For us African women, the size of the clothes doesn’t matter, but the stomach has to be firm and the buttocks firm and firm,” says Tenti Fukai. She is familiar with the beauty ideals of African women: The 40-year-old was born in Germany and works here as a hair and make-up artist. But through her family living in Cape Town, she feels firmly connected to Africa. Traditional beauty secrets have been handed down there for centuries: for example extensive massages with marula oil, body peelings with coffee grounds or cleaning skin and hair with red earth.
When it comes to care, Tenti Fukai immediately thinks of oils: “Coconut oil, argan oil and palm oil have always been extremely important to us – both for skin and hair care and for nutrition.” Long hair is a must: “My mother has taught me to massage my scalp and condition my hair from an early age. Since frizzy hair is very dry, we prefer to use rich oils, and we sometimes celebrate styling for a whole day, like an event.
But creaming and exfoliating was also mandatory from an early age and, for example, a matter of course for me after swimming lessons. As a result, it always took me a little longer than the German children,” says Tenti, laughing. Today, her two teenage daughters follow the trend – and enthusiastically try out cosmetics with African active ingredients that you can buy ready-made from us. Let yourself be inspired!
The extract from the pods of the tamarind tree binds a lot of moisture, has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. In body care, tamarind softens the skin; in facial cleansers it refines the pores.PRODUCTS: “Spirit of Africa body moisturizing fluid with tamarind” from I Coloniali*, 250 ml approx. 23 euros; Cleansing: “Doux Nettoyant Moussant for oily or combination skin” by Clarins, 125 ml approx. 20 euros.Baobab Strengthens the skin barrier
In African folk medicine, skin diseases are treated with the fruits, leaves and seeds of the baobab tree. The oil from the fruit kernels is used in cosmetics: With its high concentration of saturated fatty acids, it smoothes and protects the skin.PRODUCTS: “Baobab Foot Balm” by Martina Gebhard, 50 ml approx. 9 euros; “Rahima Body Butter” by Dr. Spiller, 250 ml approx. 20 euros.
For centuries, Africans have used rhassoul to cleanse their skin and hair. The red clay comes from the Moroccan Atlas Mountains and nourishes from head to toe with minerals such as magnesium, silicon, iron and calcium.PRODUCTS: “Tradition de Hamam mask for face and hair” by Yves Rocher, 100 ml approx. 8 euros; “Rhassoul mineral washing earth” from Alva, 200 g approx. 7 euros.Marula oil Protective cover for the skin
Elephants love to eat the fruit of the marula tree. African women prefer to squeeze massage oil from the seeds and then exfoliate the skin with coffee grounds. With us you buy the oil, which strengthens the skin’s own lipid film with palmitic acid and stearic acid, simply in bottles.PRODUCTS: Anti-aging care: “Rich Body Oil” by Dr. Oldhaver, 100 ml approx. 32 euros; “African Marula Bath” by Tetesept, 125 ml approx. 6 euros.
healthy skin into old age? For the Berber women of Morocco, of course. Care with the fruit kernel oil of the argan tree is part of her daily beauty ritual. With three times as much vitamin E as olive oil and plenty of polyunsaturated fatty acids, it is an all-rounder for the care of dry skin, as an anti-aging ingredient and shines for unruly hair.PRODUCTS: “Pure & Natural Anti-Wrinkle Day Care” from Nivea, 50 ml approx. 10 euros; Hair care: “Elixir Ultime” by Kérastase, 125 ml approx. 32 euros.Rooibos For drinking and creaming
Even the natives of South Africa drank caffeine-free rooibos tea and used legume extracts to treat skin problems. This works because the plant is full of active ingredients: Zinc is essential for the skin’s metabolism, vitamins, trace elements and flavonoids protect the cells and strengthen their resistance, alpha-hydroxy acids smooth out wrinkles. All ideal for beauty care from inside and outside.PRODUCTS: Tinted gel for the complexion: “Rooibos Flash Repair” by Veld’s, 30 ml approx. 70 euros; “Rooibos tea”, for example from Kusmi, 125 g approx. 13 euros.
It is considered the beauty secret of the African savannah people. Because the shea nuts of the butter tree contain 50 percent fat and plenty of vitamin E, beta-carotene and allantoin. Shea butter is not only used to care for extremely dry skin, but also to prepare food.PRODUCTS: “Ultra Rich Body Cream” by L’Occitane, 200 ml approx. 32 euros; “Neck & Décolleté Caviar Lifting” by Artdeco, 50 ml approx. 48 euros.Macadamia oil anti-aging effect
Macadamia nuts provide a valuable oil that easily penetrates the skin, smoothing it and giving it a silky shine. Other great ingredients: palmitoleic acid has an antioxidant effect and slows down skin aging, oleic acid protects the cells and is ideal for sensitive skin.PRODUCTS: Hand cream: “Perfect Hands” by Marbert, 100 ml approx. 7 euros; Lip care: “Baume Lèvres Nourricier” by Sanoflore, 8 g approx. 5 euros.
You can do it yourself
1/2 tbsp shea butter, 1/2 tbsp honey, 1/4 very ripe mango
Peel the mango and puree the flesh. Slightly warm the shea butter in a bowl, mix with honey and mango to form a homogeneous mass. Apply the mixture generously to the face, neck and décolleté. Leave on for 20-30 minutes and then rinse off with lukewarm water.Oil with macadamia:
6 tbsp macadamia nut oil, 3 tbsp jojoba oil, 1 tbsp marigold oil, 4 drops sweet orange, 1 drop sandalwood, 1 drop patchouli, 3 drops ylang-ylang
First, put the fatty base oils together in a small bottle. Then add the essential oils. Close the bottle and shake well – done.Africa in German spas
In the Parkhotel Bad Bayersoien you can discover the beauty secrets of the black continent in an “African Spa Suite”. For example with a buffalo milk foot and full bath, a marula oil body massage, a coffee full body peeling and aromatic rooibos tea
