Beauty Secrets From Around The World

Countries and cultures around the world all subscribe to some level of beauty standards, and they have done for centuries. The contents of your makeup bag might not reflect the products that someone else in another country uses – that’s just a given fact. But are there morsels of beauty knowledge tucked away in different corners of the world that you don’t know about? What secrets are being hidden from you that might entirely change your beauty routine?

The team at Beauty Courses Online were dying to know if there were any nuggets of knowledge they could get their hands on, so we decided to go on an internet quest to find out the top beauty secrets from the four corners of the earth.

Some of what we found blew our minds. Curious? Read on.

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Skip to the written version of the infographic.

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Korea

10 Step Skin Care Routine

A thorough skin-care routine is one of the most important ways you can look after yourself, especially if you wear makeup every day. We all love to have clear, glowing skin – and Korea takes this to a whole new level by completing a daily 10 step skincare routine. Any less than 10 steps just isn’t good enough. So, what are these magical steps, you might be asking… Well, we aren’t here to disappoint[i]:

Cleansing Stage

  • Makeup remover & cleanser – to remove makeup and cleanse the skin of debris and oil
  • Water based cleanser – to remove other impurities like dirt and sweat
  • Exfoliator – to cleanse pores of debris and dead skin cells

 

Prep Stage

  • Toner – levels out the moisture of your skin and balances pH levels

 

Nourish

  • Essence – essences like hyaluronic acid and yeast help cell turnover and hydrate the skin
  • Treatment – any treatments to target problem areas like wrinkles and blemishes are applied
  • Sheet masks – applied to invigorate, moisturise and revitalise skin
  • Eye cream – helps to reduce puffiness and dark circles by hydrating delicate skin around the eyes

 

Protect

  • Moisturizer – moisturises the skin, keeping it smooth and supple
  • Sun protection – prevents sun damage, limits rosacea and general redness

You might have some or all of these products already, why not give the Korean skincare routine a go?

 

Greece

Olive Oil Everywhere

Since Ancient times, Greeks have been using one of their most abundant natural resources as a key player in their beauty routines – olive oil.

The practice of using olive oil as a beauty aid continues today, with women and men around the world using its natural fatty acids to rejuvenate the ends of their hair, moisturise their skin and bring a shine back to their nails.

Olive oil is arguably one of the healthiest fats in the world and is packed full of antioxidants. It’s also incredibly tasty, so is a worthwhile investment.

 

China

Rice Water Hair Rinse

When it’s time to wash our hair, most of us will hop in the shower and throw on the shampoo and conditioner without a second thought. But China does things a little differently. Women from a village called Huangluo reportedly have 6ft long hair, which they credit entirely to the fact that they wash it in rice water. Strange, right? Well not really when you look at the amount of benefits rice water has.

The natural vitamins, minerals and antioxidants within rice water[ii]:

  • Make hair shinier and smoother
  • Helps hair grow stronger and longer
  • Detangles the hair

This practice has been commonplace for centuries across China, Japan and Southeast Asia, and is a practice that has become increasingly more popular.

All you have to do to make this magical hair rinse is soak some rinsed Chinese rice for around 30 minutes before extracting the water and applying it to your hair.

 

India

Turmeric Skin Paste

India is another country which favours natural skincare ingredients. Aside from using the spice turmeric in hundreds of Indian recipes, it is also made into a paste and applied to the skin to keep it shining, vibrant and glowing with healthy colour. This is most commonly done by the bride before her wedding in a ceremony called ‘Haldi’.

You can make a turmeric paste at home using:

  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric
  • Honey
  • Yoghurt

Mix until it’s a pasty thickness, apply to your face and wash off after 15 minutes.

 

Egypt

Milk & Honey

Milk and honey have historically been used for beauty since the days of Cleopatra, who took goats milk and homey baths to improve her skins health – keeping it supple and glowing.

Although this is an ancient beauty hack, there is science behind how milk and honey can make your skin have a healthy glow.

Milk: contains acids which get rid of dead skin cells, basically exfoliating the skin.

Honey: has antiseptic, antibacterial properties which can help acne-prone skin. It also helps skin stay moist[iii].

 

Mexico

Spoon Eyelash Curler

Has your eyelash curler broken at the most convenient time or disappeared off the face of the earth? Mexican women can’t relate. Many of them use a spoon to curl their lovely lashes, which is a genius move if you ask us.

It’s not complicated to do at all and gives eyelashes a luscious, natural curled effect. Follow these steps to give it a go yourself[iv]:

  • Cup your eyelid with the side of a spoon so the roots of your upper lids lashes are touching the edge of the spoon.
  • Apply gentle pressure and carefully push your eyelashes upwards.
  • Smoothly push the spoon towards the ends of your lashes.
  • Repeat until they are curled to your preference.

 

Dominican Republic

Garlic Nails

If your nails are weak and prone to snapping, getting them back to full health can be tricky. This beauty secret straight from the Dominican Republic could be the key to ensuring your nails are healthy and strong for years to come. Dominican women use the natural properties of garlic to keep their nails tough and unbreakable.

You can achieve the same by following these simple instructions:

  • Finely chop up garlic
  • Add the garlic to a bottle of clear nail polish
  • Leave it to steep for at least a week, the smell of garlic will eventually leave the solution
  • Paint it on your nails regularly

The garlic enzymes stimulate nail growth and prevent fungus.

You can also buy a range of nail products that already contain garlic if you don’t want to DIY it.

 

Columbia

Avocado Hair Mask

Avocado is a tasty source of healthy fats, but did you know it can also be used as part of a beauty regime? It’s really common to utilise avocado for a range of beauty treatments across Latin American countries. As well as avocado being good for the body, it is fantastic for your hair!

A good avocado mask can keep your lovely locks shining, strong and can reduce breakage as well as reducing hair loss. Make your own using a simple mixture of[v]:

  • Avocado
  • Honey
  • Olive oil
  • Almond milk

Combine them together into a smooth paste, slather over your hair, pop on a shower cap and keep it on for an hour before rinsing out.

 

What are your beauty secrets?

Do you have any hidden beauty secrets that you’re bursting to share? Leave a comment below!

 

Sources

[i] https://sokoglam.com/pages/the-korean-skin-care-routine

[ii] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321353#history

[iii] https://www.healthline.com/health/honey-for-face

[iv] https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/210684088794894117/

[v] https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/avocado-hair-mask/