"Hathor, lady of the West,
who is in the great land, lady of the holy land, Eye of Ra in his brow, beautiful of face in the boat of millions of years, Seat of peace, worker of truth within the boat of the praised ones, She who will make the great sacred boat to sail forth in truth." Papyrus of Ani
The Ancient Egyptians had some very unique ideas about beauty, and seemed to understand the idea behind holistic treatment. Beauty invoked the name of Hathor - the pre-dynastic cow-headed goddess who eventually became synonymous with Isis. In their pantheon was Nefertum, the God of Perfume, to whom the incense kyphi was sacred. Beauty was not merely for external emphasis - it was important to take utmost care of oneself and to treat oneself well within. Beauty transcended caste, class, or race; even the poorest labourer would be paid in perfumed oils. Moreover, health, beauty and spirit were completely inseparable; one continuously tied into another. To our minds the Egyptians were obsessed with life, youth, and immortality, but it's hardly different from today. The difference however is that we tend to take the Greek viewpoint; focussing on beauty as an outward thing, solely for appearance: Botox treatments, plastic surgery, health spas and cosmetics. In 2007, Americans spent over $13.7 billion on cosmetic procedures alone. But what price do we pay for tampering with chemicals solely to attempt to look a bit younger?
In 2003, Dr Philipa Darbre at Reading University discovered parabens in tumours of women suffering from breast cancer - parabens are a commonly used synthetic preservative in cosmetics. As I've had several friends diagnosed with breast cancer (and one lost the battle last year) this is a rather alarming state of affairs. I've also found myself doing more research on parabens, palm oil and SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and as a result of my findings I do not put any of these into my products.
The whole precept behind Egyptian life, beauty, medicine and spirituality is holistic; it is not merely what you put on, but what you put in. We take this very seriously at Hathor's Bath, and if we wouldn't personally use a product ourselves, we don't offer it for sale. We aren't just following the organic "trend" - we believe in it.
As a result of this, all ingredients for Hathor's Bath products are fairtrade and ethically sourced. When we can get organic products we use them exclusively, and our botanicals, essential oils, butters and fats are all the best quality we can procure. We use as natural products as we can; essential oils over synthetics, natural colourants over man-made colours (though some shades, like blue, are nearly impossible to create via organic means). We follow EU regulations and as a result all our products come with full ingredients listed both on the site and on the label so there are no nasty surprises. And of course, as per EU law, none of our products are tested on animals.
Whether you are splurging on a "home spa", or buying just one lovely bar just for you, it is our firm belief at Hathor's Bath that beauty and luxury shouldn't cost the earth, either figuratively or literally.
Anhk, wadjet, seneb, nefer! (Life, health, strength, beauty!)