RA EGYPTIAN
About Us
Our story
Four thousand years of practice, in a daily ritual
RA EGYPTIAN began with a question: what did the ancient Egyptians understand about caring for skin that the modern world has forgotten? Working with Egyptologists, we studied the oils and resins of ancient Egyptian practice, then built a small collection around them, made by hand in small batches from the finest natural materials Africa offers today. We choose suppliers who produce ethically and sustainably, and who empower the communities where our ingredients begin.
6,200
Sustainable jobs created by our suppliers
34,000
Acres of EcoCert wild harvest habitat protected
2 million
Trees planted across additional acres
120
Scholarships provided each year
RA EGYPTIAN · INGREDIENTS
Ancient ingredients, modern purpose.
Ancient Egypt was a vast empire, and its perfumers and physicians drew on far more than the Nile Valley alone. Caravans and ships brought resins from Punt, gold and ebony from Nubia, cedar and oils from the Levant, and aromatics across the Mediterranean and the old spice routes. Our formulas follow that same wide world. Here are some of the ingredients we use.
Desert Date Oil
The balanos oil of the Nile Valley, named in the Ebers papyrus in a wrinkle preparation with frankincense, and favoured by perfumers as a base that kept scent true.
Rich in linoleic acid, roughly 37 to 44 percent, the fatty acid skin uses to build its barrier lipids. Clinical study data supports its barrier and conditioning role, with antioxidant activity shown across its fruit, seed and leaf.
Shea Nilotica
The rare East African shea of the Nile's upper reaches, gathered and prepared by women's collectives.
Rich in triterpene unsaponifiables, the fraction linked to its cushioning softness. Studies show inhibition of COX-2 and iNOS, two pathways involved in inflammation.
Moringa Oil
Ben oil, the oil of Upper Egypt, pressed from the moringa that grows wild in rocky ground in Upper Egypt, the Sinai and Arabia, and used in ointments in the Ebers papyrus.
Around 70 to 78 percent oleic acid, giving it its silky, stable character. Research points to conditioning support for the skin barrier, and studies on wound care found it sped repair and improved collagen in healing skin.
Frankincense & Myrrh
The great resins of the ancient world, carried from Punt at enormous cost and central to kyphi, the temple incense, burned and anointed throughout Egyptian ritual.
Frankincense carries clinical study data, including a resin extract study, for photoageing, elasticity and fine lines. Myrrh is studied for its role in wound care and antimicrobial action.