ABSTRACT
Botanicals have been part of cosmetics and toiletries since before recorded history. As
early as 10,000 BC scented oils and ointments were used to soften skin and mask body
odor (1). The ancient Egyptians freshened their breath by chewing pellets made of ground
tamarisk leaves (2) and made perfumes from mixtures of essential oils such as myrrh,
chamomile, rose, and cedar combined in vegetable oils of olive, sesame, or almond (1).
The Picts of the British Isles made blue body paint from woad (Isatis tinctoria L). We
know this dye was used as war paint from Roman writings of the time. In ancient Persia,
and across the ancient world, henna dyes were used to stain hair and faces and the
Egyptians used it to paint their fingernails.
