Les rituels beauté de la femme Touareg

Terres Touareg

The beauty rituals of the Tuareg woman: between tradition and elegance

Tuareg women are known for always being radiant and coquettish. Their fine features, combined with their natural beauty, make them beauty queens, even in the middle of the desert.
These women maintain a drastic beauty ritual, passed down from mother to daughter, through a number of practices.
Discover the beauty rituals of Tuareg women.

Hair: an ancestral art

Tuareg women cultivate a veritable art of hairdressing. Associated with pure and noble origins, the women braid their hair with care. The braids must be long and finely plaited, as they symbolise the care and pride they take in their hair, a strong marker of the Tuareg tribe. Before braiding, the hair is combed and coated with butter and water to keep it shiny and clean, a precious resource in the Sahara. For even shinier hair, they use infusions of talekkodt (black sesame seeds), deje (white grape) and ataghantagh (Rogeria adénophylla).

At puberty, young girls begin to weave their hair like adults. Only in times of mourning would a woman omit braiding her hair. During ceremonies, Tuareg women often sew their jewellery into their braids, adding complexity to the art.

Make-up: kohl and desert pigments

Khôl, a must for Tuareg women, is used to give a deep look while protecting the eyes from infection, the sandy wind and the intense desert light. For celebrations and ceremonies, they decorate their faces with make-up in shades of red-brown or indigo brown. They use a mixture of flowers, herbs and ochre powder to even out the complexion, and sap to draw coloured symbols on the face.

The skin: moisturising and protecting against the desert

Tuareg women moisturise their skin and hair from an early age. The arid climate of the Sahara requires constant care to keep the skin young and supple. They mainly use rich, nourishing desert date oil to protect their skin from the harsh climate. Red clay, which is widely used in the Algerian Sahara, is also applied to the face for its firming properties.

Henna: an essential part of Touareg beauty

Henna is an essential part of the beauty kit of Tuareg women. This natural powder is used to dye and decorate hands, feet and sometimes hair for special occasions such as weddings, engagements and christenings. Henna is therefore an essential part of all Tuareg ceremonies.

Perfume and incense: the scents of the desert

To perfume their hair, Tuareg women use a mixture of dried tajalalt flowers (Mitragyna inermis) and shittah bark (Acacia seya). This fragrant powder is particularly appreciated by pregnant women and is an integral part of the rituals of the Tuareg people. Incense also plays an essential role in ceremonies. It is used to perfume clothes at weddings or to calm the atmosphere after a birth. Myrrh resin, or adaras, is also used for its soothing and aphrodisiac properties, another secret of beauty and well-being handed down among the Tuareg tribe.

The beauty rituals of the Tuareg women of the Algerian Sahara are deeply rooted in their culture. Their skincare practices, whether in terms of hairstyling, make-up or moisturising rituals, are not only marks of coquetry, but also ways of protecting themselves against the extreme climatic conditions of the desert. These traditions, handed down from generation to generation, make Tuareg women timeless icons of beauty and grace in the heart of the Sahara.

The beauty rituals of the Tuareg woman: between tradition and elegance
The beauty rituals of the Tuareg woman: between tradition and elegance
The beauty rituals of the Tuareg woman: between tradition and elegance

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