Skincare Across the World: 5 Rich Cultures and Their Unique Practices

Skincare has been an integral part of many cultures across the world. Passed down through generations, each culture has their unique, holistic methods to contribute to skin health. From using natural ingredients for their beneficial properties to building cohesive skincare routines, skincare in different parts of the world speak a different language, though the main aim would always be to achieve healthy, glowing skin. 

Here are 5 different regions with their own, unique take on skincare along with some of their traditional practices:

1.    Ayurveda Facial in India

Ayurvedic skincare is deeply rooted in the cultural history of India. It has now become an inseparable part of every Indian household. Be it turmeric paste before a wedding ceremony for glowing skin or aloe vera for fighting acne and wrinkles. Ayurveda provides various types of masks of mixtures of ingredients like turmeric, milk, rose water, honey etc. with every ingredient adding benefit to the skin in one way or the other. 

Based on Indian medicine, Ayurveda emphasises on the holistic well being of an individual with practices like hydration through water, ginger tea; regular meditation, simple physical activities; nourishment with simple food for a certain period of time avoiding fried items, meat, alcohol, dairy products etc as a part of detoxification and so on. 

 

2.    Korean Skincare Practices in South Korea

Korea is known for its detailed 10-step skincare routine, the steps being oil based cleansing, water based cleansing, exfoliating, toning, applying essence, serum, sheet mask, eye cream and finally sunscreen. They emphasise not only covering up flaws, but actually devoting time towards the health and glow of the skin.

Korean skincare traditions date back to centuries ago where they used natural ingredients like mug beans, rice water, ginseng to cleanse and brighten their skin. Traditional practices include facial massage with gua sha to enhance blood circulation, steaming to open pores and cleanse and traditional medicine (Hanbang) emphasising the balance between body and nature.

 

3   Camellia Oil Massage and more in Japan

Japanese skincare emphasises on minimalism and simplicity. Rooted in their cultural practices, Japanese people put more efforts on preventive measures and maintaining a healthy skin from a young age rather than treating them later. Some ingredients they use are: camellia oil for cleansing, hydrating and maintaining their shiny hair (since the time of geishas and samurais), matcha for their richness in antioxidants that help in protecting from UV radiation inflammation and improving elasticity in skin; azuki bean (red beans) to remove dead skin cells, cleanse and tighten pores and brighten skin, and so on. 

 

4.    Honey and Milk Baths in Egypt

Egyptian traditional skincare is famous for its milk baths, notably donkey milk, as used by Cleopatra for exfoliation and rejuvenation of skin. Other ingredients include honey for its healing and moisturizing benefits, used as masks or balms; black seed oil for their anti-aging properties; red clay (ghassoul) for its purifying quality; rose water as toner and perfume and so on. They place significance on personal care and developing healthy and youthful skin.

5.    French Minimalist Skincare in France

France also, emphasizes on simplicity, ‘the lesser, the better’ approach for skincare. They prefer gentle cleansing with micellar water for removing impurities without stripping away skin’s essential oils, natural ingredients like vinotherapy by extracting grapes for the anti-aging properties, nourishing, rejuvenating the skin; and have pharmacists who play a pivotal role in curating personalised set of products and advice.

French women see skincare as a enjoyable ritual than a chore and love to spend time by taking care of their appearance and skin health.

 Evidently, skincare has been a common concern for people throughout the world. Each tradition’s emphasis on holistic well-being, self-care and identity reflects the common desire to achieve a radiant, healthy skin. From Hanbang in Korea to science-based products in France, skincare continues to evolve, drawing from the age old, rich practices rooted in nature to technological advancements using the right chemicals for serums and oils.