Here is an infographic from Daffodil Hotel that features various beauty rituals used by ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Indians, as well as the modern day equivalent. Discover how Cleopatra bathed, when Herod the Great visited the first health spa, and even how Hippocrates liked to crush snails.

Find your perfect adaptation of ancient rituals and take away your own tips on how to boost your own beauty.

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Beauty Tips From Ancient History

Before the Kardashians there was Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Venus and Athena. Women, deities and goddesses who paved the way for our beauty rituals and still inspire many of them today. You might think some of the latest trends in your beauty treatments are brand new, but chances are, they’ve been around before.

Types Of Treatments

MILK

Then:

Cleopatra’s milk baths. Milk exfoliates and rejuvenates the skin. Contains properties which dissolve the proteins that hold dead skin cells together. Leaves face and body extremely healthy, clean and soft.

Now:

Many of today’s shop-bought soaps and bath creams use the same components. Or, you could create your own by mixing 1/2 cup of honey to 2 cups of milk, stir well and add to the water in your bath tub.

Tips:

Best Used For: All over skin

Budget Buy: Radox Feel Heavenly Bath Soak with Coconut and Milk. For a mere £1, you can sink into its luxurious bubble bath in the scent of Paradise. From bargain to bliss in minutes!

Opulent Option: For that truly decadent experience, you can buy a luxury bath with running chocolate milk for £10,000 from Bathstore. It will cost you a further £1000 every time you fill it though.

SALT

Then:

Bathing in the Dead Seas – it was one of the first health resorts (for Herod the Great). Sea Salt was exported to be used in bathing and as scrub. Rich in minerals and nutrients, it can reduce wrinkles and help cure various skin problems.

Now:

Dead Sea Salts are now widely available, so no need to travel to the middle east to enjoy the benefits. They can be added to your bath or mixed with olive oil to use as a body scrub.

Tips:

Best Used For: All over skin

Budget Buy: Mineral rich, genuine Dead Sea salts are available in resealable pouches via the likes of Boots and Superdrug. 500g packs for £3.99 won’t break the bank

Opulent Option: For £65 you can buy 50kg of Dead Sea Salt, but for the authentic experience you might want to travel to Jordan, stop in a luxury hotel and take a dip in the real thing. That should set you back a few thousand pounds. Celebrity fans include Elizabeth Hurley and Gwyneth Paltrow.

SUGAR

Then:

Body scrub and exfoliator. Sugar can be used as a natural method with no harsh chemicals.

Now:

Ready made exfoliators are available but you can easily make a DIY version in your kitchen. You just need sugar, lemon, water and patience.

Tips:

Best Used For: All over skin

Budget Buy: Superdrug’s Vitamin E Sugar and Oil Body Scrub for just £4.99 for 250ml. contains natural exfoliates of sugar, sea salt and walnut oil.

Opulent Option: If you want your sugar experience to be a bit more “high end”, try the Perfect Forms Shower Scrub Body Sugar by Germaine de Capuccini. A complex emollient of natural origin and sugar rich crystals in sucrose. £38.50 for 200ml and available in exclusive spa treatments.  Try the Daffodil Hotel Spa in The Lake District for pure indulgence.

OLIVE OIL

Then:

Used alongside beeswax as a cleanser, moisturiser and antibacterial agent, as well as a rejuvenating hair treatment. Olive oil is packed with anti-aging antioxidants and hydrating squalene, making it superb for hair, skin, and nails.

Now:

Pre-shampoo treatment, lip scrub, eye makeup remover, ear wax remedy, shine serum, shaving cream, antibacterial balm, cuticle conditioner, eczema ready, cracked heel repair… Really, what can’t you use it for?

Tips:

Best Used For: Hair & Cooking

Budget Buy: Your basic extra virgin olive oil from the supermarket will do fine. Around the £2–£5 mark for a 500ml bottle.

Opulent Option: For those with more expensive tastes, treat yourself to a Spa Day at the Daffodil Hotel in the Lake District where they have a Hydration package at £120pp. It includes a salt and oil exfoliation, olive and rosemary candle massage and express facial and nourishing hand treatment.

GREEN TEA

Then:

Green tea was an incredibly popular drink. It was also used “neat” and applied to acne or as a cleanser. Used as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, it also slows down the signs of ageing.

Now:

Green tea has seen a resurgence in recent years. It is readily available in shops. You can drink it, or apply it to the skin in creams. You’ll find it’s a key ingredient in a lot of today’s cosmetics.

Tips:

Best Used For: Face & Drink

Budget Buy: Try Twinings Teas, who sell a loose Leaf Gyokuro at £12 for 125g.

Opulent Option: The fine wine of Japanese Green Tea is Samovar Gyokuro and it can sell fro around £50 for 110g. So you better enjoy every sip.

KOHL

Then:

Painted in thick lines around the eyes. Used to protect against eye ailments and the harsh rays of the sun. It was thought that the Kohl helped protect both physical conditions, as well as against the evil eye.

Now:

These days it’s used purely for style, but still an everyday item for many women. Styles and colours have evolved over the years, with developments including liquid eyeliner, crayons and waterproofing, but Kohl remains a best seller even after thousands of years.

Tips:

Best Used For: Eyes

Budget Buy: Kohl has remained relatively cheap. You can find a good Kohl eyeliner from Collection, Rimmel, Barry M or Max Factor for no more than £3.

Opulent Option: A traditional recipe Kohl eyeliner is available from andulairah.com. Made by hand in copper and bronze dishes, it sets you back around £27.

SNAIL MUCUS

Then:

Famous physician Hippocrates reportedly prescribed crushed snails and sour milk to cure inflammation. It was also used to treat skin conditions. Skin softening and protective qualities. Stimulates the formation of collagen and elastin to diminish existing damage to the skin and minimize the effect of free radicals. Prevents signs of aging.

Now:

Not one to DIY! You might have to go to more specialist shops but snail mucus is now making an appearance in a lot of skin care products.

Tips:

Best Used For: Face

Budget Buy: The notion of having snail slime on your face isn’t that appealing, but it’s amazing what a celebrity endorsement can do to change public perception. Katie Holmes, aka ex Mrs. Tom Cruise, is apparently a fan of snail face cream. Holland & Barrett stock a £20.99 50ml jar which tripled in sales following the news.

Opulent Option: Dermatologist Dr. Lancer has created Contour Decollete containing snail venom for his line of Lancer skincare products. It’s used by Victoria Beckham and is an eye watering £155 for 50ml.