What makes Japanese women have such flawless skin? How do Indians maintain their lustrous, thick hair? We’ve all been geographically blessed with certain features but wherever we’re from, all of us have beauty secrets we swear by. Check out these foolproof beauty secrets for glowing skin, shining locks and healthy nails from around the globe!
Ever find yourself wishing that you had the clear skin of a Japanese woman or the radiance that Caucasians have? No matter where we are from, we tend to want something that another person has if it makes us feel prettier.
Chances are, they want what you take for granted.
Of course, not many of us can manipulate the beauty that genetics and demographic have given us but we can try to adopt some beauty secrets from the rest of the world, to help us all connect a little better while also giving your skin a little treat! If you are from India, multani mitti and turmeric are such common skin-care ingredients that a lot of Indian probably overlook their benefits. But these ingredients are exotic to a woman from across the globe and she would gladly slather it on to treat her skin issues.
We went ahead and took advantage of the fact that the world is getting smaller and more connected by getting together beauty secrets from different parts of the world! Let’s have a look at them, shall we?
Beauty Secrets From Around the World- Skin
1. Brazil: Oatmeal to Soothe Sunburns
If your skin is the kind that turns from normal to pink to itchy, burning and shedding with just 1 hour in the sun, it’s time you followed this Brazilian remedy for sunburns. Just soak oatmeal in water and apply it all over your body. If you own a bathtub, soak in the same concoction. Oatmeal speeds up recovery time and the minerals and vitamins in it have anti-inflammatory properties that soothe your skin.
2. Costa Rica: Orange Juice to Shrink Pores
Wish you could shrink your large pores? Women in Costa Rica Mix equal parts water with equal parts orange juice and apply it to their face with a cotton swab. After a few minutes, the face needs to be washed thorougly and this apparently shrinks pores, but only temporarily. This can be used as a quick fix before an event!3. Australia: Tea Tree Oil to Get Rid of Dandruff
As satisfying as it is to pull out dandruff flakes from your scalp, it is best treated with tea tree oil like the Aussies do! Tea Tree oil may not be so easy to find in stores but it is available online. The best part is that a little goes a long way so it is worth the investment.
3. Chile: Red Grapes and Flour to Get Radiant Skin
Chilean women have a simple recipe behind that radiant skin tone of theirs! Crushed red grapes mixed with flour applied on the skin for 10 minutes and then washed off can do wonders for your dull skin tone. Try this out when you feel like your skin could use some glow and you might have to ditch your highlighter for the night.4. Sweden: Green tea for Great Skin
Want that Swedish soft glow? Freeze green tea bags in an ice cube tray and use them as a toner. Green tea contains anti-oxidants that are good for the skin.
4. China: Rice Water as a Face Wash
Chinese food isn’t complete without their famous rice. Turns out, neither is their skin care routine! Rice is full of antioxidants which fight ageing. Soak Chinese rice in water for 20 minutes. Strain the rice out and use a cloth to rub the rice waster all over your face. Doing this every week will ensure you notice a different soon enough!
5. India: Turmeric/ Haldi for Brighter Skin
Indian brides and grooms usually have a ceremony where they are covered in a turmeric paste by close friends and family. Turmeric has antiseptic properties and also helps make skin more vibrant. Turmeric also gets rid of unwanted facial hair if applied regularly.
6. Singapore: Avocado or Payaya to get Softer Skin
Singaporeans mash up papayas or avocadoes and rub the pulp onto their faces. 15 minutes later it is rinsed off to reveal skin that feels super soft. Both of these have oils that are superior-level moisturising. The enzyme papain in papayas also helps in exfoliating the face, sloughing off dead skin cells. Next time you have avocado’s or papayas that are overripe, don’t throw them away, simple rub them onto your face!
7. Egypt: Milk and Honey Baths for Soft Skin
Cleopatra’s milk baths were such a huge hit, women around the world still swear by them for softer skin. In fact, apart from milk and honey, she also added rose petals and lavender to her bath. The alpha-hydroxy acids in milk help remove dead skin cells and the lactic acid helps moisturize. Talk about queen-like luxury right in your washroom!
8. Israel: Dead Sea Mud to Cleanse Skin
Mud is full of minerals that your skin is hungry for! Dead Sea mud is full-to-the-brim with minerals that are good for your skin. The good news is that you don’t have to travel to the Dead Sea to get this, there’s tons of beauty products that use Dead Sea Mud available near you! Israelis also use Ginger and Honey to keep wrinkles away! Crush the ginger and mix it with honey and a little water. Apply this on your face. The sweet aroma will calm you down as well as revitalise your skin.
9. Morroco: Argan Oil for EVERYTHING.
Argan oil is versatile and Morrocans prefer to use it for their skin and hair both! Argan oil keeps hair frizz-free, soft and hydrated all day long with just a few drops. You don’t even need to wash it off, it works as a leave-in conditioner. Apart from tackling frizz, you will have zero fly-aways and your hair will be shiny!
10. Greece: Olive Oil to Get Healthier Skin
Greek women with their olive-toned skin are quite the envy of women around the world. Turns out their gorgeous skin could be the result of olive oil! Apart from their diet being rich in olive oil, Grecians apply it to their skin too. This way its benefits work both internally and externally. What a treat for your skin!
11. The Phillipines: Sake to get Smooth Skin
You heard that right, a sake bath (not downing sake) can exfoliate your skin, making it baby soft. Sake contains kojic acid, which is what causes the exfoliation. The Phillipines gladly adopted this beauty secret from Japan. Sake also helps reduce the appearance of age spots and sun-damage.
12. Russia: Oatmeal as a Pampering Face Mask
Apart from treating sunburns like the Brazilians, oatmeal is used by Russian women as face masks. All you need is oatmeal in warm water. Once the oats turn to pulp, add a teaspoon of olive oil and a squeeze of lime to the mixture. Spread this paste over your face and rinse it off in 10 minutes. Way cheaper than a spa treatment!
13. Spain: Potato Slices to Treat Dark Circles
Potato slices are a well-known way to get rid of dark circles. Chop/grate those potatoes and keep them on your eyes for half an hour before you rinse it off. Doing this before an interview or a big event will get your eyes to look fresh and vibrant!
Enough to pamper your skin for the year? Great! Now let’s move on to hair, shall we? After all glowing skin with luscious hair is what we’re all after, right?
Beauty Secrets From Around the World- Hair
1. Greece: Rosemary Rinse for Healthy Hair
Along with that olive oil, grab some Rosemary as well if you want hair like the lovely Grecian women. Steep Rosemary in water and some apple cider vinegar. Both ingredients remove buildup and minerals that get in the way of hair looking shiny. If you live in a part of the world with hard water, this rinse is your saviour! Apparently this can also darken hair so if that is not what you are after, maybe this treatment is not for you. However, a paste with olive oil and yogurt is an alternative that could work for you too. This paste works well as a conditioner after shampooing and makes hair softer and more manageable.
2. Spain- Cranberry Juice for Red Hair
If your hair has red undertones, then cranberry juice can make your hair more vibrant. A simple mix of cranberry juice and water poured as the last rinse in the shower and your hair will catch on to the pigment. If you don’t wish to have your hair soaked in the sugary packed juices then opt for hibiscus flower extract. It does the same thing!
3. Poland: Egg Yolk for Silky Hair
Egg contains proteins that nourish the hair shaft and smoothen rough ends. Polish women make hair masks using egg yolks with some lemon juice and olive oil. The lemon juice removes buildup or any dandruff from the scalp and the olive oil moisturizes the hair. Egg yolks make the hair strong and less prone to breakage.
4. United Kingdom: Washing Hair Less
Women in the UK prefer washing their hair not more than thrice a week. This is because the limescale in their water causes a buildup, making hair dry and rough. The less washing, lesser buildup.
5. India: Coconut Oil for Complete Hair care
Coconut oil is all over the Internet as a conditioner for hair, moisturizer for skin and a saviour for a zillion other health issues. However, Indians were always big fans of this wonder fruit. Coconut-oiled hair is not an uncommon sight among kids in Indian schools. A warm coconut oil massage once or twice a week can help hair grow longer, faster. Massage your scalp so that the movement promotes circulation and also distributes the oil evenly.
Beauty Secrets From Around the World- Nails
1. Dominican Republic: Garlic to Make Nails Strong
A great way to keep your nails healthy and strong is to apply garlic juice to them. Women in South America chop up garlic and add it to a bottle of clear nail polish. After a week of storing, the garlic nail polish can be applied. It will smell foul initially but will make your nails stronger and more healthy.
2. France: Lemon Juice to Get Rid of Stains on Nails
French women like to do their own manicures when it comes to stained nails. Just a simple soak in lemon juice and all the yellow stains come right off.
3. Romania: Vitamin A and Olive Oil for Healthy Nails
Looking to improve the texture of your nails and keep them strong? Romanian women soak their nails in a bowl of warm olive oil mixed with Vitamin A oil. This done every fortnight is enough to keep nails healthy, less prone to breakage and even toned! It also helps keep away painful hangnails and peeling skin around the nails.
Phew! Now you have enough beauty tips for the entire year. Tell us if these worked for you and if you have any secrets that you absolutely swear by! We’d love to know.
