I loved this interesting piece on the Huffington Post about various beauty treatments from around the world! There are quite a few that are popular in the natural hair world :) Check it out!
Via HuffingtonPost.com
From Cleopatra’s milk bath to the ancient Roman habit of using ground oyster shell as a skin lightener, beauty rituals have abounded through generations and geographies.
But we’ve come a very long way since the days of using lead as a face mask and sheep sweat as night cream. Time has perfected our rituals — we know what works and what doesn’t. There’s much to be learned, then, from the at-home beauty tips of women around the world. “Beauty rituals are as ancient as time. When I travel across the world, I see all sorts of natural remedies. And now, many of those products are being used in Western cosmetics,” says beauty expert and HuffPost blogger, Carmindy.
Avocado
With their high fat and vitamin E content, avocados are both delicious and good for you. South American women use the fruit to nourish their skin and hair.
“Virtually all parts of the avocado can be used in beauty treatments,” says Jessica Harris in the “World Beauty Book.” Take the peels and rub the interior on your face. The slightly grainy texture of the inside of the avocado peel is exfoliating, and the peel itself is rich with avocado oil. The combination is great for those with problem skin.”
Carmindy recommends a face mask made of avocados and honey. “Honey has anti-inflammatory properties and avocado hydrates the skin.”
Nightingale Droppings
This might sound unappealing, but uguiso no fun or nightingale droppings have long been used in Japan to clear sun-spots, acne marks and pigmentation.
The bird excrement — rich in proteins and a whitening enzyme — is sterilized, ground into a powder and sometimes mixed with rice bran. The powder is then applied to the face and washed off with water. It’s the beauty treatment of geishas and Buddhist monks alike.
Shea Butter
Shea butter — now the stuff of drugstore moisturizers — comes from the nut of the karite tree of West Africa. In addition to its hydrating properties, it’s known for its ability to protect skin from free radicals and prevent wrinkles. “In parts of West Africa … Pregnant women give their expanding bodies a daily gentle rub with the vegetable butter. Many of my friends there have assured me that this daily routine prevents stretch marks,” writes Jessica Harris in “The World Beauty Book.”
I’ve tried shea (of course), argan oil, monoi oil, and paw paw. I tell ya, that paw paw KILLS ashiness. Just DECIMATES it. I’ve never tried tumeric as a beauty treatment, but it show tastes delicious when added to anything!
Oh, and avocado as well! Love the way it made my hair feel, but I prefer to eat them.
I prefer to eat them too. I tried to do a deep treatment with it and it was a major fail. I may try avocado oil or butter next time. lol
Where do you buy paw paw? (Hopefully online).
You’ll find paw paw (popularly known in the US as Papaya) in the produce section of any grocery store. Costco has them for intance.
I’ve tried shea butter, argan oil, and monoi oil. All work and I will continue to use whatever’s cheapest at the time I need them.
BTW, I LOOOOOOOVE sistergirl’s hair in that pic!
+1 ;)
Bird droppings huh?! Well I’ve tried q***hie cream on my scalp. At least this is more natural…lol.
Ok, where did you find monio and paw paw oil?
A former colleague’s husband was from Ghana. They visited frequently and she would always pick up a tub of shea butter for me. That stuff is the truth when it comes to dry skin like mine! Because my first experience was with pure shea butter straight from Ghana, I rarely buy the stuff here because I wonder whether it’s the same. I do use shea-based products though.
A friend from France turned me on to Argan oil recently. They sell it at Sephora, but it’s a bit pricey for just a small amount.
Am from Ghana,and my shea from Ghana feel soft n moist from the one i bought here which is dry n hard.
Hi ladies, is there a way you can ship some real shea butter to me? It’s very scarce here in South Africa & I unfortunately know no-one from Ghana.
Pretty pleaaaase….*pulls puppy face*
Pingback: Ultima Weekly Hair News | Ultima Hair Talk
Yay thanks for posting this article, I just got some monoi oil and shea butter off amazon, I can’t wait to try it.
i really want to try the monoi oil… how much is it?
I use shea butter daily on some scars I have on my legs which were caused by a playful/hostile kitten. The scars have lightened significantly since I started doing this treatment in the spring. I also make a deep conditioner by melting shea butter and cocoa butter and adding it to my cheap Suave conditioner. I also put in a bunch of other stuff like aloe vera juice, vitamin e, jojoba oil etc.
The mention nightingale poop, but forgot henna.
http://mesliensweb.blogspot.com/2011/11/top-liens-comment-faire-lamour.html
I really like shea butter, but I am really a fan of turmeric. I use it in my food, rice, baked chicken, its great. Also it is great as a face mask, mixed with rose water. If you have darker skin it will leave you with this nice bright glow when you wash it all off. It has many good health benefits too, great stuff!
A large percentage of of the things you state happens to be supprisingly appropriate and that makes me wonder the reason why I hadn’t looked at this with this light previously. Your piece really did turn the light on for me as far as this subject goes.