The graceful and enigmatic Arab women with flawless dark hair, soft skin, and captivating eyes are no accidents. They have been passed down a battery of beauty secrets through generations. How do these modest women maintain such stunning looks? What are their hidden beauty tricks? We’ve uncovered some of the cherished beauty secrets of Arab women and brought them to you!
Haircare
The secret to Arab women’s thick, glossy hair lies in their careful use of natural ingredients. Before washing their hair, they apply kefir or sour milk to their scalp. These sour milk products quickly regenerate the hair, making it smooth and shiny. Interested in trying it? Make the kefir yourself, as commercially produced kefir lacks the beneficial properties for hair.
Hair dyes
Arab women often avoid modern hair dyes, preferring the natural dye henna, just as they did centuries ago. Henna, made from the leaves of lawsonia inermis, is abundant in Arab countries. Adding basma to henna produces a deep black hair colour, while colourless henna serves as a strengthening hair mask.
Black eyes
Eyes hold significant importance for Arab women, as the rest of their body is often concealed by the abaya. The famous oriental eyeliner look is achieved using antimony on the upper lash line. Besides its decorative effect, antimony strengthens the eyebrows and lashes and enhances their colour. Many modern cosmetics brands now use antimony as eyeliner.
Brows and lashes
In the Middle East, full, almost joined eyebrows and long lashes are the beauty ideal. Even young Arab girls use usma natural oil, applying it to their eyebrows and lashes to accelerate growth and awaken ‘sleeping’ hair roots. You can try it yourselves: after a month, you will see your lashes and eyebrows becoming noticeably fuller.
Face care
Middle Eastern women use natural cleansing water, like rose blossom water, for facial care. It can replace micellar water, as it calms the skin and treats inflammation and redness. While European women often seek golden tans year-round, Middle Eastern women prefer pale skin and use natural bleachers such as lemon juice for a fresh, radiant complexion. The soft side of lemon peel also makes an excellent scrub.
Body care
The Middle Eastern culture deeply values the hammam, or steam bath (Turkish bath ceremony), for its wellness benefits. These baths open pores and release deep-seated impurities, leaving the skin silky soft. Arab women bring their favourite natural scrub to the hammam, with coffee grounds being the most popular. You can use pure coffee grounds or mix them with shower gel for soft, even skin after just one treatment.
Perfume
Despite their wealth, many Arab women prefer the natural scents of traditional oriental aroma oils over expensive perfumes. Their favourite ingredients include musk, sandalwood, vanilla, jasmine, and rose. Middle Eastern perfumes are purely oil-based and alcohol-free, making the scents long-lasting.
Home-made face masks
A much-used beauty product is a homemade face mask using natural ingredients, with turmeric being a favourite. Here’s a simple recipe:
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 pinch of turmeric
- 2 tbsp rosewater
- 2 tbsp milk
Mix until smooth, apply to your face, leave on for 20 minutes, and rinse off with warm water.
