13 Beauty Secrets from Native Americans

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Whenever we need to find a solution for our problems, we turn to different banks of knowledge. Seemingly, the world has it all today; we have products for everything from the hair on our head to our toenails but the question is doing we really?

One culture that has been grossly ignored, and wrongfully so, when it comes to seeking their help about beauty secrets and related tips is that of the Native Americans.

By a little bit of research, we were able to produce many hidden and easily available gems from the Native Americans that can be a proud and treasured part of even the most modern of Fashionista’s.

1-Aloe Vera:

Aloe Vera is not as unknown as it once was a few years ago but it is still one of the greatest natural remedies discovered by the Native Americans. Most of the inhabited parts of the Native American reserves being rather dry and sandy, the people needed a source of natural and long-lasting hydration and that was Aloe Vera. Be it to rid yourself of a dry scalp or to help treat dry and/or sunburnt skin, Aloe Vera is the first choice of every nature-loving lady.

2-Bear Berry:

If you have ever had an unfortunate case of fungus on your scalp, be sure to thank the Native Americans for the shampoo you used! Bear Berry is the active ingredient in anti-fungal shampoos but even if you don’t (thankfully) have scalp fungus, you can boil bear berry leaves and rinse your hair with the water to get a cool feel that no shampoo can ever give you. Bear berry salve is also good for rashes and will help to heal any scratches on your head.

3-Corn:

In the parts where Native American reserves were in large numbers, corn enjoyed an importance as no other crop did. Corn was not only used for cooking but also for exfoliating. Corn was rubbed on the bodies of brides to help them get a youthful glow and acts as an exfoliator, an anti-bacterial agent and also helps to correct blood circulation in the body.

4-Juniper Roots:

You may have heard the name of this herb occasionally. Juniper roots have many different uses which range from using dried roots as a shampoo alternative to using boiled roots water as a bath water to help relieve many different skin ailments.

5-Fireweed:

Fireweed is a herb found easily in the Native American reserve areas because it was especially cultivated by the farmers for the harsh winters. Its dried stems help to keep skin and lips moisturized. It was also used for waterproofing rawhides.

6-Prickly Pear

Many of us have at least once ventured unknowingly into a branch of prickly pear at night. It is one of the most common cacti in the world and the Native Americans put it to good use. The leaves of the cactus are anti-inflammatory and are used to make a moisturizer that hydrates skin for long hours. Rubbing the leaves onto skin also improves the general appearance of skin and the texture as well.

7-Saw Palmetto:

Saw Palmetto was one of the most important beauty secrets by the Native Americans because it is a natural hormone regulator. The continued use of this plant helped women to rid of unwanted body hair.

8-Sweet grass:

Sweet grass enjoys an almost sacred status between our Native American friends. It is smoked in the place of tobacco to relieve the body of toxins and it was also burned as incense prior to burial. Boiling sweet grass and dipping one’s hair in the water leaves the hair shiny and fragrant. It is also a good remedy to treat wind chapped lips.

9-Wild Mint:

Wild Mint oil was used for multiple purposes. It was mainly used as fragrant oil for ones’ hair. It was also used as a bath salt to use when one had a particularly bad case of itching. Even today, if one finds themselves in a situation where they cannot stop itching, taking a bath in this magnificent herb helps immensely.

10-Wild Rose Bush:

Wild rose bushes or rose hips are a godsend for people who worry about wrinkles and the general health of their skins. Wild rose hips are mashed and used as a moisturizer even today. Apart from this, the oil extracts of this plant are used as skin-soothers for people who get bad reactions to cosmetics. This is also an active ingredient in anti-ageing creams and formulations.

11-Yarrow:

Sometimes if women find themselves with hair that does not smell good and continues to smell bad even after many washes, a yarrow and witch’s broom shampoo is made to relieve the condition.

12-Yucca:

If you want long and shiny locks like that of a true Native American, try a home-made Yucca hair remedy. When it comes to Native American Beauty Tips, Yucca is one of the most closely guarded secrets there is. People always remark and wonder at how Native Americans, either men or women can maintain their hair as they do even in the harshest of weather conditions. The answer to this, as only a few know is Yucca. Yucca can be used in many different ways ranging from simply boiling the roots until they form suds and then washing ones hair in that sudsy water to crushing the plant to make it a type of mixture. Used in any of these ways, Yucca always proves the best remedy if you want long and silky locks. This is also one of the major reasons why many shampoo and cosmetic industries are now actually cultivating their own yucca plantations in order to help keep up with the demands of their customers. However, nothing beats natural and pure Yucca is simply much better than the chemical infused Yucca any company can ever produce.

13-Jojoba Oil:

Jojoba, again, is now no longer a secret but it is still a priceless asset. Using jojoba oil, Native American women were able to make their hair soft even in the harshest conditions. Also, latest research suggests that bathing in a Jojoba extract helps to make skin softer and tighter thus removing wrinkles and giving a youthful and age-defying look.