Yet, it would be impossible to discuss the relationship between Indian history and beauty without acknowledging the outside factors of colonization and their impacts. Our culture is so old and goes back so many thousands of years, but it’s interesting to see how certain beauty ideals have carried through the centuries.” Evolving beauty ideals. “Common phrases in songs, poems, and literature compare a beautiful woman’s face to the moon, her eyes to lotus petals, and long dark hair to the night. “Indian culture has traditionally been so intertwined with nature that many popular beauty descriptions and phrases are comparisons to things in nature that you can find in ancient historical texts but are also still popular today,” Chaudhuri points out. Women across India express beauty in so many different ways, but usually, they are guided by their learned traditions.”Īlso at play in Indian beauty practices is the inextricable link to nature that has marked the country’s history. “India is diverse-there are 22 official languages!-and it’s that cultural diversity that makes it so unique. “I use oils and turmeric products in my skincare routine regularly.”Īnd it is this sense of tradition, in fact, that is the one true common thread to all of Indian beauty. “There are so many great secrets in Indian beauty, and they’re all derived from natural and Ayurvedic traditions,” says Live Tinted founder Deepica Mutyala. Similarly, popular cooking oils, like coconut and amla, are often used in haircare to maintain scalp health and lock in moisture, and rosewater is known to be a softening and brightening toner for skin.
#Secrets to fascinating womanhood skin#
The beloved (and increasingly trendy) ingredient turmeric, for instance, has long been used in Indian cuisine for its anti-inflammatory qualities, but it can help brighten the skin and fight hyperpigmentation as well. “Using the power of plants, herbal extracts, and plant-based oils to nourish your outer body is also foundational in taking care of yourself.” Rooted in nature. “Beauty starts from the inside, and from a young age, you’re taught to eat certain foods that help with skin and hair health, for better digestion,” explains Kiku Chaudhuri, cofounder of Ayurvedic haircare brand Shaz & Kiks. In Ayurveda, beauty really does go more than skin-deep, and its ‘less is more’ ideology extends to all aspects of life, from what you eat to how many hours of sleep you get every night. “We look to factors like nutrition, yoga, and meditation to decrease levels of stress, which as I imagine you have noticed, can show up on your face.” It’s there that lies the major difference between the Western and Eastern approaches to beauty, the wellness guru believes: “the difference between hurry-up and slow-down.” “In its holistic approach to life, there is no separation between mind, body, and soul, and equal emphasis on all three is the path to contentment,” notes Ash. “As a child, I was shown simplicity and routine when it comes to beauty by my mother and grandmother, who used ancient Ayurvedic traditions.” The roughly 7000-year-old holistic healing system, which in Sanskrit means “the science of life,” is based on the notion that optimal health and wellness rest within a delicate balance of mind, body, and spirit, and its philosophy has likewise shaped every facet of Indian beauty. “An Indian home is generational, and in any home, you learn by watching,” says Juhi Ash, a wellness and health guru and the founder of New York’s Juhi Ash Center. There, beauty rituals are built upon thousands of years of history and tradition and have been lovingly passed down from generation to generation. But while much of the focus has been on the 10-step skincare routines of Korea and the long list of incredible ingredients used by Japanese beauty brands, there’s another Asian culture whose practices have been influencing beauty and health around the world for centuries: that of India. One of the biggest realizations in western beauty in recent years has undoubtedly been the swaths of inspiration we can draw from the Far East-from ancient skincare traditions to innovative new technologies and everything in between.