beauty addict

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The latest trends, techniques, and insider secrets—revealed.

World Class
From Bombay to Beijing, cosmetic companies are unearthing a treasure trove of beauty secrets. Read on for your passport to pretty.
By Regine Zamor

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the keys to attaining it lie in every far-flung corner of the globe. From ancient Chinese skin fixes to legendary Indian hair-removal tricks, an array of beauty-enhancing techniques have been handed down from generation to generation in every culture. Brazilian bombshells, for example, reportedly slather sand on their skin to reduce cellulite, Jamaican women soothe sunburns with bananas, and the Japanese swear by camellia nut oil to keep their complexions looking flawless.

The result: Modern girls in every region can reap the benefits of their ancestors’ research (sounds pretty good, right?). Not surprisingly, cosmetics companies and beauty practitioners are also taking notice—and mixing up new products and treatments that pay homage to the secrets of women around the world. Want to learn more? We did too. That’s why we grilled some of today’s top gurus on their favorite global beauty finds.

Africa: Destination Hydration
For centuries, African women have been using shea butter to nourish and moisturize their skin. In fact, the practice is said to predate Cleopatra, who reportedly incorporated shea into her cosmetics. An extract of the West African Karite nut tree, shea first piqued the interest of the Western world in the eighteenth century when European travelers observed its benefits firsthand, and since that time, the fatty fruit has been universally hailed for its hydrating, softening, and anti-inflammatory properties. Today, shea butter is a staple in many cosmetics, and one of the most shea-friendly lines is Carol’s Daughter. Since the brand’s 1993 inception, founder Lisa Price has included shea in almost every one of Carol’s Daughter’s products, along with a garden’s worth of other natural ingredients.

“Shea butter soothes, heals, and protects the skin with vitamins A, E, and F, and it helps to maintain clear, healthy complexion,” Price explains. “These vitamins also help to prevent premature wrinkles and fine lines, as well as rejuvenate sun-damaged skin. Because shea butter contains cinnamic acid, it’s also a natural sun protectant.” In addition to its skin-boosting benefits, “shea butter helps repair dull, dry, and damaged hair,” she says. To start reaping the rewards of shea, Price recommends checking out Carol’s Daughter Khoret Amen Hair Smoothie—a product she describes as “an intense conditioning treatment made from a super-rich emulsion of shea butter, cocoa butter, and jojoba oil.” She also points to the Sage & Shea Foot Butter as a standout: “I know that I make this stuff, but I can’t tell you how great it is. The amount of shea butter packed into it is eight times as much as any other butter recipe, which accounts for its dense texture. It takes a little work to get it on, but the rewards—relief from pain and softer, smoother feet—are well worth it.”

Asia: Balancing Act
In recent years, China has proven a booming market for color cosmetics, but historically, the country’s beauty focus has been on something more fundamental—using natural ingredients to nourish, hydrate, and rejuvenate skin. “For centuries, Asian women have practiced a holistic approach to beauty and health, so we’re well versed in reaping the riches of Mother Nature,” explains Kai Bao, owner of the Yin Beauty & Arts Day Spa in New York City. To that end, the spa’s skin-care treatments seek to combine outer beauty with inner spiritual peace, using “all-natural ingredients based on a yin-yang balance and the five elements: wood, metal, water, fire, and earth.” The philosophy of feng shui (balancing the universal life energy, or Qi, by maintaining a harmonious space that allows energy to flow freely) applies as much to beauty as it does to décor.

In addition, Bao points to a skin-enhancing secret that's a bit more tangible: pearl powder. In traditional Chinese medicine, crushed pearls were highly prized for their medicinal qualities and were used to treat everything from insomnia to epilepsy. As Bao explains, the powder has also long been regarded as one of the secrets to young- and healthy-looking skin. That’s why one of the most popular treatments at Yin Day Spa is the Chinese Pearl Facial, a 75-minute treatment that calls on the luxe powder to brighten skin, enhance skin-cell renewal, and protect against environmental damage.

India: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
It’s no mystery that Indian women boast some of the longest, strongest, and shiniest strands in the world. Their secret? Using natural resources such as fenugreek seed, pepper, coconut milk, cashews, and neem oil to stimulate healthy hair growth. For a quick and easy take on traditional Indian hair care, comb coconut milk through your tresses an hour before you shampoo to hydrate, boost shine, and prevent split ends. Indian hair experts also recommend treating your scalp to an invigorating oil massage twice a week.

As for the hair you don’t want, there’s a classic Indian remedy for that too: threading. According to Lawrence and Reshma Monteiro of New York City’s popular Park Avenue salon the Perfect Shape, threading is a great alternative to painful plucking and waxing. “Threading is the only method that can remove the finest hairs from the roots without breaking the hair,” says Lawrence. In addition to reducing the risk of breakage and ingrowns, “it’s safer than waxing because there’s no chance that the skin will get burned." Plus, “it’s more precise—we have total control and can remove even a single hair at a time,” he explains. Results last up to four weeks, and it’s inexpensive (threading at the Perfect Shape starts at $5). So why are you waxing again?

Photo credit: Elena Kulikova

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