Mom: The brave woman who brought us into this world – and our first beauty sage. Here, 10 women dish the beauty tips they got from their moms – and still use today. Thanks, Ma!
Go Natural
“My mom has never been into posh products and, as such, finds my Anti-Wrinkle Crusade quite amusing – but she did introduce me to something as a pimply teen that I still use to this day: rose water and witch hazel. Ask your pharmacist to mix up a bottle for you. Seriously. It’s so great for monthly breakouts and, if you’ve got ridiculously sensitive skin like me, you can use it instead of harsh toner every day. Witch hazel unclogs pores with natural oils that don’t dry out your skin, and rose water is packed with antioxidants. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, so it helps to reduce the redness of irritated skin caused by acne, dermatitis, eczema, whatever. Best of all… it’s natural.” – Susan Barrett, digital managing editor
Try Back 2 Nature Witch Hazel Toner at Faithful To Nature and Hey Gorgeous Ultra Luxurious Rose Water Toner at Faithful To Nature
Take Care Of The Decolletage
“Never leave the house without perfume and lipstick, and never forget to run your facial moisturiser over your neck and your cleavage, but in upward motions, Dani!” – Danielle Weakley, editor
Try Clarins Bright Plus Night Cream (R750) at RedSquare
READ MORE: 12 New Perfumes That Will Leave You Smelling Heavenly All Day Long
Take A Bath
“Mom always said never to leave the house to be around people without taking a bath, and to be quite frank, she’s right.” – Zinhlezonke Zikalala, editorial assistant
Try The Body Shop Arber Hair & Body Wash (R151) at Clicks
Be Practical
“My mom was a nurse and cared about being healthy first versus strict beauty tips. She is practical. So these are her tips: Beauty isn’t everything; don’t use hot water on your skin – it dries it out. And eat your vegetables – they will give you lovely, healthy skin and hair.” – Gotlhokwang Angoma-Mzini, health and beauty editor
Try Bio-Oil Body Oil (R80) at Clicks
Use What’s At Home
“My mom’s not really one for make-up, but she always gives me hair tips. Her number one tip: mayonnaise makes a great hair mask. It helps tame dry, frizzy hair, making it super sleek. Sure, your hair might smell a bit funky while doing it, but shampoo will fix that… kinda.” – Chandré Davids, digital intern
Try Carol’s Daughter Softening Hair Mask Rassoul Clay (R320) at Clicks
READ MORE: The Real Reason Why You Should Never Ditch Sunscreen
Fix Your Posture
“So not sure if this counts as a beauty tip, but my mom is a physiotherapist so she was all about good posture. She’d pull my shoulders back and poke her finger in my back to make sure I was standing or sitting up straight.” – Cally Silberhauber, editorial intern
Always Use Sunscreen
“My mom is all about sun protection – she always said, never go a day without applying sunblock to your face – even in winter.” – Michelle October, junior features writer
Try Nivea Sun Sunscreen Lotion (R184) at Clicks
Always Smell Good
“A lady always wears perfume; a hairless lip makes your face look cleaner; comb wet hair but brush dry hair; rinse with cold water after conditioning – and the holy grail: always wear sunscreen.” – Wanita Nicol, deputy editor
Try Giorgio Armani Si Eau de Parfum (R1070) at RedSquare
READ MORE: Here’s What Black Haircare Experts Wish You Knew About Going Natural
Brush Your Hair Properly
“My gran used to be a hairdresser, so she’d tell me to brush my hair from the bottom to make detangling easier. The eight-year-old me, crying from getting her hair done, wouldn’t say she passed on this piece of advice down to my mom.” – Robin-Jade Calorus, fashion assistant
Try Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Hair Brush Pink (R250) at Clicks
Make-Up Is Life-Changing
“Growing up was very much a figure-it-out-for-yourself kind of life. But I do remember watching my mom put make-up on. It was almost mesmerizing. She had (in my mind, back then) a huge palette of colours. She also has big green-blue eyes like me and I used to watch her blend eyeshadow hues and shape her brows to make her eyes really pop. And that’s how I learnt how to do my own make-up. Oh – and tissue oil! She believes it’ll heal every scar/stretch mark/dry patch. Even my vitiligo scars (cue eye roll).” – Amy Hopkins, food and managing editor
Try Smashbox Photo Matte Eyes Palette (R1120) at RedSquare
