We post DIY skin care all the time, and most of it is from our North American roots, but we aren’t the only culture that keeps beauty secrets. Women (and men) the world over want to have soft, radiant skin and every culture has its own way to achieve this.
Our friends Barbara and Nayri wrote a book called “Natural Glow” and it offers 60 really easy DIY skin care recipes from all over the world. It has recipes for your whole body, from face masks to body scrubs for every skin type and every type of skin issue.
We want to share few of these worldwide recipes with you. Just like with the DIY recipes from our own kitchens, these recipes give you an idea of what you can find in the kitchens around the world—they’re steeped in beauty and culture.
1—Africa
This recipe comes from Ethiopia and it’s a full body treatment for those places that we want to be just a little smoother and get rid of those unwanted dimple-y deposits… yes we’re talking about the dreaded cellulite.
Ingredients
1 cup ground coffee
6 TBSP fine sea salt
3 TBSP olive oil
Directions
Combine ingredients in a large bowl
Mix well
In the shower, apply the scrub onto skin in a circular motion
Rinse and repeat
2—Asia
This mask from India helps cleanse the skin and remove unwanted blemishes. It’s easy to make and ultra-stimulating, plus it smells amazing.
Ingredients
2 TBSP plain yogurt
1 TBSP black pepper
Directions
Combine ingredients in a small bowl
Apply to (clean) wet face and neck
Gently run skin in a circular motion for five minutes
Rinse with warm water and pat dry
3—Europe
So this is the simplest one on the list, but it might just be the one that helps us the most in our pursuit for anti-aging beauty secrets. It comes from Spain and it’s a treatment for those stubborn eye bags that show our stress, lack of sleep, or that just show up one day and decide to move into the tender skin beneath our eyes. Move over cucumbers, there’s a new (ancient?) player on the field.
Ingredients
One small potato
Directions
Slice the potato into ¼” thick slices—you need two
Lay down with your eyes closed
Put the slices on top of your eyes
Leave for 10 minutes
4—Middle East
Need a bit of soothing and how about bringing back your natural glow while we’re at it. This Iranian beauty mask is exactly what you’re looking for. It feels good, smells sweet, and leaves you feeling refreshed.
Ingredients
3 fresh strawberries
1 egg white
1 TBSP rice flour
1 TBSP rose water
Directions
Crush your strawberries in a medium sized bowl
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
Apply to your face and neck
Leave on for 30 minutes
Rinse with warm water and pat dry
5—Caribbean
This list needs a stimulating, cleansing exfoliant (of course, we love to exfoliate here) and this one is fun! It comes from Cuba and it’s simple and it’s jam packed with antioxidants.
Ingredients
1 Fresh Tomato
1 TBSP brown sugar
Directions
Cut the tomato in half
Dip one piece of the tomato in a small bowl of brown sugar
Rub in a circular motion onto your face and neck
Rinse off with warm water and pat dry
6—Central America
There’s even a recipe for keeping your hands feeling smooth and supple. I suggest using a moisturizer after using this recipe, just to keep that fresh skin feeling soft for longer.
Ingredients
½ fresh squeezed lemon
½ teaspoon of brown sugar
Directions
Combine ingredients in a small bowl
Rub on your hands for 3 minutes
Gently massage into your hands for another minute
Repeat three times
Rinse and feel how soft
7—South America
No worldly skin care list would be complete without an anti-aging recipe. This one comes from Brazil and it’s a mask that’s made just to rejuvenate your skin from your neck to your forehead.
Ingredients
½ cup of oatmeal
½ cup of whole milk
Directions
Blend the oatmeal until it’s powdery consistency
Combine with the milk in a small bowl
Stir until it’s a paste like consistency
Apply to your face and neck
Let sit for 30-40 minutes
Rinse with warm water and pat dry
Around the World
There are seven incredible recipes from countries all over the world here but there are 53 more in this book. From green tea ice cubes in Russia to mango masks in Fiji, it’s filled with the most amazing recipes you’ll find anywhere.
Click here learn how to turn your kitchen into your own global skin care lab.
