The secret of the spectacular makeup of Queen Cleopatra

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

For many years, many women have sincerely admired the rich eye makeup a la Cleopatra. But it seems that the spectacular make-up of the ancient Egyptian queen was intended not only to seduce Mark Antony. As the scientists found out, special mixtures based on lead compounds had not only aesthetic value, but were also used to fight infections and eye diseases.

Archaeologists previously knew that the so-called magical makeup of the ancient Egyptians was considered by them the best protection against eye diseases, which the patron gods Ra and Hor provided them with. At the same time, many experts were skeptical about these beliefs, since it is known that many lead compounds that are part of ancient Egyptian cosmetics are toxic to the body.

For the first time, Christian Amator from the University of Pierre and Marie Curie and his colleagues managed to prove the validity of the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians regarding the healing properties of their makeup.

According to the views of modern scientists, nitric oxide is one of the main signaling compounds in mammals, and its role is to stimulate the body's immune system, which helps to cope with diseases, RIA Novosti reports.

In their work, scientists were studying the composition of cosmetic mixtures, the remains of which are contained in the items that make up the Louvre's exposition. Among them, scientists have found four lead compounds. In the course of further work, scientists have established that these compounds are capable of dramatically accelerating the production of nitric oxide NO by cells of human tissues by 240%.

Scientists note that infections affecting the mucous membranes of the eyes can be a serious problem in tropical swampy regions such as the Nile Delta during flood periods. Therefore, the ancient Egyptians used lead compounds in cosmetics to fight disease.