Many of you might be familiar with coconut oil; however, this might not be the case with virgin coconut oil. There are notable differences between the two, namely in their source, method of extraction and subsequent benefits. Virgin coconut oil is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world in comparison to ordinary...
Cleansing soaps, as we know them today, date back to ancient Babylon (2800 B.C.E.), whose citizens were the first to master the art of soap making, combining animal and vegetable fats with ash. The ancient Mesopotamians, Egyptians, as well as Greeks and Romans followed this trend, and all had produced soap...
Riding astride on magnificent camels through the harsh Saharan desert, the Tuareg are masters of the vast realm, which has earned them a near-mythic reputation. They guard their secrets of survival jealously. As nomadic herders, they navigate through the desert dunes that rise and fall, by the colour, texture and taste...
As an ivory coloured and smoky scented natural fat extracted from the nuts of the karite tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), Shea butter has been lauded for its many virtues. Its history as a precious and luxuriant West African commodity traces back to as early as Cleopatra’s Egypt, with records of caravans...
The toothbrush might be a recent phenomenon in Europe however its ancient counterpart, the chewing stick, has been used for thousands of years by countless civilisations including the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. It was however the Babylonians who were its earliest users, with records dating back to 3500 B.C.E. Derived...
Perhaps one of the least known treasures from the Horn of Africa is etan, both a tree and what has been described as a god-like resin. Ancient civilisations crazed over etan, and used it profusely for a number of purposes, particularly in cosmetic, healing and spiritual rituals. During the ancient era,...
The Scythians were a vast network of ancient Central Asian nomads, who roamed freely across the boundless Eurasian plains from the ninth century B.C.E. up until the fourth century C.E. They were masters of horse-born mobility and fearsome warriors. Scythian women, like their men, trained from a young age and...
The founder of the Mughal dynasty, Zahirud-din Mohammed Babur ‘the Tiger’, had been a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan, the mighty Emperors of Central Asia. Descending from the Fergana Valley and later from the snow-capped mountains at Kabul, in 1525 Babur crossed the Indus and swept into Punjab, the...
The hammam has been the site of a purifying and beautifying ritual spanning thousands of years. As a timeless tradition, it uses the most basic of nature’s gifts – water, heat and a sponge, and is a perfect solution to counter some of the more stressful moments from modern life. There...
First cultivated 5,000 years ago in China, tea has become one of the most popular beverages around the world and a rich history that spans continents and cultures. It has been an excellent source of both disease-fighting flavonoids and antioxidants that help detoxify damaging free radicals in our bodies. But...