The History of Perfume in Ancient Egypt

March 13, 2025

In ancient Egypt, great importance was given to appearance. Men and women applied fragrant ointments to their skin whenever their economic status allowed it. But what did perfume mean to this civilization? How did they prepare these essences? What uses did they have? What aromas were most used? Let's discover the history of perfume in ancient Egypt.

For the Egyptians, the aroma of things had a lot to do with their divine essence, so when they applied the essence of a flower to the skin, they were placing something sacred on their skin, something that gave them a special power. The Egyptians had such respect for perfumes that they had a god for this called Nefertum, "guardian and protector of those who make perfumes and oils, protector and god of the sacred lotus. Osiris is the body of the plants, Nefertum is the soul."

How did the Egyptians prepare perfumes?

The preparation method has nothing to do with today's method. Today, distillation is used and perfumes are watery, lighter in texture and aroma. In ancient Egypt, the aromatic substance was slowly burned together with oils and/or resins. This produced an oil that had the smell of that particular plant or flower. That's why these perfumes are so oily, more intense, last a very long time and are wonderfully preserved.

What uses did perfume have?

Perfume was an elitist thing. People with high purchasing power could afford daily use. Women bathed in essences, applied aromatic oils over and over again, day after day, until they eliminated any body odor. We must not forget the aphrodisiacal and erotic power of perfume for them.

Being considered something divine, at religious festivals it was essential to arrive well perfumed to attract the attention of the gods. In the representations, women are seen placing a lotus flower to their nose or with incense cones on their heads. Aromatic oils were also used during mummification and perfume bottles have been found in many tombs.

What aromas were most common?

The most abundant seems to be lotus perfume. This flower is very abundant in the Nile, a delicate flower, with regenerative and erotic connotations that often appears in Egyptian pictorial representations.