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Beauty Tips from Around the World
Women are always going to have a secret cache of tips that they keep to help themselves look
beautiful. There are countless regional beauty secrets that help to preserve, rejuvenate and keep your youthful appearance. Here is a
sampling of beauty tips from different regions. Take a look at these and see how many you already know:
Africa
Shea Butter and Shea Oil: The karite tree (or shea tree) grows a nut from
which shea oil and butter is harvested and made. The tree grows in twelve different African countries and the majority of the world’s
supply of shea butter comes from Burkina Faso. The substance is used in products to make the hair shine, to make the scalp healthy, to
reduce wrinkles, and to protect and preserve the skin and hair from sun and pollution damage. Shea butter and oil is even used by alone
to treat skin conditions and has been used to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
Lavender: Lavender used to be used by women in North Africa as a folk
remedy to prevent mistreatment by their husbands. As odd as this sounds lavender has some very real beneficial properties. It is a
natural deodorant, anticeptic and insecticide. You can use lavender water (made by steeping a tablespoon of lavender in a cup of
water) all over the body as a fragrant refresher throughout the day.
Rooibos Tea: This tea, known as African Red Tea, contains a high amount of
anti-oxidants which make it beneficial. If contains natural alpha-hydroxyl for healthy skin and it is used in many commercial products
like soaps, facial creams and shampoos.
Honey: Aside from being a delicious treat and sweetener, honey is a popular
beauty aid because of its hydrating and nourishing properties. Honey has been used to treat the scalp when it is swollen and itchy from
dandruff. Mix some honey with a little warm water and dab it on the affected area of your scalp. You can leave 15 minutes and rinse,
or leave it on overnight for a longer treatment.
Olive Oil: Olive trees grow in many African countries like Tunisia, and the
olive oil produced by these plants has been used in beauty routines for hundreds of years. It is used as a base for many hair and skin
products, and can be used as an effective treatment to moisturize hair and skin. You can simply use extra-virgin olive oil directly on
the hair as a hot oil treatment, or as an emollient to moisturize the skin and nails, or look for olive oil-based complexion bars or
lip balms.
Mayan
Avocado: Avocadoes were highly revered for their beautifying properties,
and now we know that the oil of the avocado is an excellent emollient and moisturizer. Try taking one-half of an avocado and mashing it
into a pulp. Apply the pulp evenly to your face and leave it on for 20 minutes, then rinse with tepid water. It is great for hydrating
the skin and makes a wonderful winter skin treatment.
You can also use avocado slices under your eyes and allow it to soak in for at least 20
minutes. Watch your puffiness disappear and enjoy the cooling and moisturizing effects of avocado.
Mayan Hair Wrap: Combine one-half an avocado, one tablespoon of olive oil,
half a banana and one egg yolk. Apply the mixture evenly to the hair and cover with plastic. Allow the mixture to sit for one hour,
then simply rinse, shampoo and style the hair as usual. If you have long hair use an entire banana and avocado.
Rose Hip Seed Oil: The oil derived from the seed of rose hips is terrific
for decreasing the signs of aging, scars and uneven coloration of the skin. Look for commercial products made with the oil, or purchase
the oil itself online and mix it with olive oil for a nightly facial treatment.
Chaparral and White Sage: These two herbs are antioxidants that have the
effect of inhibiting free radicals and destroying the ones that have already formed. You can mix one tablespoon of chaparral and one
tablespoon of white sage together in one cup of cold water, and let it steep overnight. In the morning, add a tablespoon of sunflower
oil to the herbal solution and shake it thoroughly. Apply the solution with a cotton ball before bed for free radical control.
Acacia: Acacia is an herbal antibacterial and astringent. Crush the dried
herbs into a powder and mix it with water to make an antibacterial wash to treat skin outbreaks. Mix the powdered herbs with honey to
make a healing solution that can be applied for 20 minutes at a time.
Cliffrose Bark: This ancient Mayan herb is used for a variety of medicinal
applications, including skin problems. If you have a rash or skin disorder and nothing seems to work, take some of the bark and add it
to just boiled water. Steep the bark for 15-20 minutes and apply it to the affected area and wait for relief.
China
Sesame Oil: Sesame oil can be used as a lubricant and moisturizer for dry,
cracked skin. Simply apply the oil to the cracked skin several times a day. You can also use sesame oil on the skin before it becomes
cracked to hydrate and protect it.
Marjoram: This common herb, found in most spice racks, can be made into a
wash using one cup of the fresh herb in one cup of hot water. Use the marjoram wash if you have an itchy skin rash. It is believed
that marjoram relieves water retention and makes the body sweat which helps the circulation.
Cucumber: Chinese medicine prescribes eating cool, fresh cucumber for the
symptoms of common acne. Cucumber is also excellent for hydrating the skin and reducing puffiness around the eyes. Shave thin slices
of cucumber and layer them over the face to moisturize, refresh and reduce puffiness and swelling.
Pumpkin: You can seed and blend the flesh of a pumpkin into a pulp.
Refrigerate the pulp and use it to treat sunburned skin, or burning underneath the skin.
Peppermint: The menthol found in peppermint is used to cool hot itchy
eruptions on the skin. Use peppermint oil topically, to treat skin eruptions to help stop the itch and replace it with a cool,
numbing sensation.
Ginger: This herb is used in a wide range of food remedies in Chinese
medicinal cooking. Use the juice from a piece of fresh ginger on minor burns, and use the juice of ginger root for burning and itching
on the skin by rubbing the juice directly on the affected areas, or rub the fresh root directly on the skin.
All of these commonly found ingredients (well, commonly found for the most part) can help you
to achieve natural solutions to your most common hair and skin care problems. These beauty and health tips come with centuries of
tradition behind them and can help you have a healthy, more beautiful you – naturally.
Stacy - Cosmetologist ©Hairfinder.com
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