Skin Care Traditions From Around The Globe

China: Gua Sha as a Circulation and Metabolism Booster

Acupuncture is a well-known traditional Chinese healing method, but gua sha or “spooning” is just as revered. Translated literally as “to scrape away fever,” , gua sha is performed by applying pressure to lubricated skin with strokes of a smooth, rounded instrument that looks like a Chinese soup spoon.

The practice removes, or “scrapes away,” blood stagnation; the blood rises to the surface in response to the stimulation, resulting in long red marks called petechiae that fade after a few days. Gua sha helps normalize circulation and metabolism, and can also be used for ailments like chronic pain or stiffness, headache, and respiratory and digestive problems. 


Cultural practice: Many Chinese practice gua sha at home to treat common ailments like fever and fatigue

Australia: Emu Oil as an Anti-Ager

In the Land Down Under, the oil from the fat of an emu (the world’s second largest bird after the ostrich) is an effective hydrating treatment, thanks to natural antioxidants and fatty acids that almost mimic those found in human skin. Emu oil also has powerful cell-regenerating properties to thicken skin, and it tests low on the comedogenic scale so it won’t clog pores in the process. Emu oil has also been studied as an anti-inflammatory agent for burns and aching joints.


Cultural practice: Australian Aborigine would wrap each other in emu pelts to cure aches after a particularly intense hunting outing.

Japan: Rice Powder as a Facial Exfoliant and Detoxifier

Japanese beauty rituals range from earthy (facials of nightingale droppings) and practical (anti-aging beverages packed with collagen) to downright scary (pedicures that include soaking feet in a basin swimming with flesh-eating fish). But one of the most beloved beauty ingredients is also one of the most common: rice. 




Each tiny kernel boasts an array of skin-friendly characteristics. The rice starch milled into a fine dust is used as an oil-absorbent face powder. Rice bran, the brown outer layer, is rich in hydrating minerals and antioxidants, and the hull is often ground into a gentle but highly effective exfoliant. Even sake, a rice-based liquor, has been prized as a beautifier since the time of the geishas, who would reportedly splash their faces with it to let the liquor’s naturally-occurring kojic acid help lighten discoloration and eliminate age spots. 


Cultural practice: Many Japanese women add a few glassfuls of sake to a warm bath for a glow-inducing and detoxifying effect.

India: Turmeric as an Acne Fighter and Moisturizer

First used as a dye in India more than 2,500 years ago, turmeric is now valued for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, detoxifying and pain-reducing properties. It has even been studied for use as part of cancer-treatment regimens. As a beauty treatment, turmeric is used to combat acne (make a paste with water and honey and apply to breakouts) and to soften and add radiance to skin.

Cultural practice: For the ultimate glow-inducer, a bride would traditionally cover herself head-to-toe in a turmeric-based blend, to soften and smooth the skin the night before her wedding. As an added bonus, turmeric is considered a symbol of prosperity and fertility.

Russia: Platza treatment

Called Platza (Yiddish for back or shoulders) in the U.S., and Venik in Russia, the vigorous procedure involves steam, ice water, intense massage and beatings with fragrant bundles of leafy oak or birch twigs called veniks. Available at most Russian spas or bathhouses, the procedure involves lying in a steam room where you are alternately massaged and whipped with the venik before being plunged into ice cold water. The shock to your system is designed to help improve circulation, boost metabolism and detoxify, as well as exfoliate and act as a natural astringent. 


Cultural practice: The venik is often kept in Russian homes to protect them from evil spirits. It is also used to spank children

Mexico: Chocolate as a Moisturizer

The cacao tree was discovered more than 2,000 years ago in the South American rainforests, but it was the Mayans and Aztecs in Mexico who began to transform cacao into chocolate. Chock full of antioxidants, chocolate is moisturizing (remember, there’s cocoa butter in there) and softening for the skin. 

Cultural practice: The ancient Mayans mixed chocolate with chile pepper and drink the spicy, bitter brew for energy.

Egypt: Milk as a Cleanser and Exfoliator

Cleopatra’s beauty is the stuff of legend, and one of her favorite rituals was a bath of milk and honey. The lactic acid, which occurs naturally in milk, acts as a mild exfoliant, whisking away dead skin cells, while vitamins A and D help nourish and soften. The white stuff can also work wonders on lackluster hair, sealing split follicles to give your mane a healthy shine. It seems that milk really does do a body good. 


Cultural practice: Egyptians have been using dairy, goat and camel milk as part of their cleansing rituals for many centuries.

 

 

Indonesia: Jasmine Flower as a Calming Pain Reliever

The scent extracted from the petite, bright white star-shaped blooms is present in some of the world’s most legendary perfumes, but jasmine has many purposes beyond fragrance The highly fragrant oil is a potent pain reliever; in Indonesia it’s rubbed on women during labor to combat childbirth trauma. It’s also used in aromatherapy for its calming effect. Jasmine-infused tea is used as a natural anti-depressant. Jasmine is also considered an aphrodisiac.


Cultural practice: Called melati putih in Indonesia, jasmine is the national flower (along with the moon orchid and giant Padma) and is symbolic of love, purity, beauty and sacredness. Visitors to Indonesia are often greeted with a garland of jasmine flowers, and traditionally brides string their hair with dozens of Jasmine blooms on their wedding day.