5 Native American Beauty Secrets

To celebrate Native American History Month and pay homage to our ancestry, we are highlighting our top choices for traditional skincare and medicine.

Native Americans were experts at using what nature provided for their medicine cabinet and personal care.

No matter where they roamed, they sought out indigenous plants with healing and beauty benefits. The tribes that inhabited the area that is now Sedona, Ariz., were particularly adept at using aloe, agave, juniper, prickly pear, and yucca to care for their skin and hair.

Did You Know?

The natural compounds that keep desert plants hydrated can work the same wonders on your skin and hair. 

1. Aloe

Desert-dwelling Native Americans used aloe vera gel to expedite wound healing, soothe sunburn, and hydrate skin. Cooling aloe is antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and it contains antioxidants. Aloe also has phytosterols that help soothe itches and irritation. The bioactive compounds in the plant are rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, and E as well as magnesium, potassium, and zinc that aid healing.

2. Agave

Best known as the tequila plant, many species of agave thrive throughout the Southwestern desert. Agave nectar is antimicrobial and was mixed with salt by Native Americans to heal skin conditions. Agave’s sugars soften skin and lock moisture inside hair. These sugars form complex bonds with internal proteins to add strength, resiliency, and elasticity to skin and hair.

3. Prickly Pear

Native Americans ate the prickly pear and used oil from the fruit’s seeds to help strengthen skin and hair. The oil contains twice as many proteins and fatty acids as argan oil, and is rich in vitamin E, making it an excellent remedy for damaged or mature skin and dry hair. Linoleic and oleic fatty acids help moisturize and restore skin’s elasticity. The vitamin K in prickly pear helps to brighten dark spots and undereye dark circles.

4. Juniper

Native Americans discovered that juniper berries produce a stimulating, astringent, and detoxifying oil. They used it to remove impurities. Today, juniper oil is a key ingredient in detox skin products. It can balance oily skin and open blocked pores and keep them clear. Juniper improves circulation and reduces swelling, making it an ideal ingredient in massage oil.

5. Yucca

Native Americans used the juice from the yucca root to make soap and shampoo because of its ability to lather. Since it’s packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants that soothe and nourish the skin and scalp, they also used it to treat ailments from acne to hair loss. Yucca is also anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and detoxifying.

Written by sherrie-strausfogel for Better Nutrition and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.

FOR YEARS, I IMMERSED MYSELF IN BEING THE ULTIMATE SKINCARE PRODUCT JUNKIE. MULTIPLE BOTTLES OF SERUMS, TONERS, CLEANSERS & EVERY OTHER POTION IMAGINABLE GRACED MY BATHROOM COUNTER! AS I GREW IN MY SKINCARE JOURNEY, I LEARNED MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS, HOW, & WHEN TO USE THEM. THANKS TO A FRIEND, I DISCOVERED A NEWFOUND LOVE FOR MY SKIN. WITH AKASHA BE WELL SKINCARE, MY MISSION IS TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT SELF CARE THROUGH PROPER SKINCARE! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS PIECE BY OUR GUEST AUTHOR.