Beauty secrets of harem concubines, diet of concubines, cosmetology, secrets of youth

“When I was working with archival documents, I was once again convinced of how great the power of women’s competition is,” Yana admitted to our correspondent. – Just imagine: in different years, from 400 girls (at least) to almost 3 thousand lived in the territories of the sultan’s harem. It is clear that in order to achieve success, intrigues were constantly woven here, united in groups and clans. But it was this desire of one favorite to be better and more beautiful than the other that led to amazing discoveries in the field of beauty.

The richer concubines hired alchemists to compose more refined creams and balms. Moreover, in the Middle Ages, it was the oriental naturalist scientists who achieved the highest results. And they prepared truly miraculous ointments. In Europe, it was more difficult with this, there they burned at the stake for such activities.

The second engine of progress is the internationality of the harem. Girls from distant countries used recipes known only in their homeland. And the rest tried to improve them. It was a real cosmetics factory.

And most importantly, all the cosmetics were natural – grass-ants, buttercups-flowers. For myself, I learned several useful and very unexpected recipes. I hope you will find some beauty secrets of concubines useful. “

If you have already read the exclusive notes on the diet of concubines, the rule of seven meals and medieval fitness, then imagine the main principle of life in a harem: here everything was done by the clock. This is understandable: with such a large number of people, it is worthwhile to let everything take its course once and chaos will reign. Therefore, there were a number of strict general laws in the field of personal care.

1. In the harem, any cosmetic procedures were prohibited until 15:XNUMX. Masks, makeup, skin care – no, and that’s it. Only after the first full meal was it possible to start the salon business. It was believed that it is necessary to preserve natural beauty as long as possible after awakening.

2. Fresh air helped to keep it. Before taking on tonics and masks, the skin had to breathe for at least three hours. Walking in the morning with vigorous exercise was a must for all concubines, regardless of age. Therefore, they retained their freshness and beauty even in their mature years.

3. Those who had skin problems, all sorts of acne, barley and other misfortunes, were forced to sleep more. In the afternoon. In the evening. At night, the more the better. In the Middle Ages, doctors have already figured out that in a dream, the body returns to the “default” settings, normalizes the work of all internal organs and metabolism. In the harem, two or three rooms were deliberately shaded so that the girls slept there for medicinal purposes.

Every morning the concubines washed themselves with special water. In the evening it was poured into silver jugs with a wide neck and placed by the girl’s bed. At night, the water was enriched with the beneficial properties of silver (the then Eastern doctors were already aware of them). And at the same time it slowly evaporated, humidifying the air. Which was also considered very beneficial to the skin.

We emphasize once again: no soap or lotions. Only water.

The teeth were cleaned with chopsticks, in different provinces they were called miswak, siwak or arak. Long branches of plants were chewed at the end – a comfortable medium-hard brush was obtained. The benefits were twofold: the fibers cleaned out plaque and food debris, and the plant sap refreshed the mouth.

For fresh breath, mint decoction was also used. Chilled, of course. Other fragrant herb leaves were also brewed: lemon balm, mallow, lavender, sage, anise. For every taste.

To make a smile sparkle with whiteness, there was also a secret way. They took pieces of cloth, dipped them in yogurt. And then they applied it to the teeth for 3-5 minutes. But since the girls drank ayran in large quantities every day, they practically did not have any problems with bleaching. In addition, the drink was pretty salty, so that microbes from it died in droves. Proper nutrition has actively supported the beauty industry.

The beauties of medieval Turkey were more fortunate than our contemporaries. Men really and sincerely admired their eyes, and practically did not pay attention to their breasts. I didn’t have to pull back all the time: “Look in your eyes, they are higher!” Poets praised the length of the eyelashes of Eastern women, Omar Khayyam compared them to a flying crane wedge.

So that this admiration did not stop, the concubines used a special recipe: every day they smeared their eyelashes with almond oil. But not simple, but golden. The elixir was expensive because it took a lot of work to prepare it. Dry rose petals were poured with a bowl of almond oil and left for a day in a corner, preferably dark. Then the mixture was heated in a water bath. Filtered. Dry hibiscus petals were added and kept for another day. Heated again. Strain again. Stirred with argan oil (a couple of tablespoons). And the resulting potion was smeared with eyelashes. And at the same time, the hair roots were strengthened.

After all, hair was the second secret weapon of the concubines. And for them super balms and lotions were developed. But this story is worthy of a separate publication – very soon at Woman’s Day we will share recipes for the most amazing hair care products that you can make at home.

The eyebrows were made darker with natural dyes – antimony (black mineral powder) or basma (indigo leaf powder). But they did it secretly. For the concubine, gray hair in the eyebrows was considered a sign of incompetence. Such girls were quickly married off to middle-class officials and sent out of the harem with a minimum dowry.

Walking in the fresh air is wonderful. But we have all been to Turkey – there is sun, wind, dust … Therefore, we had to invent unique face masks. To nourish the skin, heal from misfortunes and rejuvenate in every possible way.

Traditional bases for such procedures are oil, especially sesame oil, and yogurt. Anything was added to them: rose petals, lemon juice, grated almonds, honey, egg yolk. And most importantly – vitamins, all kinds of fruits and berries. Depends only on imagination. And with her, the inhabitants of the harem were all right.

But there was also a completely unexpected face mask, which was made from halva. The same oriental sweetness, which is made from sunflower seeds and nuts. Just knead it in a bowl, add a little water or milk. Mixed until a paste was obtained and smeared on the face. Twenty minutes, and then wash off with cold (certainly!) Water. The effect is amazing: this mask healed small cuts, got rid of acne, herpes and other troubles.

But the cucumber masks in the harem did not take root. It is not clear for what reason: they ate them with pleasure. But they did not guess to put the rings on the face to moisturize.

The hands of the concubines should be extremely gentle and look flawless. It is a fact. After all, with these hands they will touch the lord! Well, in order to show beautiful movements in the dance. In a word, they also took care of the fingers and palms.

Girls’ best friends (in this matter) are eggs. Moreover, one egg was enough to make two concubines happy at once.

The first one took the yolk and made a wonderful mixture from it: she added half a spoonful of honey, olive oil and lemon juice. Roast and eat? Also an option. But it is better to spread it on your hands, hold it for 10 minutes and rinse it off with warm water.

The second concubine got the egg white. The algorithm is the same: spread and wash off after 10 minutes. The next day the girls changed – some tops, some roots …

There was also a wildly popular way to moisturize and whiten your hands – lemon yogurt. A glass of thick product was mixed with juice from a whole lemon, shaken well and bathed hands for half an hour. It is enough to repeat the procedure once every two weeks.

The hip walk, which was so promoted by the secretary Vera from the film “Office Romance”, is also a legacy of the Sultan’s harems. The step of the concubines was particularly chic: they slightly moved the hip forward. At the same time, they did not sway from side to side, like beauties in India with jugs / trays on their heads. And they didn’t take small steps like the Japanese geisha. They did not even swim like swan girls in the round dances of Ancient Russia. No, their gait has been compared to that of Arab racehorses: pure energy, passion and grace.

And the concubines went a lot and often. Therefore, their legs required special care. In order to keep them in good shape, we made baths before going to bed. The girls sat around large basins or pelvis and wet their heels together. About 12-15 minutes – and scattered. Only if “hurray, the master appointed me his beloved wife”, it was possible to get an individual container directly to the bed.

The baths were made hot and cold. They were alternated according to the scheme, which is now actively used by the guards of private security companies: two after two.

Cold are not exactly completely icy. Without fanaticism. Nobody added ice cubes (although in those years they were already thrown into juices and sherbets). Just cool water with the addition of cypress oil, at the rate of a teaspoon for each leg.

The hot version is already with sea salt. 100 grams of salt per 5 liters of water. This is for the good. But for joy, either mint leaves or flower petals were added to the composition. Could orange peels, by the way. Or even grapefruit. Goodness should not be lost.

Depilation is a deeply intimate topic. But without her, nowhere. The beauties in the harem used caramel balls. Cooking them is simple: you need to take 200 g of sugar and a small lemon. Pour into a saucepan, squeeze out the juice and cook it over low heat for 15 minutes and stir all the time until it reaches the state of viscous molasses.

Let this caramel cool slightly and make balls the size of a nut. Then everything is simple: while they are warm, you need to roll over the body. Hair sticks and pulls out. The main thing when preparing the mixture: no water. It reduces stickiness. And she is in such balls – the most important thing.

There were attempts to use wax and strips of fabric, but this idea was quickly abandoned. It hurts. And “beauty requires sacrifice” is just not about a harem. Here, nevertheless, they tried to come up with less painful alternatives. Although from the caramel method, tears well up in my eyes. But once every three weeks, you can be patient.

The concubines practically did not use perfume. It is in the neighboring countries – Persia, Syria and Egypt – the beauties gave huge sums of money for small bottles of fragrant oils. And in the Turkish harem, girls fumigated clothes with special candles, which included incredibly fragrant lavender and amber. If they were summoned to the sultan, they would sit next to a candle so that the hair would absorb the fragrant smoke.

A double effect was achieved: firstly, the fragrance was not overly intrusive, it seemed to envelop the concubine. And he was not focused on any particular part of her body. Secondly, the smoke is more durable. Everyone went to a picnic with barbecue, yes. Remember how difficult it is to get the smell of the fire out of your hair and clothes afterwards? Like this.

There were even small braziers, such mini-barbecues. Dried flower and grass petals were thrown into them. To fumigate large rooms, such as the master’s bedroom. Dried roots and angelica inflorescences were added there without fail. It was believed that this is a maddening aphrodisiac, more abruptly than musk. There was even a saying in those days: there are no ugly girls, there is not enough angelica.

This is not an entirely accurate translation, but you understand the main thing.

The overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of the harem were not allowed to the sultan in the bedchamber. Even simple arithmetic gave only 365 girls a year a chance to be in Vladyka’s arms. And given the wars, religious holidays and other “passes” – much less. Therefore, in the evenings, the girls brightened up their loneliness with cosmetic rituals.

About half an hour before leaving for bed – face massage. As well as neck and décolleté. They made it into a cube from the pulp of quince or green melon. For several minutes, in a circular motion, they smoothed and moisturized the skin. Wrinkles won’t go away! And if suddenly the concubine was overwhelmed by acne (it also happens, why be shy), then for the massage they used half an unripe plum. Without a bone, of course.

At night, the concubines washed themselves again with special water. But not silver, but pink. Although this is a conventional name: not only rose petals were used for infusion. But also violets, for example. Yes, even cornflowers! They mixed all this flower joy in a large earthenware bowl. Slightly crushed and pressed, so that the petals let out the juice and an intoxicating aroma spread throughout the room. Then they poured boiling water over, let it brew for a couple of hours. And that’s all. Wash your face to your health!

Another simple, but important point: the lips were smeared with honey at night. For shine and beauty. Honey lips from ancient books are not a poetic comparison, but a very specific recipe. They say that Angelina Jolie does it every day these days. Are we worse ?!

Just remember: the beauty secrets of harem concubines are not limited to personal care products. It all works in conjunction with a special diet and simple (but effective) exercise. Then the effect will be more noticeable.

Doctor cosmetologist-dermatologist, trichologist, laser therapist of the clinic “Doctor Aesthetic”

Women of any nationality and at any time, and the ancients were no exception, strove for beauty. And these general principles were correct: good sleep, healthy eating, walks in the fresh air at any time of the year, care with natural substances, exercise. When it comes to cleansing the skin with water – no soap or lotions, that makes sense. Frequent use of special cleansers dries out the skin, so it is important to choose the right products, not to get carried away with them excessively and moisturize the skin after them.

   There is a lot of information about the positive effect of chewing natural twigs for cleaning teeth. And this is not surprising, nature is rich and can take care of our health, if you approach it wisely.

   Healthy skin, shiny hair and strong nails are, above all, an indicator of a person’s health. If there are no pathological processes in the body, then outwardly the person will look good. And when health is normal, then treatment procedures with natural ingredients, walks and an active lifestyle will give an excellent result. 

   With improper diet, lack of sleep and chronic diseases, the skin, hair, nails, and teeth are the first to suffer. In this case, it will be more rational to find the cause of the imbalance, and only after that devote time to aesthetic procedures.