The story behind Egyptian Beauty: A ritual passed from mother to daughter
Some scents linger long after a moment has passed.
For me, it’s frankincense—soft, warm, and always close. The way hibiscus leaves would stain my mother’s fingertips when she prepared them in warm water. The soft cloth she used to press oil into my skin. She never called it a routine. It was just how she cared for me.
Those moments didn’t just stay with me—they shaped how I care for myself today.
A tradition carried forward by hand and heart.
I think many of us carry small rituals like that. A way of doing things that comes from love. A quiet habit passed down, without needing to explain why it matters.
That is the heart of the Egyptian beauty rituals I grew up with. Before I ever gave them a name, they were already part of me.
A childhood rooted in ritual
My mother, Soad, always began with her hands.
She would rub a little oil between her palms to warm it. Then she would press it gently into my skin or smooth it through my hair. There was no rush. No loud instruction. Only the quiet sound of breath and care.
Mornings were quiet. We’d sit near the window, letting the soft light fall in.
Care begins in the quietest gestures.
Sometimes, she crushed hibiscus petals into a bowl. Other times, she reached for the oil she’d prepared the night before—just enough to warm between her palms. Her touch always felt warm. Her voice was calm. I never questioned why we did these things. I just knew they mattered.
We did not call it self-care. We did not need to. It was part of how we lived.
Now, when I hold a bottle or blend a recipe, I still remember the feeling of those moments. They remind me that care can be simple, real, and already ours. Not something we chase—but something we quietly return to.
Why Egyptian Beauty was born
I never planned to start a brand. I just wanted to keep something alive.
The way my mother chose her ingredients was quiet and thoughtful. She knew what each one did, but more than that, she knew how they felt. The softness of hibiscus, the deep scent of black seed oil, and the way frankincense would settle the mind.
These were not recipes written down. They were passed from her hands to mine—held close, and shaped by care.
But they didn’t begin with her. My mother learned them from her own mother—my teta, who believed beauty was a form of care, not performance. Her touch lived in the oils she blended, the ingredients she trusted. That lineage—passed from grandmother to mother to daughter—is what I hold every time I begin a batch.
As I got older, I found myself reaching for the same ingredients my mother once used. I would hear her voice in my head, and I would move at the same pace. That rhythm became a comfort, a way to feel near to her, even when we were far apart.
Egyptian Beauty began as a way to honour that closeness. It is not a business plan. It is a continuation of something sacred. A way to share what was given to me, so others can feel it too.
When I make something now, I do it the same way she did. With patience. With meaning. With love in every step.
From hands to bottles: creating with care
Every product begins the same way: with quiet, with care, with memory.
I start by setting the space. A clean cloth, a few stone bowls, and the scent of warm oils rise slowly as I prepare what is needed. Nothing is rushed. There is a rhythm to it. A pause between each step that lets the work feel full and calm.
I pour the oils by hand. I watch the texture. I listen for the soft sounds that tell me it is blending the way it should. Some ingredients are measured. Others are felt. I use amber glass to protect what’s inside. I label each bottle one by one, knowing exactly where it will go and who might hold it.
These are not just products to me. They are part of something I was taught. To move slowly. To use what is pure. To treat each step with respect.
It is not about being perfect. It is about being present. About remembering where these rituals come from. And making sure that care is still felt when someone opens a jar or uncaps a dropper.
That is how everything is made here—not by machine, but by memory, by intention, by hand, and by heart.
A note on the ingredients
The ingredients I use are not chosen for trends. They are chosen because they carry meaning.
Black seed oil was always in our home. My mother called it a gift. She used it when my skin felt dry, or when she wanted to seal in warmth. It carries a deep scent—strong, grounding, protective.
Frankincense reminds me of stillness. We burned it often, not just for the skin, but for the space it created. It helped us slow down. Even now, I feel that calm when I work with it.
These are not trends. They are stories.
Hibiscus was something my mother crushed by hand. It gave her hands a pink tint, which I loved. She used it in masks, in rinses, in ways that felt gentle and loving. I still follow her touch.
These ingredients are part of our rituals, not because they work, but because they belong. They hold memories. They remind me of who taught me how to care.
One of our customers, Katy K., said:
“I recently received a gift box from one of my students’ parents, and I was immediately captivated by every single product, especially the Universal Skin Perfector Oil .”
That is what I hope you feel—like something sacred has quietly returned to you.
This isn’t just skincare. It’s a legacy
What began in my mother’s hands now lives in mine.
Every oil I blend, every bottle I fill, carries the same care she once gave to me. These rituals are more than steps. They are stories. They remind us that beauty does not need to be invented. It already exists—in the way we pause, the way we remember, the way we care.
I created Egyptian Beauty to honor what was passed down. To hold space for something soft, slow, and real. Not just for me, but for anyone who has longed for something more meaningful in their self-care.
If these rituals resonate, we invite you to explore what we’ve made, with memory and meaning in every bottle.
You are welcome here. Not just as a customer, but as someone who understands that care, when shared with love, becomes something sacred.
<3 Maha
Founder of Egyptian Beauty
Author Bio: Maha is the founder of Egyptian Beauty, a skincare and haircare brand rooted in the ancient rituals she learned from her mother, Soad. Her handcrafted formulations honor generations of plant-based wisdom through sacred, small-batch production in Santa Fe, New Mexico, US. Every product reflects a legacy of care and cultural reverence.