Indian Beauty, Health Traditions Reborn

When Leah Tejpal, now a skin care specialist at the Paul Labreque East salon/spa in New York City, moved here six years ago, she was hoping to hone her craft by learning cutting-edge beauty treatments. But she quickly found that what her clients really desired were the traditional health and beauty regimens of her homeland -- India.

From threading (a method of facial hair removal) and aromatherapy facials to sugar body scrubs and yoga, many of the health and beauty treatments we pay top dollar for in the U.S. come from India and are hundreds -- if not thousands -- of years old.

WebMD tells you what you need to know now about these treatments -- many of which are probably showing up at salons, spas, and clinics near you.

Threading. Perhaps you have already of heard of this method of facial hair removal in which Tejpal or another aesthetician would quickly spin a fine thread (about the same width and consistency of dental floss) in her fingers close to the unwanted hair; removing it in a split second. "It's relatively new here, but has been done in India for hundreds of years," she says. "It doesn't strip the facial skin which is so delicate and sensitive. It also gets every hair from the root so you don't have ingrown hairs like you may with waxing," she says. Plus "it's faster and less painful than tweezing and can take out the finest of hairs which is not possible with tweezing or waxing," she says. Prices are similar to waxing and tweezing. Before you book an appointment, ask the technician how long they've been threading and ask for a reference, Tejpal recommends.

Aromatherapy facials. No doubt you or someone you know has paid top dollar for facials that use essential, aromatic oils to hydrate, exfoliate, or balance your skin. While relatively new here, such facials have been the norm in India for centuries, Tejpal says. "A lot of aromatherapy facials that have been done in India for ages are becoming popular including those with green tea and turmeric," she says. People are discovering their calming and antioxidant benefits.

Body scrubs. Everything from brown sugar to sea salt body scrubs that exfoliate the skin are available at stores and at spas all over the U.S. But again this tradition takes its roots in India. "One very beautiful thing is that at bridal showers the day before a wedding in North India, women are smeared with turmeric pastes and sandalwood on their body and head," Tejpal says. "Both are great for the skin, she says, adding that they are rich in antioxidants and excellent at getting rid of dead cells and making the skin baby soft. "In South India, coconut milk is massaged on the body and hair the day before the wedding, " she says. "This is also a highly, highly moisturizing treatment."