When you’re a brown girl, you know that expensive salon treatments aren’t necessarily as good as your grandma’s beauty regimen. Generations of South Asian women have handed down wisdom and cultural traditions that are all-natural, simple, and cheap. Best of all, some of them are already in your kitchen. Here are some of the beauty secrets every brown babe knows about.
1. Matte lip pencil: Richly pigmented lip pencils impart a lit-from-within glow to brown skin, which is why every desi makeup addict has a lip pencil stashed in her handbag. Brown shades work especially well on brown girls, but there’s no colour so bright or bold (neon orange, anyone?) that we can’t rock it.
2. Petroleum jelly: Petroleum jelly, AKA vaseline, is the lesser-known beauty aid your auntie loves. But it’s one of the most powerful: Tyra Banks once gave everyone a jar at one of her shows. It’s probably best not to use it on a daily basis because it can block pores and cause acne, but smearing a little petroleum jelly on your skin before bed ensures you’ll wake up with beautifully moisturized, baby-soft skin.
3. Coconut oil: Indian women are known for our thick, luxuriant hair. Since we were little, we’ve had coconut oil rubbed into our braids to nourish them. A bottle of unrefined coconut oil is multipurpose — you can rub a pea-sized amount onto your skin in order to moisturize it, or just treat your hair to a coconut oil massage. For best results, leave the oil on your hair for an hour or two before you shower.
4. Sunscreen: We were told early on not to go out in the sun by our anxious grandmothers. Of course, we pay no attention to that instruction, but we do keep a tube of sunscreen in our handbags. Sunscreen is the single most important anti-aging weapon in our arsenal. If you needed another reason not to skip the sunscreen, it also prevents wrinkles and skin cancer.
5. Kajal: Kajal, also referred to as kohl, is commonly believed to be good for the eyes in South Asia. It’s generally worn as eyeliner, and adds a touch of drama to any face. Desi women draw long black wings on their eyes even if they’re wearing no other makeup — a bare face is startlingly effective with heavily made-up eyes.
6. Yogurt and honey face mask: Forget the expensive facial masks you can buy at Sephora. Brown girls know that sometimes it’s best to DIY and mix a dollop of honey with yogurt (you can add things like oatmeal, cucumber, or almonds to the resulting thick paste). This is a multipurpose face mask: it works as a cleansing scrub, a moisturizer, and a soothing mask for irritated skin.
7. Pumice stone: We all have a pumice stone somewhere in our bathrooms. It’s not just for feet — it works well for overall exfoliation, too! A few good circular rubs with a pumice stone and you can actually feel your skin tingling. It may take some getting used to because it’s rougher than a loofah, but it really opens up your pores.
8. Rosewater mist: Forget perfume for a second; rosewater is the most natural of fragrances. It helps tone the skin, which may explain why Cleopatra was so fond of taking rosewater baths. Keep a bottle in your fridge and pop it into your handbag when you go out: the occasional spritz throughout the day is wonderfully cooling and relaxing.
9. Tomato juice: We never, ever throw out tomatoes. Crush half a tomato and apply to your face to get rid of any skin discoloration. It also works well to counteract oily skin and shrink pores. Bonus: you can wash your hair with the leftover tomato juice! Tomato juice on your hair gives you a great shine and is much better and healthier than using chemical treatments, as our mothers used to remind us.
10. A wooden comb: There’s a reason we were encouraged to comb instead of brush our hair. If you have long or colored hair, excessive brushing can actually damage your hair. Unlike with a brush, you have to spend some time working through tangles, but your hair is less prone to frizz and breakages. Invest in a wide-tooth wooden comb instead of yanking out your hair with a heavy brush.
