Random Things of Hygiene In Ancient Egypt (17 items)

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  (#8) Only The Very Wealthy Had Indoor Bathing Facilities

  The average Egyptian took a bath or shower every day; however, the methods they used to do so depended on their social class. The wealthiest Egyptians had places to bathe inside their homes. Standing on a stone slab, bathers had basins or jugs full of water carried from the Nile poured on them by their servants. Some upper-class homes had foot baths made of wood, stone, or ceramic which they used to clean their feet since many people didn't wear shoes.

  Egyptians used a natural substance called natron as soap and slathered themselves with moisturizing creams after they bathed to keep their skin soft. Members of the lower classes, which included most of Egyptian society, bathed themselves in the Nile itself.
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  (#16) Women Used Ember And Barley To Test For Pregnancy

  Women physicians would test fertility with an early pregnancy test which required urinating on a combination of barley and ember. If neither the barley nor the ember grew, she was not pregnant; if the barely grew, she was pregnant with a boy; if the ember grew, she would bare a girl. 

  This test is, in fact, fairly effective. In the late 20th century, researchers attempted to validate the technique and found that more than half of the tests performed by pregnant women saw the barley or ember grow; where every test performed by a male or non-pregnant female saw no growth. 

  Though this is not the only method of fertility testing employed in ancient Egypt, it is perhaps one of the most effective. 
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  (#6) Cosmetics Were Applied Daily For Health And Aesthetic Purposes

  Since they provided other benefits besides beauty, cosmetics were used by both men and women in ancient Egypt. After smoothing their skin with oils and face masks of honey or aloe, people applied eyeshadow, mascara, and eyeliner. Eyeliner was popular not only as a beauty statement; the kohl people used to line their eyes also protected their eyes from the sun's glare and repelled flies.

  To make these cosmetics, people ground natural elements such as malachite and galena into a powder, mixed it with fat to create a cream, and then stored the cosmetics in pots. While the wealthy owned decorated pots made of fine materials, the lower classes used simple, cheaper materials to make containers for their cosmetics.
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  (#7) They Used Laxatives And Enemas To Cleanse Their Bodies

  As demonstrated through their elaborate mummification process, ancient Egyptians were curious about the body and strived to know more about human health. While many doctors also functioned as priests and often attributed sickness to offending the gods, doctors also practiced medicine. They encouraged the use of purgatives or laxatives to help clean the intestines.

  Practiced by many Egyptians three days a month, laxatives were believed to help rid the body of disease. They used castor oil to force waste out of the body, even when they attempted to cure diarrhea. Egyptians also used enemas to cleanse their interiors and employed proto-proctologists to examine their anuses.
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  (#2) They Used Deodorant To Help Curb Body Odor

  Since using Secret wasn't an option, ancient Egyptians turned to plants and other natural substances to keep their body odor in check. They ground herbs, flowers, and roots into a paste, which they combined with oil to make a cream to apply to their armpits. Historians discovered recipes for deodorant substances which called for nuts, crushed tortoiseshell, and ostrich eggs, as well as mixtures of porridge and resins.

  Deodorants weren't only applied to the armpits, though; some women added scents to wax which they spread on their head. As the sun and heat melted the wax, the scent released like a primitive aromatherapy diffuser. Although many of these primitive deodorants were unscented, some recipes included cinnamon or frankincense for a pleasant smell.
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  (#10) People Washed Their Clothing In Parasite-Infested Water

  Although people wore very little clothing through much of Egyptian history, those in later periods adopted larger wardrobes and demanded that what they wore be clean. Clothing was usually made from linen. Because the fabric's color was white, garments showed dirt very easily. This required laundry to be done more often, and it was not an easy job. Clothing had to be beaten, rinsed, twisted, and soaked by hand in order to remove dirt; because of the labor involved, Egyptians gave the task of doing the laundry to men.

  While the wealthy hired others to do their laundry and made use of special facilities, the lower classes had to use the Nile River to wash their clothes. Many people also used the river to dump garbage and relieve themselves, so this water was filled with parasites and other things that caused diseases. Doing laundry in the river also meant there was danger of being harmed or slain by hippos or lurking crocodiles.

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