6 Old-School Latin Beauty Tips That Really Work

Has your abuela ever told you to put mayonnaise in your hair? Does she swear by olive oil for your fingertips and apple vinegar to prevent dandruff? If you answered yes to any of these, you're not alone. Latina grandmothers have handed down homemade skin remedies and beauty fixes for years. But do they actually work? Turns out, yes! Here are six old-school DIY beauty hacks that are backed by science.

1. Use avocado or mayonnaise as a deep conditioner. Both my grandmother and my mom have said that making a mushy concoction out of avocado and olive oil makes a great deep conditioning mask, and they're not wrong: Avocados are packed with vitamins B, which promotes hair growth, and E, which repairs damage to your scalp.

Marisel Rodriguez, hair stylist and owner of The Alley Shop Salon in Coral Gables, Florida, agrees, but says she actually prefers using mayonnaise. It's made with egg yolks, which are loaded with the amino acid L-cysteine. This gives your hair shine, strength, and structure.

"When I was in beauty school, we used to soak the hair we practiced with in mayonnaise," she said. "It conditions and moisturizes and puts the nutrients back in the hair when it's been damaged or color-treated."

Try it: Mash up one avocado (or substitute a cup of mayonnaise) and combine it with one egg yolk and 1/4 cup of olive oil (optional). Mix in a little water until you have a paste-like consistency and massage onto damp or wet hair. Pile your hair on top of your head and secure loosely. Run a towel under hot water, wring out, and wrap your hair in the hot towel. Let sit for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

2. Rinse your hair with vinegar to treat dandruff. According to Martha H. Viera, M.D., a Miami-based dermatologist, apple cider vinegar kills fungus. "Dandruff is caused by a yeast infection in your skin," said Viera. "The apple cider vinegar is used for its natural acidity to adjust the pH balance on the skin as close to neutral as possible."

Bonus: According to Rodriguez, vinegar can also help clear up excess product residue. "It picks out all the residue from hairspray," she said. "Sometimes shampoos, like the ones you get in grocery stores, make the hair feel soft, but they have a lot of tar. What the vinegar does is really cleanse the hair. It doesn't condition, but it takes out the chemicals."

Try it: Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of water. Pour over wet hair in the shower (after shampooing) and rinse thoroughly. Condition your hair as normal.​

3. Combine honey and sugar for an exfoliating scrub. It makes sense that the roughness of the sugar could help exfoliate my skin (I'll give grandma that much), but is it worth the effort to mix it with honey or will you just have a sticky mess on your hands?

"Sugar can exfoliate your skin, since it removes the outer layer of cells that are usually dead and leads to regeneration of new cells once you remove them," Dr. Viera said. "[Honey] ... has many therapeutic virtues such as antimicrobial properties, and has been applied in many other dermatology conditions, not only as an emollient, but also for cosmetic use, dressing wounds, burns, and so forth."

Try it: Mix 2 tablespoons brown sugar with 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and honey for a scrub that can be used on your face, lips, or body.

4. Apply aloe vera to burns and other injuries. Both my mom and grandma have consistently kept aloe vera plants in their yards for as long as I can remember. Without fail, whenever I managed to scrape, burn, or bump anything, they'd cut a piece of the aloe plant open and rub the slippery gel on the affected area.

"Aloe vera contains vitamins A, C, and E, enzymes, minerals, and antioxidants that prevent oxidation of free radicals," said Dr. Viera. "Aloe not only increases collagen content of the wound, but also changes collagen composition. It also has UVA and UVB protection; therefore it helps to prevent sunspots."

Try it: OK, you might have to cheat this one a bit. If you don't have an aloe vera plant in your backyard that you can cut open, you'll have to run out and buy it. Try Aubrey Organics 100 Percent Aloe Vera Gel.

5. Use baking soda as deodorant in a pinch. This is the perfect solution for the days you run out. According to Dr. Viera, baking soda can help change the pH of the skin, and neutralize the bacteria growth and bad odor.

Try it: Mix about a 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda (not baking powder) with about a 1/4 teaspoon of water and rub onto your skin. Or, if you want to get a little fancier, try this recipe, which combines baking soda, cornstarch, coconut oil, and essential oils for something a little closer to the stuff you find at the store.

6. Massage olive oil into dry skin. One of my favorite parts of a good manicure is the smell of the oil the technician uses on my cuticles. You can get the same effect at home with olive or almond oils. According to Dr. Viera, the cuticles around our nails tend to get very dry and lose their capacity to retain water easily. "Normally, the skin is composed of ceramides and triglycerides — oils — that attract water and keep your skin hydrated," she said. "If this is lost, external oils keep your skin moisturized."

Try it: Warm about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then let cool slightly. Soak your fingernails in it for 15 minutes. Massage the oil into your nails and cuticles in a circular motion until it's all absorbed, and then buff your nails with a nail buffer or a clean, dry cotton washcloth.

Conclusion: Grandmas know what they're talking about. Trust the system. Traditions endure the test of time because they work.

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