark Antony and Julius Caesar. But, fortunately, the historical chronicles were lucky enough to preserve information about how she managed to maintain power over men. One of these unique recipes is Cleopatra’s face mask. It can be prepared at home without any problems, and, despite its venerable age (more than 2000 years), the composition has still not lost its magical properties. And if so, we invite you to travel back in time. Forget that this is the 21st century and a famous SPA salon cordially invites its clients very close by. After all, the queen of Egypt had no idea about all this, although she remained in the memory of countless descendants as a standard of beauty.
“Her appearance, with enormous charm, visible in every gesture and in every movement, struck me like a multi-stringed instrument, capable of being tuned to any mood.” Plutarch, "Antony"
The miraculous composition of the mask from Cleopatra
Many will be surprised that Cleopatra’s face mask can be easily prepared at home. How so: after all, the cuisine and life of Ancient Egypt, compared to modern ones, are two sides of an abyss, practically unrelated to each other. And yet, there are products that were used in those distant times and that feed us to this day.
Yes, if you open ancient manuscripts, among beauty recipes you can see mask ingredients such as wild donkey milk or crocodile dung, as well as many other exotic ingredients.
Modern cosmetologists suggest discarding all these unique products and seeing the basis of Cleopatra’s face mask, consisting of products from all times and peoples. Each of them has the most magical effect on the skin.
Ingredient No. 1: honey
- makes the skin look like velvet: evens out its texture, gives it softness;
- has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects;
- has pronounced anti-aging properties: smoothes out wrinkles, causes cells to produce collagen and elastin in larger quantities than before - this stops and slows down the aging process that has already begun.
Ingredient #2: Oatmeal
- nourishes the skin with vitamins (it contains K, E, various vitamins from group B, A) and microelements (oatmeal contains a lot of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, chromium, iron, manganese, zinc, cobalt), which improves complexion and eliminates rashes;
- protects the skin from all kinds of stress that it is forced to experience while being in close and constant contact with non-breathable decorative cosmetics in the form of foundation and powder, with negative atmospheric factors (ultraviolet radiation, frost, polluted air);
- has a lifting effect: tightens sagging skin, eliminates ptosis, enhances the double chin, and makes the facial contour beautifully defined.
Ingredient #3: Milk
- helps honey soften the skin;
- in ancient times, milk was called the elixir of youth, since washing with this wonderful liquid makes the skin elastic, very elastic;
- forces cells to regenerate, recover, breathe, function - the condition of the skin depends on all this: Cleopatra not only made face masks from milk, but also took entire baths from it, which is why her body retained the seductive elasticity of a young girl for many years.
Ingredient No. 4: cosmetic clay
- It is known that in adulthood the skin becomes very dry, losing precious moisture, and with it elasticity: cosmetic clay of any color has excellent moisturizing properties;
- At its core, silica (clay) replaced modern plastic surgery for ancient beauties (including Cleopatra): this substance can, after several masks, tighten a double chin and jowls, and with regular use, eliminate them altogether.
Honey, oats, milk and cosmetic clay - this is a miraculous recipe and the secret of eternal youth of Cleopatra, who loved to make face masks from these ingredients.
Of course, it is now impossible to verify this historical fact 100%, but the rejuvenating effect of this unique cosmetic product cannot be disputed. Ladies of Balzac's age, who have discovered the secret of the mask of youth from Cleopatra herself, cease to be afraid of age and no longer have complexes about wrinkles and folds. Now they can be easily hidden. Our little tips will help you on how to prepare this remedy at home.
Rating of the best golden Korean face masks
Farmstay Golden Korean Face Mask with Snail Mucin
A film mask with 24-karat gold and snail mucin promotes effective skin renewal. The product tightens pores, cleansing them of sebum and impurities, evens out skin tone and texture, and fights blackheads. 24-karat gold is a powerful antioxidant and helps remove toxins from the skin. Snail mucin ensures skin regeneration, restores its smoothness and radiance. Horse chestnut extract strengthens blood vessels. Persimmon extract tones the skin, tightens pores and prevents inflammation. The mask is suitable for oily, dense skin with enlarged pores.
- type of mask: film mask
- skin type: oily, combination
- effect: cleansing, blackhead removal, moisturizing, pore tightening, rejuvenation, wrinkles
- contains a complex of extracts
- texture: gel
Reviews
Ideal for aging skin. The result is visible immediately after the first use, but the effect is not long-term. The mask evens out skin tone and makes pores invisible.
Elizavecca Golden Korean Face Mask
Gold face mask Elizavecca Milky Piggy Hell-Pore Longo Longo Gronique Gold Mask Pack is aimed at lifting the oval of the face and rejuvenating your skin, which provide 8 types of peptides in the product that actively smooth out skin creases and wrinkles, tightening the contours of the face.
Golden Korean face mask Esthetic House Piolang 24K Gold Wrapping Mask
PIOLANG 24k GOLD WRAPPING MASK ESTHETIC COSMETICS contains pure gold, which helps deeply cleanse, tighten and moisturize the skin. The consistency of the mask is similar to thick cream, which makes it a cross between an alginate and a film mask. White willow leaf extract, seaweed extract and snail mucus extract soothe and deeply nourish irritated and sensitive skin.
Golden Korean face mask Gold L-Glutathione 24K
Korean film mask slightly brightens and evens out the tone and texture of the face, restores elasticity, makes the skin smooth and radiant. Includes glutathione, colloidal gold, hyaluronic acid, collagen, brown algae extract and vitamins. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant; it protects cells from the harmful effects of toxins, carcinogens and free radicals, and it also has a strong immunoprotective and detoxifying effect. To summarize, we can say that glutathone is a source of health and youth. Colloidal gold improves the penetration of other cream components into the skin: vitamins, plant extracts. Accelerates skin cell division. Increases vitality, stimulates the body's regenerative functions, increases resistance to various diseases, and helps enhance cell regeneration processes.
Golden Korean face mask
Adelline 24K Gold Mask Pack is a film face mask with colloidal gold. It exfoliates dead tissue, removes toxic substances, accelerates metabolism, and gives the skin a fresh and well-groomed appearance.
Tips for using the ancient mask of youth
Today, Cleopatra’s mask of youth can be bought at a pharmacy, online store or cosmetic boutique. The salon will also offer you to try this rejuvenation product. However, it cannot be done without preservatives and other dubious additives.
Therefore, the most natural and effective Cleopatra mask today is the one that you prepare with your own hands at home.
To make it no less effective than in the salon, prepare it in accordance with the following recommendations.
- Not just any honey is useful for making a Cleopatra mask. Ancient recipes for beauty and youth indicated that flower honey . It is better to purchase it not in a store, but from beekeepers who will offer a 100% natural, fresh product.
- It is not necessary to look for milk from a young donkey for this mask: goat or cow milk is quite suitable. Moreover, homemade milk will be as effective as possible, because it will not be diluted with water or pasteurized - all these procedures deprive milk of some of its beneficial substances.
- Also take the choice of oatmeal seriously: there are packages labeled “Extra”, in which the grains are processed to such an extent that the substances contained in them are unlikely to remain biologically active. Remember: to prepare the Cleopatra mask you will need exclusively coarse oatmeal .
- To ensure that the effect of the ancient mask is as close as possible to the environment that once surrounded the Egyptian beauty, in this case, refuse the blender: try to mix everything with a regular whisk or fork. It will take longer and you will spend more effort, but the results will not deceive you: the mask will turn out very thick and rich.
- Indications for use of the Cleopatra mask: fading, mature, wrinkled, dry skin.
- Contraindications : allergic reactions to honey (this happens very often), individual intolerance to one of the components of the mask.
- To check how the skin reacts to the anti-aging composition of the Egyptian mask, lubricate your wrist with the prepared gruel : the active substances will quickly penetrate the body through the thin skin. Redness and itching will make it clear that this composition is prohibited for you.
- In order for the active substances to fully perform their job of rejuvenating the skin, clear the way for them. To do this, you need to properly steam the skin over a herbal steam bath. Sage, St. John's wort, chamomile, linden, yarrow, and ginseng have rejuvenating properties. Prepare an infusion or decoction from them: usually take a glass of boiling water for 1–2 tablespoons of dry herbs. After infusion (about an hour) and straining, the prepared herbal potion is poured into 500 ml of water into a deep cup or small basin. You will need to hold your face over this container for 5–7 minutes, covering yourself with a warm terry towel. Those with high blood pressure or high temperature should be more careful: steam baths are contraindicated in such cases.
- Using light, massaging movements of your fingers, treat your facial skin with a mask from Cleopatra. Rub it so that it is absorbed deeper. It is better not to touch the area around the eyes: it is too delicate for such severe tests.
- Action time is from 15 to 30 minutes.
- The mask is washed off with any warm liquid: filtered (or still mineral) water, herbal decoction, milk.
- If you want to enhance the effect of Cleopatra’s rejuvenating mask, you can use a contrast compress after it. After you wash off the mask with warm water, soak a piece of gauze in cold water and apply it to your face for 1-2 minutes.
- After this, you can already apply your daily nourishing (or anti-aging, or moisturizing) cream to your face. An alternative is to lubricate your face with warm unrefined olive oil. By the way, Queen Cleopatra also actively used it as a unique anti-wrinkle tonic.
- The Egyptian youth mask can be done as desired 1 or 2 times a week, depending on the condition of the skin. However, after 8–10 procedures you need to give the skin a break from this composition and switch to any other.
Of course, such a complex procedure for rejuvenating mature, aging skin with herbal steam baths and contrasting compresses hardly formed the basis of Cleopatra’s evening dress. One way or another, they will in any case enhance the effect of the wonderful mask, so do not neglect them.
Since many hundreds of years have passed since the time of the famous queen of Ancient Egypt, the recipe was constantly supplemented with some new ingredients and somehow changed. Accordingly, several versions of the Cleopatra mask have survived to this day.
Which mask to choose: homemade or ready-made
A homemade mask or a head remedy - there is always a choice.
| Homemade | Purchased | |
| compound | We have no doubt that a mask made from natural products can, in theory, have a beneficial effect on the skin. But in practice everything is different. No one can say with certainty under what conditions fruits and vegetables were grown, whether they contain pesticides, and how this will affect the skin. | In purchased products you can always read the ingredients on the packaging. |
| Expert opinion | Elena Eliseeva: “All the necessary ingredients for the finished products undergo careful selection; the product ends up in our hands with exactly the composition indicated on the packaging. In homemade masks, some of the beneficial substances simply lose their properties during the preparation process: due to the influence of sunlight, contact with metal surfaces, etc.” | |
| Efficiency | The effect of a self-prepared mask is quite ephemeral - pleasure and a good complexion that does not last so long. | Since the composition of the finished products is carefully verified by specialists and tested, the effectiveness is beyond doubt. |
| Expert opinion | Elena Eliseeva: “As for homemade masks, their effectiveness is mostly subjective. But the effect of ready-made products always has an evidence base. Most often, information about a consumer test can be found on the packaging.” | |
| Convenience | We made a slight mistake with the proportions - and instead of the expected consistency, we ended up with something liquid or, conversely, viscous - not very suitable for use and causing a lot of inconvenience. | The consistency of the finished products is designed so that the user does not experience discomfort during their use. |
Recipes for masks of youth from Cleopatra
A large number of cosmetic masks bear the sonorous name of the incomparable Cleopatra. Naturally, she didn’t use them all at once. Either it was the composition indicated above, in its pure form, or diluted with several more ingredients, but we are unlikely to find them in modern use. To discover the recipe for the true mask of Cleopatra, you need to sift through a lot of ancient manuscripts - and it’s not a fact that it has survived to this day. In any case, all these recipes are aimed at the same goal - to prolong the youth of the skin, eliminate any age-related changes in the form of wrinkles and sagging folds, sagging and inelasticity of the skin.
- Honey + oatmeal
This Cleopatra mask recipe is the most common: perhaps because of its effectiveness. Melt honey (1 tablespoon) over low heat, mix it while warm with rolled oats (1 tablespoon) ground into flour. For very dry skin, it will be useful to add homemade sour cream (1 teaspoon) to the mask; for oily skin, the freshest, concentrated lemon juice (1 teaspoon).
- Honey + milk
Honey should be melted over low heat, milk should be slightly warmed until warm. Mix both ingredients in equal proportions (for example, 2 tablespoons each).
- Clay + honey + sour cream + lemon
Clay of various shades (white, green, pink, black, etc.) was clearly familiar to the ancient Egyptians. To prepare a rejuvenating mask, it is better to take kaolin (white clay) in the amount of 1 tablespoon. Mix the powder with melted honey (the same amount), add homemade sour cream and concentrated lemon juice (1 teaspoon each).
There are all sorts of legends about Cleopatra's mask; dozens of the most fantastic recipes are presented as the secret of the unfading youth of the Egyptian queen; many are still trying to study the ancient writings, dreaming of finding in them the answer to the riddle of Cleopatra’s magical beauty. Take advantage of one of the anti-aging products named after this ancient beauty.
additional components
What else can you add to your mask? Any extracts, dry ingredients, herbal decoctions, freshly squeezed juices (only with juices without fanaticism - otherwise you will get a hard peeling). Specialized stores sell active ingredients that can enhance the effect of the mask (for example, edelweiss extract), and pharmacies sell vitamins, for example, Aevit capsules. 2 capsules per mask (cut them and pour the oil contents into the mask) - you get a wonderful vitamin cocktail for the skin.
Natural oils in small proportions: grape seed and almond (for oily skin), jojoba and wheat germ (for dry skin), macadmia (for aging skin). All oils must be cold-pressed, natural, unrefined, without any additives. Masks for very dry and flaky skin can be made with flax decoction (flax mucus).
In addition to all this, those who are interested in aromatherapy can add essential oils, choosing what best suits their problems.
