This Dangerous Substance Is What Made Ancient Egyptian Queens Beautiful

CAIRO – Cleopatra is known as the Queen of Egypt beautiful with a charm that makes men who see her fall to their knees before her.

But behind all that, scientists have revealed that Cleopatra used lead or a dangerous substance that can cause brain damage and miscarriage.

As reported by The Archaeologist, the ancient Egyptians, who were famous for their thick and dramatic eye makeup, actually considered lead as a substance that prevented eye disease.

Recent research has even suggested that their beliefs may not have been entirely wrong. Analytical chemist Philippe Walter and his team at the CNRS and the Louvre Museum in Paris made an interesting discovery while analyzing some samples of the famous ancient Egyptian eyeliner cosmetic, now in the Louvre’s collection.

They found two types of lead salts that do not occur naturally, suggesting that the ancient Egyptians had synthesized them. Making lead salts is a complicated process that requires special attention for weeks.

Interestingly, this salt does not provide shine like other cosmetic components. So why did the Egyptians bother making it? The answer is found in ancient manuscripts.

It turns out that at that time, lead salts were used as a treatment for eye diseases, scars, and skin discoloration. This discovery caught the attention of chemist Christian Amatore, who knew how toxic lead was in modern times.

To investigate further, the team added lead salts to human skin cells called keratinocytes in the lab. They hypothesized that the lead would trigger these cells to produce compounds involved in the body’s immune response, such as nitric oxide.

As a result, cells treated with lead produced more nitric oxide than control cells. Nitric oxide can kill eye disease-causing bacteria around the skin or eyes by damaging the structure or DNA of the bacteria.

However, these benefits of lead are at odds with our knowledge of its dangers. However, this may be in line with the concept of hormesis, where exposure to a toxic substance in certain amounts can actually provide benefits.

While this research is interesting, experts warn that we shouldn’t follow in the footsteps of the ancient Egyptians by adding lead to modern cosmetics.

People today are living much longer, and long-term lead exposure can cause a variety of serious health problems, including the risk of developing cataracts.

(wbs)