Different cultures promote different beauty ideals and have various beauty rituals. We can learn a lot from other women.
Hair care
Do you suffer from dry hair or a flaky scalp? Why not look to our cousins in Japan, the Philippines and Greece for inspiration?
In Japan, they add shine to their hair and promote scalp health by mixing matcha powder with egg and oil and massaging it throughout their hair and into their scalp. They then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water – no-one wants scrambled eggs in their hair from water that’s too hot. We also love what matcha does for skin in Velettà’s Purifying Mask.
Women in Greece swear by rosemary tea to clean and clarify hair. They steep rosemary in freshly boiled water and then strain. The beautifully scented water is then used as a final rinse after cleansing and produces soft and beautifully clean hair. In Oman, the same process is followed using rose petals.
In the Philippines, the locals massage fresh aloe vera juice into their scalps cleaning away dandruff and promoting hair growth and in Italy, women keep their hair shiny by combining yoghurt and olive oil and using the mixture as a conditioner.
And what about skincare?
The women of Myanmar appreciate the importance of sun protection. Burmese women have ground the wood and bark of the Thanaka tree and applied the powder to their faces as a sunscreen
Chilean women harness the power of grapes by mixing mashed red grapes with a small amount of white flour. The paste is then applied to the face and left to dry before washing off. It is claimed to give skin a healthy glow.
Many Asian cultures have long understood the benefits of massaging skincare products into the skin at night and in the morning before putting on makeup. For centuries women have used massage rituals, allowing products to better penetrate the skin while giving the face a lift and glow. At Velettà we know first-hand how good massage is for the skin and how it improves the efficacy of our products. Why not follow the step-by-step guide to our Uplifting and Enlivening Massage Ritual and find out for yourself?
Rice water is used in both China and Japan because it helps dissolve oil and dirt from the skin while the antioxidants help protect the dermis from free radical.
The Japanese also use sake in their beauty routines, gaining the benefit of the Kojic and amino acids produced during the fermentation process. Japanese women apply it directly on the skin by dipping a cloth in sake and patting it onto clean skin before letting it air-dry. Alternatively, sake can be poured into baths allowing the entire skin to lap up its fermented goodness. In Peru, they also have bathing rituals. They use pink salt from the Andean highlands. It is filled with magnesium, calcium and is an amazing anti-inflammatory.
If you want glowing skin you could try using Argan Oil (a key ingredient in Velettà’s Rejuvenating Facial Oil and Nourishing Moisturiser) like the women of Morocco. It’s loaded with antioxidants, vitamin E and fatty acids and can be used on skin, hair and nails. Alternatively, you could look to the beauty rituals of Indian brides and apply a mixture of turmeric, lemon and honey to the skin. It is hugely beneficial and produces a beautiful glow. We also love the sound of Monoi oil which is an infused perfume-oil made from soaking the petals of Tahitian gardenias in coconut oil. Again, it is a multi-purpose oil and helps soften skin and hair.
And finally, nails
Women from the Dominican Republic add chopped garlic to a bottle of clear nail polish and let it steep for a week. It keeps nails hard and because of the antimicrobial qualities of garlic, fungus free.
