The Cleopatra Guide to Age-Defying Skincare

Cleopatra, smart and seductive. She ruled Egypt for three centuries from the time she was 18. She made two Roman generals, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, fall for her. These love affairs kept Egypt free from Roman rule while she was queen.

Notable as these accomplishments were, Cleopatra is also famed for her looks and charm. Roman historian Cassius Dio describes Cleopatra as “a woman of surpassing beauty” and “being brilliant to look upon and to listen to, with the power to subjugate everyone.” It seems like the beauty of this ancient Egyptian queen is as much of a legend as she is.

cleopatra costume

If you didn’t know yet, we here at Kedma Cosmetics in the Philippines are inspired by Cleopatra and ancient Egyptian cosmetics. So, if you want to know how to get Cleopatra’s beguiling, age-defying beauty, we have just the skincare routine you need.

Step 1: Clean your face

Just as your makeup regimen requires you to first cleanse your face, skincare products work best with a clean canvass, as well. Start your routine by rinsing your face with lukewarm water, like Cleopatra would have done. As a modern twist, grab your facial cleanser (suited to your skin type, of course) to wash away dirt or excess oil that accumulated overnight or throughout the day.

Step 2: Soothe your skin

One of the most popular aspects of Queen Cleo’s skincare routine was rinsing her face with rosewater, which acts as a toner. Emulate this by wetting a cotton ball with your toner (alcohol-free to prevent skin from drying) and dabbing it all over your face. This step prepares your skin for further nourishment.

Step 3: Moisturize

The weather in Egypt is mostly warm or hot and humid, so some say Cleopatra used to bathe in donkey’s milk and honey to keep her skin moisturized. The lactic acid in milk helps exfoliate the skin and honey is popular for its sweet smell and hydrating capabilities. Since rinsing your face with milk today can seem a tad excessive, find a moisturizer with milk and honey among its ingredients.

Step 4: Protect your eye area

seductive eyes

Living close to the Dead Sea, the queen had access to its benefits. Dead Sea minerals such as sodium chloride, calcium, and zinc are known for their cell regeneration properties, making the skin smoother and firmer. This is exactly what you need for your under-eye area. Find an eye cream with Dead Sea minerals to keep the skin under your eyes wrinkle-free.

Step 5: Protect your skin from the sun

Sunscreen is an important but often-bypassed step in skincare. Ultraviolet rays are extremely damaging to the skin, both the outer and inner layers. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), sun exposure is one of the biggest factors of skin aging. Avoid sun damage by slathering sunscreen on your face, neck, and other exposed skin on your body.

Tip: Apart from putting on sunscreen, avoid sun damage by limiting your exposure to the sun especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. This timeframe is when the UV rays from the sun are the harshest. Also wear hats, caps, or long-sleeved shirts when you can to further protect your skin from the sun.

Nighttime Skincare

All the steps above are applicable to both your day and night skincare routine. If it’s the start of your day and you’re putting on makeup, do so after the fifth step. At night, do everything, except the third step, all over again after taking your makeup off. The third step, moisturizing, should be done at the end of your nighttime skincare routine.

After following steps 1, 2, 4, and 5, do this:

Step 6: Rejuvenate your skin

After hours of being bogged down with makeup, grime, and oil, your skin needs rejuvenation to keep it young and healthy like Cleopatra’s. That’s why you need to use a nighttime facial serum with hyaluronic acid. Wrinkles and discoloration appear when your body’s collagen declines, but hyaluronic acid keeps collagen synthesis up. With this ingredient in your facial serum, you can keep your skin looking hydrated, radiant, and young.

Weekly Skincare

Daily skincare routine is important in letting your skin absorb enough of the nourishing elements from the products you use. However, there are a few steps that you don’t need to do every day. Instead, doing these a few times a week before the final step of moisturizing at night is enough.

Step 7: Exfoliate your skin

Dead skin cells build up on the surface of your skin after about 30,000 to 40,000 of them die every day. In fact, the AAD says that 15 to 23 layers of your skin are made up of dead cells. While some of them naturally fall off, many dead cells remain on your skin. Dead skin cells clog your pores, resulting in whiteheads, blackheads, and acne.

exfoliation

Prevent or get rid of these imperfections by exfoliating two to three times a week. Cleopatra does this by using sea salt scrub, which is a great exfoliant for its texture alone. Fortunately, you don’t have to go to the beach to get sea salt. You can easily find it and other exfoliating ingredients in face and body scrubs available in the market today.

Step 8: Pamper your skin

One of the most famous legends about Cleopatra’s beauty regimen is her use of gold face masks. People believe that she sleeps with a gold face mask on every night to keep her skin soft and radiant. It turns out that gold indeed has properties that do wonders for the skin. This precious metal reduces acne inflammation and protects the skin from free radicals that cause wrinkles.

This must be why gold-infused face masks have become a popular staple in people’s skincare routine in modern times. After applying your gold-infused face mask, wait as long as indicated in the product instructions. Once you remove the mask and rinse your face, you’ll notice your skin looking more supple and radiant, especially after continuous use. Do this step two to three times a week.

And there you have it: a skincare routine that Cleopatra would have definitely done in the past. By following these steps, not only will you keep your skin young and radiant, but you’ll also achieve skin that’s fit for a queen.

Browse through Kedma Cosmetics’ catalog now to get all the skincare products you need.

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