Every culture has different ways of taking care of their skin, many of which have been tested over time and proven effective.
Latina women are no different, and many have excellent, nearly flawless looking skin because of their skincare and beauty routines.
If you have olive-toned skin or are just looking to try something new for your skin, try these five Latina skincare secrets.
Green Tea
You might associate green tea more with Asian culture than with Latin culture, but many Latina women use green tea as a way to keep their skin looking its best year round, often in combination with pore-clearing and acne-reducing spot treatments that contain salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.
Unfortunately, brewing a cup of green tea on the stove and putting it on your face isn’t going to cut it.
Instead, look for an oil-free moisturizer that contains green tea as one of its main ingredients.
Using a moisturizer with green tea can help keep your skin looking smooth and radiant and reduce fine lines and wrinkles because of the high antioxidant content.
Topical green tea treatments may also be able to help reduce breakouts and acne.
Sunscreen: Not Just for the Beach
Women with dark skin don’t need sunscreen, right? Wrong.
Even women with darker complexions need sunscreen, and not using it regularly can cause some serious skin problems down the road, including hyperpigmentation and unsightly spots and marks.
Latin women can often be seen applying a fair amount of quality sunscreen – something with an SPF rating of at least 15 or 30.
If you have very fair skin, you might think about buying one of those ultra-high SPF sunscreens.
While you may not need a layer of sunscreen in December, using a moisturizer with sunscreen can help protect your skin from potentially harmful UVA and UVB rays that are present all year round.
Glycolic Acid for Pimples and Breakouts
People with an olive skin tone are often prone to dry patches.
They’re also susceptible to irregular pigmentation, leading to dark and light spots that can pop up on the face or anywhere on the body – though they usually only show up in places that get a lot of direct exposure to the sun.
For that reason, many Latina’s forego common over-the-counter acne washes that contain ingredients that can cause the skin to dry out or discolor like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, and instead choose a product with glycolic acid instead.
Glycolic acid helps to get rid of acne and breakouts, but it isn’t quite as harsh on the skin.
It also helps to gently unclog pores and slough off the top layer of dead, dull looking skin, leaving rosy, glowing skin in its wake.
Try Bronzer, Skip Tanning
Instead of spending hours under a tanning bed or baking in the sun, try using a bronzer to bring out natural warm tones in your skin.
The best part is that bronzers can help to cover up minor imperfections in your skin at the same time.
If you don’t know which shade you need, start light and work your way up.
A lot of places will let you test bronzers before you buy one, and many will even help you match your skin to the appropriate shade.
If you have darker skin, try a bronzer with a bit of sienna tint.
Don’t Forget the Bug Spray
Using bug spray might not sound like a beauty tip, but it’s one that most Latina’s can’t, or at least shouldn’t, go one minute longer without hearing.
If you have olive-toned skin, bug bites can leave little dark spots and marks on your skin.
The worst part is that those marks might not go away in a few days or a week. In fact, they could even be there for years to come.
You can’t avoid being outside, and nobody’s trying to tell you to stop hiking, going to the beach or doing the outdoor activities you love.
Just make sure you pack some bug spray in your bag, and make sure you use it frequently.
If you do get bitten, use hydrocortisone cream twice a day to help lighten the marks.
The earlier you get the hydrocortisone cream on after a bug bite, the less likely it is to leave an unsightly mark.
If you’ve had marks for years, whether related to bug bites or not, your best bet is try a skin lightening cream that will correct your skin tone.
The cold air of winter may not do your skin any favors, but that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with dull, lifeless looking skin until spring comes around.
Instead of your usual routine, try some of these homemade remedies that can help your skin look its best over the harsh winter months.
Green Tea and Oat Facial Scrub
Green tea is loaded with antioxidants that are good for your skin, and oats can gently slough off some of the dry skin that has a tendency to clog pores in the winter.
Best of all, you probably already have everything you need for this easy facial scrub.
1. Combine 1/3 cup of cooled brewed green tea with a tablespoon of sugar. Stir the mixture to combine.
2. Add 1 tablespoon whole oats.
3. Add an additional 1 tablespoon sugar.
To use the green tea and oat facial scrub, simply massage the mixture onto your skin for about 20 to 30 seconds over the sink.
Once you’re done and all of the scrub is gone, rinse your face with cool water.
Olive Oil and Rosehip Moisturizer
Dry skin plagues most of us in the winter.
Instead of slathering on the body butter and shelling out a fortune at the cosmetics counter, try this all-natural cure for dry skin.
The olive oil will lubricate the skin, and the rosehips will help soothe winter redness.
1. Combine 1/2 olive oil and 2 tablespoons rosehips in a small saucepan on the stove top.
2. Heat the mixture over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Don’t let the olive oil smoke.
3. Turn the heat off and put the top on the saucepan. Let the mixture sit for three to four hours.
4. Strain the olive oil out with a fine mesh sieve. Place the oil in a small bottle and discard the rosehips.
You can use the olive oil and rosehip moisturizer all over your body whenever you feel like you need it. However, the oil can stay on your skin for quite a while, so many people prefer to use olive oil at night when they aren’t out in public. You don’t want to look wet and shiny.
Banana, Egg and Honey Face Mask
Those might sound like ingredients for a simple breakfast or a killer power smoothie, but you can put them on your face instead of in your mouth.
This face mask will help to revitalize dull looking skin and give you that little bit of extra glow you may be missing between November and March.
1. Mash 1/2 whole banana in a large mixing bowl. You can use a potato masher or large spoon.
2. Add one egg yolk and beat the mixture together with a whisk or the tines of a fork.
3. Add 1/2 tablespoon honey. Mix the ingredients with a spoon.
Use the banana, egg and honey face mask by applying it to your face right after you wash and pat it dry.
Leave the mask on for 15 minutes before you rinse it off with cool water. Follow this mask with a rich moisturizer like the olive oil and rosehip moisturizer above.
Homemade Bath Salts
A relaxing bath can be a great way to relax after a stressful day.
Adding your own bath salts can make it even better, and if you add the right ingredients, better for your skin.
When you use the bath salts, try adding about 1/4 cup to the running water.
1. Pour 2 cups of kosher salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Add 1/8 cup of the essential oil of your choice. See the guide below.
3. Mix the kosher salt and essential oil vigorously for one minute with a wooden spoon.
4. Transfer the bath salts to a container that you can keep in the bathroom. Glass works as long as you don’t keep it by the tub.
Certain essential oils are better for certain skin types.
Here’s a short list to help you figure out what type is best for your skin.
Dry skin: vetiver, Roman or German chamomile, lavender
Oily skin: bergamot, thyme, grapefruit
Normal skin: rose, cypress, geranium
Don’t Forget to Exercise
Cold weather can make us want to curl up on the couch with a magazine or the remote control, but inactivity can lead to dull skin.
Even a little bit of exercise can add a rosy glow to your skin by getting the blood flowing.
It’s also good your cardiovascular health.
You don’t need to run a marathon or spend all day at the gym.
Try jogging 15 to 20 minutes per day or taking a walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes in the morning or afternoon.
Aim for at least 90 minutes of exercise per week.
Winter Time Blues
Keeping the effects of winter on you skin at bay is actually pretty easy and inexpensive.
Just take some time each day to make sure you’re taking good care of yourself.
Many Asian women have beautiful skin.
If you think that’s just genetics, well, you might be partially right.
Asian women tend to have a normal skin type, meaning they don’t produce too much or too little oil, which results in generally blemish-free and healthy skin.
Still, many Asian women work hard for their great skin.
Asian women also eat and drink certain things and use certain products that many Westerners don’t, which are partly responsible for their often incredible skin.
Here are a few of the best Asian beauty secrets that you can incorporate into your diet and skin care routine.
Green Tea
You might have heard about the potential benefits of green tea in the last few years, especially as doctors and scientists learn more about how antioxidants, which green is packed with, can be beneficial for our bodies.
Green tea is also full of flavonoid phytochemicals called polyphenols that may be able to prevent heart disease, certain types of cancer and even gum disease.
Polyphenols can also help to reduce the visible signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines.
While there isn’t an exact amount of green tea a person needs to drink to reap the benefits, many women in Asian cultures drink about 4 cups per day or more.
Even if you don’t think you can add 4 cups of green tea to your diet every day, try to incorporate it into your diet however you can.
Some skin care producers are even making products with green tea designed for topical use.
More research needs to be done, but green tea may be able to keep your skin looking younger longer, even when it’s used topically instead of consumed as a drink.
Miso Soup
You’ve probably seen miso soup on a Japanese menu, but if you’re like most people, you’ve never made the connection between miso soup and healthy skin.
Miso soup is made from fermented soy, which has a huge amount of vitamin E, antioxidants, B12 and essential fatty acids.
In combination, these ingredients can help to keep your skin looking soft and smooth with a more youthful glow.
Miso soup is also high in linoleic acid, which works to keep your skin supple and plump.
Along with the skin care benefits, miso soup is a healthy food that’s low in fat.
Try adding a bowl to a healthy dinner as a low-calorie appetizer, or make it in advance and take it to work for lunch.
Ginseng
Ginseng is a plant extract that’s commonly taken as a supplement in Asian countries.
Ginseng tea and gum is also very popular, and they’re regularly used instead of supplements since many people enjoy the rich taste of ginseng products.
While some American palates may not love the taste of ginseng, it’s surprisingly good for your skin.
Ginseng can help to revitalize your skin and control oil production, something especially important for people with acne-prone or blackhead-prone skin.
Ginseng is also added to many topical products in Asian countries, particularly products for aging skin or blemished skin.
In the United States, ginseng soaps and moisturizers are widely available.
Ginseng can also provide you with a boost of energy, though it isn’t exactly the instantly-recognizable form of energy a cup of caffeinated coffee might give you.
Cleanliness
It might seem like a stereotype, but many Asian women with great skin are meticulous about their skin care routine.
A proper skin care routine start with cleansing the skin properly, but not too often.
While different ethnicities do produce different amounts of natural sebum, most Asian women are smart about washing their face to keep from drying out their skin.
Of course it varies from person to person, but many Asian women only wash their face in the morning and evening and after any strenuous activity.
If you’re washing your face more than twice per day, you could be over washing and destroying the natural oils your skin products.
This can actually result in your body producing more oil, which can result in breakouts.
Take a page from the Asian skin care book – wash your face when you wake up, before bed and after exercise.
Honey
Honey can be used to sweeten your green tea, but you won’t reap its benefits when it comes to skin care by using it like that.
It might sound a little messy, but honey is good for your skin when you apply it topically.
Honey is a powerful moisturizer, but it’s also an astringent, meaning it helps pull dirt away from your skin.
Honey is commonly used as a face mask in Asian cultures.
Honey can be used on its own, or it can be combined with apricots, which contain essential fatty acids to keep your skin supple, and vitamin A, which may be able to prevent wrinkles.
Try your own honey and apricot face mask by combining 3 tablespoons honey and 1/2 of peeled, mashed apricot.
Spread the mixture over your clean skin and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes.
Rinse the mixture off with cool water and follow it with your regular facial moisturizer.
Beautiful Skin
Having beautiful skin is possible for anyone.
It’s really just about finding the right routine that works for you and making sure you’re taking care of your body as a whole.
