Women of the Himba tribe uses ocher, a mineral with the body are covered for sun protection and mosquito bites
Ochre is an essential element in the culture of the Himba, an african tribe.
This Northern Namibian tribe, living close to the Angolan border, has been using the mineral since ancient times as a ritual.
Firstly, it is ground up into a powder, then mixed with animal fat to make a paste that the Himba cover their bodies with.
It is so valuable to the tribe that they will travel large distances to find it.
It is said to protect them from the sun and prevents mosquito bites, but its main use is aesthetic, and only the women of the tribe use it.
In the West, it is what we might call ‘makeup’.