Your Mother Was Right:

Traditional Beauty Tips that Pass the Test of Time

by: Shireen Qudosi

Everyone hates being told “I told you so”, and most women also hate thinking their mother was right. However, on stepping upon the threshold of 30, and with my mother now in her early sixties, I can’t help but notice that on a good day, she looks not more than maybe only five or ten years older.

And with each wrinkle, thinned out skin or spot I notice, I hear her quite literally echoing voice telling me “I told you so”. So what was it exactly that she used to always harp on about while growing up?

Quite simply - endless beauty tips that at that time seemed to have been written on stone tablets alongside Moses’ 10 Commandments. But these then thought of as primitive beauty routines now seem charming and simple in an age where we're constantly fed a barrage of beauty adverts and overly photo-shopped images of perfection.

In my own desperate attempt to look great, I have ventured down every possible winding road that ultimately lead me nowhere, and pick-pocketing my hard earned dollars with daylight robbery rates and empty promises of youth and beauty. I finally decided to throw in the towel and revert to the ‘old ways’ of doing things…

Best Kept Beauty Secrets

Face

For smooth skin, crush four uncoated aspirins and mix 1 cup distilled water and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar. Use this 2-3 times a day for incredibly smooth skin and as an alternative to washing your face in the morning.

If you have sensitive skin acne-prone, stay away from rich spicy foods, which only irritate and inflame your system.

Sleep. Staying up too late or not getting enough sleep wreaks havoc on your skin, causing it to look dull, tired, and likely leading to breakouts.

Use patchouli oil to quickly get rid of acne. Mix 10 drops of this strong smelling oil with 10 oz of almond oil as a nightly moisturizer and anti-wrinkle treatment. It's got a potent smell; some people love it, others hate it, but it works like a charm.

Hair

For soft hair, massage your scalp with coconut oil once a week, working it into your hair. Leave it in there for about 3 hours prior to washing it out with shampoo. Use just a dab of conditioner at the ends.

For shiny hair, mix one egg (yolk and all) with a mashed up banana and apply it as a thick paste to your hair. Leave it on for 10-30 minutes, depending on your hair texture. Then, wash it out as usual and use conditioner only at the ends.

For natural hair dye, use henna and add in a bit of lemon to the paste. Leave it in your hair for about 30 minutes to one hair for a natural reddish/auburn tint.

Body

Use a mixture of pure olive oil with 1/2 parts sea salt as an in-shower body scrub. This combo completely eliminates the need for lotion and is great for winter weather.
Make sure you get in some sort of physical activity. Our mothers and grandmothers stayed in shape with simple stretches, and not grueling hours at the gym. Try reaping the benefits of yoga as a way to maintain your girlish figure.

Washing your hair with boiled rice water is also a great alternative for shiny hair.

The results of my little experiment and in following these tips have been absolutely smashing. I never looked better and the extra savings from not having to splurge on beauty products is the fondant on the cake.