I like to search for traditional skin and hair care remedies because they often turn out to be better than pricey cosmetics. Instead of making a beauty salon appointment, I browse online in the pursuit of fun facts about the old beauty methods. Recently I’ve been taking a closer look at Native Americans. Are you curious what Indians’ skin and hair looked like and whether we can get inspired? Enjoy reading!
Sit comfortably and imagine a beautiful Native American girl. I’m sure that Pocahontas crossed your mind right away. A beauty, isn’t she?
No wonder we’re jealous of her healthy, strong, lustrous hair of endearing dark color. Her hair’s incredible elasticity and smoothness are the most striking. I don’t know about you but I dream of a healthy, lovely-tanned, flawless skin, free from pimples, etc.
Aww, dreams… Are they really impossible to realize? 🙂
Secrets of Native American Skin & Hair Care
What is the secret of Native American Women’s beauty? They surely didn’t spend hours performing beauty treatments. They neither had the time nor the possibilities we currently have. The lack of modern accessories, products and procedures actually saved them from lots of problems we face up to nowadays: wrongly-picked cosmetics, clogged skin, disturbed pH balance, damaged hydro-lipid layer, hair loss, dandruff, etc.
After thinking the topic over, I rounded up a few elements which make Native American skin and hair care better than ours:
- being close to nature, not being exposed to pollution, car fumes, etc.;
- no chemicals, beauty products were all-natural and hand-made;
- broader knowledge on the benefits of various plants
- far better body balance;
- healthier diet without preservatives and artificial substances.
Hair Care by Native Americans
Native Americans attached great importance to hair care. I’ve read somewhere that they washed their hair even daily, used handmade combs. If you’re wondering why their hair was so shiny, the answer is simple – Native American tribes used oils to amaze with lovely shiny hair in the sunlight. They also used homemade herbal blends of course.
Take a look at the most popular herbs Native Americans (or Native American women) put on hair:
- yarrow: shine boost, increased volume, blocked hair loss;
- yucca: vital nourishment and reinforcement for hair;
- wild mint: anti-dandruff effect, amazing scent.
Skin Care by Native Americans
How come Native Americans had so impressively smooth healthy skin? They bathed a lot not to insult the gods because of filth – that is why hygiene and skin care were so crucial. They had special huts filled with steam (equivalent of today’s steam rooms) to get rid of toxins. Still, there are other remedies they used.
The most common ones are:
- sage baths for relaxation and reduced sweating
- corn scrubs for smooth, nourished skin
- aloe vera juice for external use to moisturize, repair and soothe skin
- Barbary fig leaf juice for moisture boost and anti-inflammatory effect
- wild rose for rejuvenation and brighter pigmentation spots
Homemade products inspired by Native American skin & hair care
Eventually, a few DIY recipes for cosmetics I made after Indians’ beauty care captured my interest. Obviously I used ingredients that Native Americans had at their fingertips. You can purchase them at drugstores or herbal stores.
- Yarrow hair rinse – pour a cup of boiling water over a spoon of yarrow flowers, keep under a cover for 15 minutes. After cooling down, soak your hair in it or use for final rinsing.
- Rose toner – chop the fruit of wild rose, pour with a cup of hot water and cook for 5 minutes. After cooling down, strain and use in face care. It is advisable to sweep it across skin using a cotton pad twice a day.
- Corn flour scrub – mix flour, honey and a bit of warm water to get a thick, smooth paste. Use the scrub before showering for silky smooth skin.
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