Forget your acid peels, dermabrasions and botox. The ladies of yesteryear across the Middle East just used natural, local ingredients to look good. Here’s how to find them today.
Olive oil
Then: Women have been using olive oil as a beauty product across the Middle East for more than 5,000 years – if that’s not tried and tested, we don’t know what is. Ancient Egyptians were particularly keen on using it to soften skin and moisturise hair, as it sooths, heals and hydrates.
Now: You can use olive oil straight from the bottle – the same stuff you put on your salad – on dry patches of skin such as your elbows, knees and heels. If you have dry, dull hair, gently warm a few tablespoons of olive oil and massage it into your scalp and hair, cover with a shower cap or small plastic bag and leave for half an hour.
Eucalyptus black soap
Then: In the time of the Ottoman Empire, the hamam, or Turkish bathhouse, was a public place where you could go to wash and socialise cheaply. Bathhouse staff would cover you in black soap and give you a rough exfoliating scrub. The anti-microbial soap is rich in vitamin E, and is good for softening and smoothing skin.
Now: There are a number of hamams in Abu Dhabi that use this soap and can give you a good, authentic scrub down. For the girls, we particularly like Sisters Lounge’s reasonably priced treatment.
Luxury Hamam Ritual Dhs425 for two hours. Sisters Beauty Lounge, Villa 1, Khalifa Bin Shakhbout Street (02 222 2501).
Henna
Then: Wearing patterns and swirls of henna dye on the hands and feet has been fashionable in this region for thousands of years. According to scholars, the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is even said to have used henna to dye his beard, and was a fan of the leaf for medicinal purposes too.
Now: In recent years, the trend has spread as far as the fingertips and toes of western celebrities hoping to work a little eastern mystique into their look. Since henna is so popular in Abu Dhabi, many local beauty salons will paint your hands and feet for a very low price. Be warned, though, stick to the brown henna as black dyes are not safe.
A small henna foot tattoo costs Dhs30. Al Lulu Beauty Centre, 1st Floor, Al Qassimi Building, Tourist Club Area (02 644 5112)
Camel milk
Then: Think Cleopatra’s infamous milk baths and you’re on the right track. The dazzling Egyptian queen was famed for her soft youthful skin as well as her beauty. Camel milk is rich in vitamin C, A, B1, B2, B12 and carotene, and known for its anti-oxidant properties. It’s also a natural source of alpha-hydroxy acid which helps to keep skin supple and plump.
Now: If you don’t have a team of slaves on standby to milk camels, you can just pick up a bottle from your supermarket to get skin as soft as Egypt’s legendary temptress. Just add two-four cups of milk to your bath and have a good soak.
Dead Sea salt
Then: The Nabataeans, who lived in Jordan in about 300 BC, used to mix salts of the Dead Sea with balms and lotions because of the high mineral content and detoxifying properties.
Now: Of course, you can visit Jordan for a dip in the legendary waters, but if time and money constraints get in your way, book yourself in for Anantara’s Natural Wonders of the Dead Sea package treatment, which includes a Dead Sea salt scrub. Cheaper still, try Boots’ Dead Sea Source De-tox Seaweed Salt Scrub available at Boots, Al Wahda Mall, at Dhs50 for 650g.
Natural Wonders of the Dead Sea, Dhs1,392, Anantara Spa, Emirates Palace (02 690 9000).
