Cosmetics have been used in Ethiopia since antiquity. The traditional Cosmetics include dyestuffs, skin care products, as well as masticatories and chewing gums. Lac, an Indian dye produced by insects, was most likely in ancient times imported and used to dye clothes and colouring the nails and the feet of the women. Local substitutes have also long been used for the same purpose. These include: roots of maqmaqqo (Rumex abyssinicus Jacq.) that provide a yellow-orange dye used by the Agaw, especially on hands, feet and nails. According to Bruce (he calls these roots Mocmoco; Bruce 1964:171) it worked also as a condiment and a food preservative. Roots of the expensive énsosélla (Impatiens tinctoria) and of the cheaper guršét (also gušért, Conyza abyssinica) are also used to dye the hands, feet and face of the women. Pods of waras (Flemingia grahamiana) are used on their skin by women and children and on the clothes. Leaves of henna (Lawsonia inermis) serve to dye hair.

The fruit of amararo (Discopodium penninervium) is used by the Amhara to color hands and nails. Kohl has been used since the earliest times as a cosmetic to darken the eyelids of the women. It is usually composed of finely powdered antimony but it can also be produced with the ashes obtained of burned frankincense and other products. As to the skin care products, rancid butter from the milk of the zebu is used for anointing the whole body. Fatty acids resulting from the fermentation have incontestable antiseptic properties. The presence of vitamin A and cholesterol contribute to the cosmetic qualities of this butter. The latex of toppiya (Calotropis procera) serves, in its turn, as a depilatory.

The hygiene of mouth and teeth is traditionally done through masticatories, such as the incense (étan) and gums produced by Acacia sp., and chewing-sticks such as Salvadora persica or Olea africana, among many others.

The country is also the source of raw materials for a modern cosmetic industry. Addis Ababa University has initiated the study of numerous plants from about 20 botanical families for the essential oils they contain. Incense and myrrh (karbe) have large secular uses and are still effective today for perfumery. The musk-like perineal secretion of the civet cat (zibeth) is also a valuable material in perfumery.

From Senegal to the Red Sea, gum-arabic (E 414) has been the most employed gum since antiquity. It is provided by various species of acacia present in Ethiopia: the carob-gum, which is in fact a mucilage (E 410), is produced by Ceratonia siliqua, a plant cultivated in the north of Eritrea and around Gondar. The Indian Cyamopsis tetragonolobus is cultivated in the north of Eritrea. It provides guar gum (E 412). Aloe sp. (aritti) is currently of special interest in cosmetology in the United States. There is an abundant supply of Aloe sp. In Ethiopia. Several species of Plantago, rich in mucilage, of Sterculia and Anogeissus leiocarpus, should be investigated for gums because these products are largely used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Still, karkade (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is an ingredient of a facial mask.

Some of the oils used in Ethiopia could have application in the cosmetic industry, especially suf (Carthamus tinctorius), already largely used in this industry, the famous endemic nug (Guizotia abyssinica), and also salit (Sesamum indicum), helpful for the protection of the epidermis. Concerning detergents, the fruit of Phytolacca abyssinica (Éndod) possesses foaming properties greater to those of the soapwort and the Panama wood. It could be used for shampoos. The kernel of mucca (Balanites aegyptiaca), with its saponosides and proteins, could also be a good additive for hair-conditioning shampoos.

Source:

Encyclopaedia Aethiopica

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