Special paste girls from the Himba tribe (Namibia) are considered the best means for beauty!
Paste is used for make—up, protects the skin, replaces soap, but most importantly – with its help, Himba women make incredible hairstyles for themselves.
The girls of the Himba tribe consider the secret of their beauty to be the paste of annealing, which consists of milk fat, local clay rich in iron, ochre and vegetable additives. The red color of the paste symbolizes the earth and blood.
The girl begins to wear her hair pulled back when she is ripe for marriage. An animal skin ornament woven into the hairstyle appears on the head after a woman marries.
Ojize paste, with which the women of the tribe make their intricate hairstyles, is cooked for a long time in large cauldrons. The secret of its preparation is owned by all the women of the tribe.
The women of the tribe apply it both on the skin and on the hair: it performs a protective function, gives the girls beauty, and also helps to maintain the purity of the body, which is very important: after all, the tribe lives in conditions of constant lack of water, and spending it on washing is a waste. But most importantly, with her help, Himba women make amazing hairstyles!
The appearance and clothing of the Himba women are extremely symbolic: they show family status, age, belonging to a certain clan and a number of other socially significant details.
