You would be shocked to learn of the lengths our ancestors went in order to perfect their hair. For example, in the Renaissance era, a common conditioner remedy was to a concoction of olive oil boiled in dead lizards! Thankfully, our hair care methods have evolved since then, and we now know much more about how to effectively, humanely, and safely take care of our hair. That being said, there are several haircare tips that have stood the test of time, and many of them might be just what you need to take your hair to the next level!
Ancient Oil Conditioning Remedy
While we’ve seen some wild and completely bogus hair care beliefs over the years, there’s one concept that has always been universally accepted: hair moisturization is an absolute must. For example, ancient Moroccans utilized argan oil, which was specific to their island country, to prevent hair dryness and frizz, while ancient Japanese and Chinese favored coconut oil. Most famously, the ancient Egyptians, popularized by Cleopatra, utilized castor oil and almond oil to keep their hair hydrated and shiny. Today, we not only know much more about which oils are most beneficial for hair and scalp health, but we also have the luxury of sourcing oils from all over the world. For a modern hair oil blend, consider Sutra’s Hair Cocktail, which features the aforementioned coconut oil, along with African marula oil and rare rose petal oil.
Mesopotamian Hair Curling
Although we may look at the modern hair curler, with all of its advanced technology and gadgets, and consider it to be a strictly modern hair tool, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the art of heated hair curling dates back several thousands of years ago to the ancient Babylonian and Assyrian civilizations. Known as “curling tongs”, ancient Babylonian and Assyrian men would heat these bronze tools over a fire and then use them to shape their long beards into unique, crimped styles. Thankfully, our curling irons today utilize much more advanced and gentle technology. For instance, Sutra’s Infrared Curling Iron utilizes infrared technology to shorten styling time while preventing heat damage.
Dry Shampoo Like a French Royal
This may come as a shock, but the act of shampooing one’s hair is actually a fairly modern concept. The first shampoo wasn’t invented until the early 1900’s, and hair washing practices differ wildly over the centuries from culture to culture. However, in European cultures where wig-wearing came in vogue, the removal of residue and grease became a necessity, as it was incredibly difficult to wash a wig. Enter the invention of the first dry shampoo. French royals and elites in the 17th and 18th centuries were known to use flours and starches to remove oil and grease from their wigs, setting the stage for a practice that has evolved into today’s dry shampoos that double as an effective volumizing and texturizing treatment!