The Smith Papyrus Elixir for Treating Skin Aging

The final pages of the «Edwin Smith» surgical papyrus —written in hieratic script and preserved at the New York Academy of Medicine, dating back to around 1600 BCE— contain an unusual pharmaceutical appendix entitled "Book to Transform the Old Man into a Youth". This is the oldest documented cosmetic and rejuvenating text describing a natural formula designed to combat the signs of aging, eliminate spots and skin pigmentation, tighten facial sagging, and treat wrinkles affecting the skin due to dryness and the harsh desert climate. This text reflects an advanced understanding by the physicians of the Pharaonic court regarding the ability of deep plant oils and fine mineral powders to penetrate the cornified layers of the skin and stimulate its radiance and vitality.

The historical recipe is based on the use of an oil extracted from the fruits and seeds of an ancient Egyptian plant called in the hieratic text "hemat" (wild fenugreek plant rich in phospholipids and phytoestrogens), mixed with pure ben oil, known today as desert moringa oil pressed from the seeds of the Egyptian ben tree, along with fine alabaster or limestone calcite powder extracted from the quarries of Hatnub, pure wild beeswax, and a balanced amount of pure natron salt purified from clay impurities.
The preparation mechanism of this elixir involves a laborious treatment of the fenugreek seeds by soaking them in fresh water for 4 days, then spreading them under the scorching sun until dry, grinding them completely before placing them in stone presses to extract their deep golden oil, known for its penetrating odor and high phenolic compounds. This heavy oil is mixed with light, fast-absorbing moringa oil. Then, the wax is heated in a warm water bath and poured slowly over the oil mixture while adding the superfine calcite powder and ground natron salt until the emulsification process is complete and the mixture transforms into a homogeneous cream with a smooth texture and very fine particles.

This formula is applied by massaging the face and neck in upward circular motions, where the microscopic mineral particles of calcite and natron act as a superficial physical exfoliant that removes dead cells and dark pigmentation, while the fatty acids of moringa and its nourishing vitamins, along with the tissue-stimulating compounds of fenugreek, penetrate deep into the skin to nourish the collagen layers and restore lost skin elasticity. Egyptian physicians recommended applying this ointment at night and leaving it on for several hours before rinsing it off with rainwater or papyrus flower infusion extract, stating in the lines of the papyrus that the continued use of this lotion leaves human skin soft, smooth, flawless, and as if it had returned to its first youth.