It doesn’t matter what culture we’re from—as modern millennial women, we tend to strive for glowing skin and glossy hair. We got six Southeast Asian women to share their traditional beauty secrets so you can try them out.
It doesn’t matter what culture we’re from—as modern millennial women, we tend to strive for glowing skin and glossy hair.
We got six Southeast Asian women to share their traditional beauty secrets so you can try them out.
LAOS
Rice water hair rinse
Moukdavanh Ophetsane, 23
How it’s made
Soak rice in water overnight, and in the morning, drain the rice and keep the water. After shampooing and conditioning the hair in the shower, pour the rice water down the lengths of the hair, making sure to saturate every strand with the liquid. Leave it in for 10 minutes before rinsing thoroughly with regular water.
How it helps
“Rinsing with rice water makes our hair slippery, strong, black and shiny,” says Moukdavanh. She’s not wrong: rice water is infused with the carbohydrate inositol, which has purported repairing, softening and hydrating benefits for dry and damaged hair. It also reduces friction between strands for better manageability and less frizz.
I learned this trick from my grandmother when I was around 8 years old,” she adds. “The women in my family still practice this today, including my sister and myself, and I have also shared this beauty tip with some of my foreign friends!”
INDONESIA
Jackfruit leaf face mask
Dawn Neca, 28
How it’s made
Grind the leaves of the jackfruit tree into very fine pieces and blend with a small amount of water to create a paste-like texture. Dawn also recommends adding papaya or guava leaves into the mix. Apply the paste onto the face and leave it to dry before rinsing it off thoroughly.
How it helps
According to Dawn, this face mask exfoliates and softens the skin and fights acne. “I was 11 years old when I learned this secret from my aunt,” she recalls. “We were at a river in Bali one evening and there were many jackfruit trees planted by the riverside. She plucked one of the leaves and told me that we can pound this leaf, mix it with water and use it as a face mask. She always told me that beauty doesn’t have to be expensive!”
“My aunt still continues to practice this beauty method because it’s easily available in our hometown, but I don’t as jackfruit leaves are hard to find in Singapore and we can buy masks in stores now,” says Dawn. She adds that the Utama Spice Green Leaf Face Scrub is a hassle-free alternative to the fresh stuff and can be bought online.
Thailand
Turmeric yoghurt face and body mask
Cinnie Sitthiwaekin, 29
How it’s made
Combine one heaping tablespoon of turmeric powder with enough honey and yoghurt to create a thick, creamy paste and apply it all over the body. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the paste has dried, and rinse completely. “From time to time, if I feel like pampering myself, I’ll whip up these ingredients as an excellent, cost-effective food for my skin,” says Cinnie. “I learnt it from my mum and call it ‘Mummy’s secret turmeric recipe’!”
How it helps
According to Cinnie, turmeric is known to reduce scarring and has anti-inflammatory properties to help calm the skin and clear acne breakouts, while honey is moisturising and soothing and leaves the skin soft and glowing. The addition of yoghurt helps soothe sunburn, cools the skin and supposedly brightens the skin.
“My mum has the most beautiful porcelain skin,” says Cinnie. “She would always cover up to protect her skin from the sun. She would wear sunscreen, hats, long sleeves and pants and would even walk around with an umbrella.”
MYANMAR
Thanaka paste for the face and body
May Thit Khin, 28
How it’s made
Thanaka paste is made from the bark of the thanaka tree, which grows abundantly in central Myanmar and commonly sold in markets there or gifted as presents in the form of chopped pieces. To create the paste, a piece of thanaka wood is moistened with a small amount of water and ground on a circular grinding stone.
The colour of the paste ranges from yellow to white, but it’s really the scent that determines its grade. “High-grade wood gives a long-lasting fragrance, and you will get complimented if your thanaka smells good!” says May Thit.
How it helps
Thanaka has a cooling effect on the skin to help you beat the heat, according to May Thit. It also supposedly has anti-acne benefits and reduces itchiness from insect bites and stings.
“In Myanmar, wearing thanaka is seen as positive,” she explains. “Elders find children wearing thanaka very adorable, and it’s said that men find it attractive on women, especially if worn with traditional dress. Even my grandmother would ask me to wear thanaka if I’m visiting her!”
PHILIPPINES
Papaya soap
Elyza Jan Mendoza Carbajal, 21
How it’s made
Papaya soap can be easily bought off the shelves in the Philippines, with Likas and Silka being the most popular brands, along with boutique skincare brands like Belo Beauty. “In Singapore, you can find these soaps either on Carousell or grocery stores in Lucky Plaza,” says Elyza. “However, they can be quite harsh on the skin, so you should always moisturise after showering.”
How it helps
Rich in enzymes and vitamin C, papaya helps with exfoliation and skin cell renewal. Applied topically, it’s believed to reduce the appearance of blemishes and scars, as well as even out the skin tone. Plus, by making it into a soap, it’s a fuss-free way of obtaining papaya’s skin-brightening effects while cleansing the body in the process.
“I was in primary school when I asked my mum about her orange soap, but I only started using it when I was in secondary school in an attempt to lighten the stretch marks on my bum,” says Elyza. Today, while the women in her family still continue to use papaya soap, she has largely given it up as she has accepted and embraced her “tiger stripes”.
VIETNAM
Herbal hair wash
Cao Thien Trang, 20
How it’s made
Known as Bo Ket, named after the Vietnamese name for the honey locust tree, this herbal hair wash consists of dried, roasted and crushed honey locust pods, grapefruit peels, holy basil and lemongrass. Available pre-mixed in small bags at Vietnamese grocery stores, the blend is steeped in boiling water for five minutes and the resulting “tea” is diluted with cool water and poured over the head and massaged into the scalp like shampoo.
How it helps
Honey locust pods are high in sugar and saponins, which hydrate and cleanse the hair, respectively. Bo Ket is traditionally believed to stimulate hair growth, prevent hair loss and smooth strands. As such, it’s touted as a chemical-free alternative to commercial shampoo for those with thinning hair or sensitive scalps.
“My mum, dad and sister all use Bo Ket, even today,” says Thien Trang, who learned about the remedy when she was seven. “But I don’t really bother to do it myself. It’s quite time-consuming to boil and steep the herbs and then apply it to the hair, compared to the usual way of shampooing and conditioning!”
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