Table 2 Animal derived cosmetics and products for skin healing used by Sahrawi refugees
Ingredient | Hassaniya name | Preparation and way of use | Use | Provenience of the product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ambergris (from Physeter macrocephalus L.) | enebra | sun dried, triturated, topical application | snakebites | Tindouf market, markets of coastal Western Sahara |
Camel (Camelus dromedarius L.) hump fat | ludek | heated and inserted in ears in drops and with cotton/heated, external application | otitis, earache/open wounds | refugee camps, badyia |
Cephalopina titillator Clark (Oeastridae) - parasitic larva of camels’ nostrils and high respiratory ways | duda | larvae are squeezed into ears | strong earache in infants | refugee camps, badyia |
Chamaeleo spp. (Chamaeleonidae) skin | buya | the dried skin is macerated in water and then applied topically for three days | boils, wounds, ntiaff, anti-venoms, toothache | Tindouf market, Mauritania |
Chamaeleo spp. (Chamaeleonidae) egg | beid el buya | dried with salt or cooked, topical application | antidote for snakebites, to treat boils and skin abscesses | Tindouf market, Mauritania |
Fennec (Vulpes zerda Zimmermann) bone | zib | boiled, triturated, topical application | herpes, measles | badyia |
Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus L.) milk’s cream | zibde | heated and inserted as drops in ears or nose; or heated with barley, mixed with cooked dates and kept in a young goat’s leather (called agreyia); this product is known as dhen | otitis, earache; nosebleeds | refugee camps, badyia |
Ostrich (Struthio camelus L.) egg* | naama | the shell is finely triturated and applied to eye/triturated to powder and sniffed | to eliminate ‘the white spot’ from eye (pinguecula)/nose bleeding | badyia |
Pimelia angulata Fabricius (Tenebrionidae) - darkling beetle | anfusa | smashed, boiled in a small amount of water, topical application of drops | earache in infants | refugee camps, badyia |
Urine | Â | topical application | wound disinfectant** | Â |
Uromastyx acanthinura Bell (Agamidae) skin | dab | the dried skin is macerated in water and then applied topically for three days | boils, skin infections*** | badyia |
Uromastyx acanthinura Bell (Agamidae) - kidneys, described as yellow fatty tissues | dab | boiled in water and inserted as eardrops | otitis and earache in infants and children | badyia |