Himba Beauty Salon

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

NAMIBIA | Thursday, 3 January 2013 | Views [1963] | View Larger Image

Once the women are feeling fresh again after their fragrant smoke bath they set about grinding down small stones of ochre. Rhythmically the women work away grinding the red stones down into a very fine powder.

Tags: himba, woman, grind, ochre, work, baby, morning

As soon as a Himba women wakes she begins her daily beauty ritual. The small fire that has smouldered all night inside her hut is then transformed into her mornings bath tub. Fragrant herbs are added to the fire as the women straddle themselves closely to the smoke and cover themselves with a large blanket, trapping the smoke, eliminating any unhygienic odours that may have accumulated over the previous 24 hours.

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The Ochre is mixed with portions of thickened butter fat which is smeared all over the women's body to produce a bright red sheen. All of the females pitch in to help each other access areas that a single woman cannot. All of the Himba women share the work load in a village regardless of the task, their age or stature.

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Himba Beauty Salon

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

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