5 Beauty Habits All Latina Women Use — and What We Should Learn From Them

In Latin American culture family has a central place. That is why even beauty habits are passed down almost like inheritance: from childhood mothers, grandmothers, and aunts teach girls the main beauty lessons they learned from past generations or from their own experience. And there is really something to take here — just look at Salma Hayek, Eva Longoria, Shakira or Jennifer Lopez to understand: these women clearly know the secret of real beauty.

So today we suggest looking at traditional beauty habits of Latin American women and finding out how they manage to look stunning no matter the day of the week or the occasion.

Skin care comes first

Natural beauty for Latina women is something they try not only to highlight in every possible way but also to protect. That is why skin care always has special attention, no matter the situation or how much free time they have. It is not possible to go to sleep without cream, while  in the morning they always wash their face, refresh moisture and do a little stretching.

This care is not only about facial skin, but also the whole body: hands, legs, decollete, elbows and even feet. However, it usually does not require ten steps or special products. Most Latina women choose simple, clear and time-tested products and use them all the time. The idea is to take care of every part of the skin, but not spend too much time and still get a perfect result.

For example, Salma Hayek told Allure that she uses her favorite cleanser for 12 dollars, and also shared a simple method taught by her grandmother.

“I never cleanse my skin in the morning. My grandmother taught me that at night your skin replenishes all the things you lost during the day. Also, if I cleanse very well at night, why would it be dirty when I wake up?”, — she said.

The best products are already at hand

Speaking about this, Latin American women often use natural products that can be found in every home. In an interview with Grazia USA, Jennifer Lopez says that her mother used olive oil as a cure for almost everything. “And it’s a secret I’ve used over the years because it really does work. Whenever my hair, skin, or nails were dry, I’d go back to olive oil”, — she shared in her interview.

Also other home remedies are often used. Aloe vera for healing and hydration, oatmeal masks to make skin soft, coconut oil to give shine and smoothness to hair and lemon juice to brighten problem areas. Special attention is also given to medicinal plants and other ingredients that are used not only for beauty but also for health problems. For example, syrups made from garlic, honey, ginger, and turmeric are popular if you are sick.

Here we should come back to Salma Hayek’s routine. “At night I take off my makeup with coconut oil. Then I use rose water to take off the residuals. You can use a hot towel with the rose water — you put a wet towel in the microwave — to do a little steam. Or you can use a little bit of oatmeal and then some water or almond milk, and a little bit of honey. You let it soak, and it’s a great cleanser that makes your skin very soft”,  – she explained. 

Health and beauty = nutrition

“My father taught me that the earth will give you everything you need”, — Eva Longoria said in an interview for National Geographic. As a child, she explains, her parents never allowed fast food, and instead always cooked traditional Mexican food using many seasonal vegetables.

Food has a central place in Latin American culture, and cooking for the whole family and shared dinners is one of the main traditions. But also this is the thing that helps many women keep natural beauty without diets.

“Mexican cuisine is much more than tacos and tequila — it is very diverse”, — Longoria continues in the same interview. And in fact, most Latin American dishes, when you look closer, are balanced and very healthy. A lot of plant and animal protein — beans, meat, and fish — is combined with fiber from vegetables. So this diet is very healthy, delicious and definitely worth a closer look.

Attention to small details

Latin American women pay a lot of attention to the smallest details of appearance. From childhood, older women in the family teach them that manicures should always look neat, the face should be clean and fresh, and there is a special culture around hair — in fact, hair gets the most attention. Because of this, even with minimal makeup, they always look put together and expressive.

“People think the trick to looking younger is makeup, but it’s skin-care. If you don’t have good skin, piling on makeup just makes you look older and much worse. When it comes to makeup, I don’t overset or over powder it. The more powder you put on the fine lines in your face, the more you see it. Most people say ‘oh let me cover it’ but it looks much thicker and worse”, — Eva Longoria told Allure. 

There is always a reason to be bright

At the same time, in everyday life of Latina women there is no strict separation between “normal day” and “special occasion.” Makeup, hairstyle, and clothes can be expressive even without a reason.

They often highlight the eyes with eyeliner, use rich perfumes, they are not afraid of bold colors and combinations in clothes, and also use a special trick — bright lipstick.

Jessica Alba once said, talking about beauty tips: “From my Mexican grandmother, yes as a matter of fact. Red Lipstick. It was like her armor. She wore it on her lips, on her cheeks, even on her eyelids. She used that one product, the first one all-in-one stick. I definitely do that same trick”. 

So the main beauty lesson you can learn from Latina women is allowing yourself to be yourself. To be bright when you want to, even if it’s just an ordinary Tuesday, to seek to highlight and improve what you already have instead of trying to completely change your appearance. It seems that this is exactly what makes their look so magnetic. Not one specific makeup technique or beauty procedure, but the way they treat themselves like the best person in the whole world.