Long before the global beauty industry popularized serums and trending ingredients, African communities had developed sophisticated skincare traditions rooted in nature, culture, and ancestral knowledge. Across southern Africa, practices such as using ichopho, or pumice stone, for exfoliation and ukugquma, a herbal steaming practice, for cleansing and relaxation, formed part of daily beauty traditions passed down through generations. Red ochre, or ibomvu, used by the Himba people of Namibia, offered sun protection and deep cultural symbolism alongside its cosmetic function. Charcoal, now a global oral care trend, was used across the continent centuries ago to clean and whiten teeth. Umhluzi, a nourishing herbal broth, reflects a holistic philosophy connecting inner wellness to outward beauty—a principle modern collagen supplements and nutrient broths are only beginning to reflect. As the beauty industry increasingly embraces natural and “clean” ingredients, many of these ancestral African practices are being rediscovered and adapted into modern skincare and wellness routines worldwide.
Glamour
