The Best-Kept Beauty Secrets Brazilian Women Swear By
Step foot anywhere on Brazil's 4,650 miles-long coastline and you'll be hit with white-sand beaches, bikinis riding up women's you-know-what, and yes, a lot of ridiculously good-looking people. But it's not just the Camila Coelho's and 98.9 percent of Victoria's Secret's model roster that make up for all the beauty in this country — it's also the long-standing skin care rituals, hair trends, and indigenous ingredients.
"Brazilian women like to feel beautiful," explained João Bosco, a Rio-based celebrity hairstylist and Pantene brand ambassador. "There are rich traditions of using natural treatments at home with plants or fruits native to here, like coconut and avocado. People want to look natural, but they also want to have 'power hair.'"
In the quest to balance the old-school beauty secrets with new social and political movements taking Brazil by storm, four Brazilian women share, in their own words, how they practice self-care. (We promise, they don't mention the new president once.)
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Cinthya, Carnaval Experience tour guide
"My mom has incredible skin. She's almost 60, but you would never know it because she doesn't look like the age that she is. She taught me to use natural things, like the great recipe of fubá, sugar, and natural soap — I use this to clean my skin." [Editor's note: Fubá means cornmeal in Portugese, which works as a great exfoliant.]
Salon Line Definidor de Cachos Bora Definir 
"There is a social movement happening in our country right now with natural hair. In Brazil, 64 percent of the population is black, but we had no cosmetics for black people until five to 10 years ago. We always had to relax our hair, or try to mix one cream with another to see if it could work with our texture. Now women are wearing it more natural. I believe it's this globalization of the movement that's helping us love ourselves and the way that we are. The companies are now looking at this too and are providing us specific creams for us.
My hair is curly, but I prefer to use creams [targeted] for afro texture. Salon Line, it's a Brazilian brand, is the best. They have different types of creams for different types of curly hair. I use the blue line (like the Salon Line Definidor de Cachos Bora Definir ($23)) because I want my hair to look more afro and if I use anything else, it will weigh down it down."
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Alline, makeup artist
"People think Brazilians do a lot for beauty, but Carioca women keep their routines easy. In Rio, girls use less makeup — the skin looks fresher because this climate doesn't work well with too much heavy product. Women go from work to the beach or vice versa, so all you really need is a UV protector."
La Roche Posay Effaclar BB Blur Face Cream With SPF 20 
"I keep my makeup to the basics — I don't like to fuss about it. I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar BB Cream ($30) every day and a little MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, which stays all day even when it's humid. I use lipstick for my cheeks, because why buy two products?"
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"Brazilian girls, we love the Brazilian blow dry. My hair is naturally curly, so I do that and I like it. It can be damaging, but we have ampoules and I use a lot of them from Pantene, which helps with damage a lot." [Editor's note: Alline is referring to the Pantene Pro-V Intense Rescue Shots ($2-6), which has been a staple in Brazil for years, and will be available stateside come January 2019.]
Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion 
"The ocean can be drying, so I moisturize every day with the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion ($11) or Nivea — whichever I have at that time — on my face and body, and really that's it."
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Nathalia, dancer and samba instructor
"I keep things natural. I don't do any chemical treatments; I just use the aloe vera plant on my hair, which makes it smooth. Sometimes I'll use all-natural chamomile oil and babassu oil to help make it look luminous." [Editor's note: Babassu oil is a unique oil harvested from Brazil's native palm tree.]
Nivea Refreshingly Soft Moisturizing Creme 
"There's a Brazilian trick that's been passed down from generation to generation. You mix the aloe vera with a very small amount of Nivea Refreshingly Soft Creme ($6) and leave it on your hair overnight. Then you rinse it out in the morning. I do that two times in a week, and it's a great secret."
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Tatiana, hairstylist
"People say I look great for my age — I am 43. I don't use much except hair dye to cover my white [roots]. I'm easy with beauty. To me, it comes from the inside: I eat well, stay away from hot dogs and other processed foods, drink water, sleep, and dance."
Natura Brasil Chronos Revitalizing Oil 
"The one thing I will use is oils. I keep the Natura Brasil Chronos Revitalizing Oil ($52) with me everywhere I go. I use it on my skin because it's all natural."
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