20+ Strangest Beauty Tips Handed Down Through the Generations

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Beauty tips get passed down through families, and some of them can be pretty strange. From unusual home remedies to old-fashioned tricks, these tips show just how inventive people have been when it comes to looking and feeling their best.

Back when I was little, my blonde hair would always turn green every summer after swimming. One day, my grandma spotted it, raised an eyebrow, and said, “Go get the ketchup.” She rubbed it into my dry hair, waited 15 minutes, then rinsed it out with shampoo and conditioner. Just like that, the green disappeared.

Glycerin and water makes the best moisturizer. My gran is about to make 104 and still has gorgeous skin. © OverstimulatedPuppy / Reddit

I once broke my nail right before a wedding and nearly lost it (the nail and the sanity). My aunt, who used to work in a salon, handed me a teabag and nail glue like it was no big deal. She cut a little square from the teabag net, glued it over the break like a tiny patch, and sealed it with top coat. Looked totally normal under polish, and held up way longer than I expected.

My grandma used to dip her nails in mashed garlic to keep them strong. She said garlic works wonders when you put it right on your nails.

Use chickpea flour with water on your face, it gets rid of tan and acne. Works like a charm even now. Passed on through generations in my family. © polka84 / Reddit

My Irish grandmother always told me to use olive oil on my face. She had pretty skin. After using all the expensive creams and retinols, I’m back to olive oil and my skin looks better. © EffectiveTradition78 / Reddit

When you wash your face, push your hands up towards your hairline instead of down. It’ll keep your skin from sagging. IDK if it’s true or just genetics, but neither my mom or grandma have many wrinkles. © achinfosomebacon / Reddit

Wear driving gloves, and use hand cream. This was from grandmother talking about my great-grandmother. I probably should ask my grandmother what she does because she looks amazing. © Galasnaneth / Reddit

If you get a ladder in your tights when you’re out, put a bit of nail polish on each end to stop it laddering even more. © Flying_worms / Reddit

From grandma: don’t pull on your skin, pat gently. And always look nice when you’re getting on an airplane.
From great-grandma (beauty consultant from the early 50s to shortly before her death in the early 2010s): always, always do your three step skincare routine. © 1friendswithsalad / Reddit

My grandma told me to keep dried lavender in my panties drawer so it always smells fresh down there. That was a weird conversation for an early teen! © Canadian_Kaiju / Reddit

My grandma was Korean, and she liked to use orange peels on her face and put them on me. She did have nice skin and smelled great. © Unknown author / Reddit

Use your ring finger to apply eye cream because it’s your weaker finger and won’t bruise the delicate skin. I do this. © Unknown author / Reddit

Using a brown pencil eyeliner to hide acne! Only works for tiny red spots. Dot-dab, blot, looks like a beauty mark. Way better than hiding behind layers of concealer. © lifelessons09 / Reddit

[edited] My grandmother told me to never sleep with wet hair. Because if you do, you can get a fungal infection on your scalp, and it also increases the chances of split ends because the hair can break more easily when wet (and especially twisting and turning during our sleep). © syrupxsquad / Reddit

My mom always taught me to rinse conditioner out with cold water to make my hair shinier. She said warm water opens up the hair cuticles, but cold water seals them back up. That way, all the good stuff from the conditioner stays trapped inside and actually works its magic. I’ve been doing it forever, and honestly, it really makes a difference!

In the Balkans, we use stinging nettle in everything from our cooking to hair treatments. Growing up, my mom always bought nettle shampoos, and sometimes we’d even do rinses with the water when she had to boil the nettle for soup or pastries.
Nettle is high in silica, sulfur, and other properties that make it excellent for hair growth/regrowth and thickness. It even supposedly helps in the fight against balding. © pearlspaghetti / Reddit

My mum always said that yogurt is really good for your skin, so I’d do yogurt face masks (it makes your skin soft). My auntie always said to do honey face masks because it’s naturally antibacterial. Also, my grandma taught me how to do sugar waxing, and it’s really good it doesn’t irritate my skin that much. © Serena Morcun / Reddit

Cover your face with spit when you wake up. It is a natural cleanser, and when you wake up, just put spit on your face. It is magic on your face. My granny told me. © Kartika Sharma / Quora

The water that you throw out from washing the rice, save it up and wash your face with it, it’s supposed to keep pigmentation at bay and soften skin. I don’t know why, but it works. © drxena / Reddit

My aunt always says mayo is good for your hair. She recommends leaving it on your hair for about 20 minutes. If you want to make it work even better, just warm it up with a blow-dryer. The heat helps the mayo really soak in and makes your hair feel softer and healthier.

My mom always rubbed citrus fruit peels on her skin and had me doing so since I was a teen. I realize it was an old school way of getting topical vitamin C! Apparently it’s been an East Asian beauty practice for centuries. © puppiesnprada / Reddit

Curious about how different countries do beauty? Check out unique secrets from some of the world’s most beautiful women: 10 Beauty Secrets From Countries With the Most Beautiful Women in the World.