Have you ever traveled to a country where all women seem to know the secret for crystal clear complexion, soft skin or shiny hair? Did you think it was genetical? Genetics might play a role, but each culture has its own secret when it comes to beauty and it’s usually a natural ingredient that women passed from one generation to the other. Years ago, maybe it wouldn’t have been possible to use it wherever you are, but now it most probably is. Read tricks used by women from Japan to Brazil and steal their beauty secrets.
Body care beauty secrets from around the world
Coffee scrub – several countries fight on it
Most of us enjoy a delicious cup of coffee to revitalize as each morning. But did you know that it can also stimulate circulation and invigorate your skin? Keep the coffee grounds left after brewing, mix them with olive oil and gently rub your skin with it at your next shower. It will gently exfoliate dead cells and stimulate circulation, making your skin look and feel healthier. The provenience of this tip is not very clear. Some say it comes from Brazil, others from Indonesia or Morocco. I’ve actually tried this many times and even if it can make quite a mess, I still love it. A commercial coffee scrub also works and makes less of a mess.
Romanian alternative: cornmeal. I’ve tried them both, but I prefer the coffee.
Milk and honey bath – Egypt
Cleopatra bathed in goat milk and honey to keep her skin soft and luminous. Milk contains alpha-hydroxy acids that help to gently exfoliate dead skin cells. Honey has antibacterial properties. Next time you take a bath, follow in Cleopatra’s footsteps. Pour some milk in the water and use a honey soap. Add a few drops of lavender oil and some rose petals and it will feel like a real spa session.
Alternative: One can also replace milk with sake, as the Japanese do. The kojic acis it contains is supposed to exfoliate and reduce sun and age spots. I’ve actually tried this one as I bought a bottle of sake to try it, didn’t like its taste at all and didn’t want to just throw it in the garbage. It didn’t feel bad at all.
Shea Butter moisturizer – South Africa
Shea butter is highly moisturizing. It’s natural and can more than successfully replace any moisturizer, even if your skin is prone to dryness. Some women even use it as a hair mask or conditioner. While I’ve never tried it on my hair, I fully agree that it does miracles for the skin.
Face care beauty secrets from around the world
Avocado face mask – Singapore
Avocado can be used as a face mask due to the fatty oils, vitamin E and potassium it contains. You mash up a ripe avocado, apply it onto your face, wait for 15 minutes and rinse it off. It will give your complexion a nice glow and the moisture it needs.
Extra tip: Women in Colombia also use avocado for shiny hair. Mix the avocado with a banana and some olive oil and rub it into the hair. Leave it on for half an our, then shampoo and rinse. I didn’t try this one yet, but if you do, please tell me the result!
Red grapes face mask – Chile
Another way to obtain luminous skin is by crushing red grapes and mixing them with some white flour. Apply the the mixture in your face and wash it off 10 minutes later. Red grapes are full of antioxidants can give a boost to a fatigued skin.
Turmeric face mask – India
Indian women don’t only use turmeric to add flavor to food. They also use turmeric powder to make their skin glow beautifully before special occasions. You can do the same. Mix some turmeric with honey, ginger powder, if you have at hand, and yoghurt to obtain a paste and use it as a normal face-mask.
Dead Sea Mud cleansing mask – Israel
Dead Sea Mud is rich in minerals that are good for your skin. While you can make a trip to Israel or Jordan and take your own jar, you can also find beauty products that contain it.
Argan Oil for everything – Morocco
I hadn’t even heard about argan oil until I’ve travelled to Morocco, where this amazing product is for sale everywhere. It can be used for anything from dry skin to dry hair as a leave-in conditioner. It will make hair smoother and silkier. Although one could surely use this as an all-body moisturizer, it’s quite expensive. I usually prefer to use a face cream with argan oil as an ingredient.
Rose water facial cleanser – Bulgaria
Bulgarian’s Rose Valley produces up to 85% of the world’s rose oil. It’s not surprising that Bulgarian women started to use the rose oil and water obtained by boiling rose petals as a part of their skincare routine. Rose water is used to moisturize, clear and nourish skin. It also has a calming effect on it. For best effects, one should only use natural water, not chemicals, as they just don’t work.
Alternative: Chinese women swear by rice water as a facial cleanser. To try it soak a handful of rice in water for half an hour, strain the rice and cleanse the face with the water left once a week. Rice is packed with antioxidants that are said to clear skin and fight free radicals that cause ageing, so it might work.
Green tea bags as toner -Sweden
Swedish makeup artist Petra Strand recommends to keep the tea bags after making your tea. Gently rub your face with it after it cools off. It should make the skin look radiant and clear.
Nail care beauty secrets
Lemon juice for nails – France
Women in France soak their fingers in lemon juice for 10 minutes to get rid of nail stains.
Bonus: To strengthen them one can soak them in warm olive oil afterwards.
Nettle shampoo – Croatia
When we were little the nettle shampoos where everywhere. They were cheap and everyone used them. What about going back to this habit, especially if you’ve got oily hair? After all, nettle has been used for hair care for hundreds of years. It’s also known to reduce dandruff and hair loss.
Alternative: Australian women add tea tree oil drops to their shampoo to moisturize their scalp and prevent dandruff. While you can find a tea tree oil shampoo for sale, one can also combine the two methods and add tea tree oil drops to a nettle shampoo.
Sea water hair-spray – Australia
Do you like the beachy locks you get after a sea bath? I know I do. If I were the only one, there wouldn’t be saltwater sprays for sale. But you can also bottle your own sea water and use it to style your hair.
Aloe for hair and skin – The Philippines
In the Philippines women obtain shiny hair by breaking an aloe leaf and rubbing the juice into their hair and scalp. I grow my own aloe as it’s a really easy plant to grow, but one can also buy aloe gel from the store. Due to the nutrients in it, aloe is also a great moisturizer and irritated skin treatment.
Olive oil hair-mask and more – Greece
In the Mediterranean region olive oil is everywhere, not only in salads and all those tasty dishes. Women also use it to moisturize their skin, protect it against the sun, as it has a SPF factor (keep in mind that it’s very low, around 4) and even make their hair shiny. It has a lot of antioxidants and vitamins so it definitely can’t hurt. It’s said that even Greek goddesses considered olive oil their biggest beauty secret.
Alternative: Hawaiian women use coconut oil as hair treatment to stimulate growth and make it silky. Warm up around a tablespoon in the microwave and massage it into your scalp. Also use it on split ends and damaged hair. It’s also one of the beauty secrets of the women in Belize that use it on their body skin as a moisturizer.
Next time you buy a beauty product give it a second thought. Maybe you can try a natural option. It might give you much better results than the chemical ingredients without the negative effects.
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