The Best-Kept Beauty Secrets From Around The World

Catering to beauty connoisseurs (that's you) is fun, but we can't vet everything. So our newest clean beauty contributor, Lindsay Cohn, decided to take us on a quick-as-lightning trip around the globe to find out what indigenous ingredients are the best natural beauty secrets. All you need is your magic carpet.

Kakadu plum extract is loaded with antioxidants, like vitamin E, which is essential in slowing down the aging process as it neutralizes cell-damaging free radicals, boost collagen production and promote cell regeneration. It's also packed with phytochemicals, like anti-inflammatory gallic acid and elasticity-promoting ellagic acid. With its bevy of beauty benefits, it's no wonder that this superfruit has started popping up in everything from cleansers to serums across the globe, like DERMAdoctor Kakadu C Brightening Daily Cleanser and Rohr Remedy Kakadu Plum Vitamin C Face Serum.

It seems like they were onto something! Packed with amino acids, B vitamins, and minerals—including calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron—this opulent beauty treasure hydrates, refines, and boosts radiance. It also soothes inflammation, reduces melanin production (say goodbye to dark spots), and helps rebuild collagen. The benefits don't end there. Pearl powder provides a light-diffusing glow that minimizes the appearance of imperfections and improves texture, tone, and clarity. Boost radiance with Pratima Rejuvenating Pearl Cream and TonyMoly Pureness Pearl Mask Sheet–Brightening.

DIY How-To: Boil nettles in 6 cups of water. Once cooled, wash your hair with them—there's absolutely no need for shampoo after. And because nettle is high in iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, it acts as a natural astringent, toning skin and stimulating circulation. Stock up at Mountain Rose Herbs.

A treasured skin care ingredient, Arctic cloudberries grow wild in the bogs and forests of Northern Finland. Dubbed the superfruit of the Arctic, this amber berry—loaded with omegas (linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid); vitamins A, C, and E; phenols; and antioxidants—promises younger, stronger, more radiant skin. You don't have to travel to the Arctic (although we wish we could) to experience the beauty-boosting benefits of cloudberries—look to products like Lumene Bright Now Visible Repair Tone Corrector and Skyn Pure Cloud Cream.

Women in India turn to turmeric for vibrant skin. Not only is this golden yellow spice popular in many Indian recipes, it's one of their best-kept beauty secrets. Traditionally, before an Indian wedding, the bride performs the haldi ceremony, which involves applying a turmeric paste to her face and body to reduce puffiness and boost radiance. A relative of ginger, turmeric possesses many of the same anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial (aka blemish-busting) properties. Get your glow on with a homemade turmeric mask.

Think the Dead Sea is the only natural wonder in Israel? You'd be dead wrong. Meet the etrog (Citrus medica), a type of citrus fruit that's native to Israel. The etrog is traditionally used in Jewish religious ceremonies during the holiday of Sukkot and has been used for centuries for its healing properties. It's also a natural remedy for glowing skin and lends a fresh, uplifting aroma to a variety of products, like Kedem Etrog Soap.

Rich in nutrients and antioxidants like vitamin E, rice water helps remove dirt and oil, promotes softer, smoother skin, and protects skin from free radicals. For centuries, geishas have used rice powder to gently exfoliate, clear up blemishes, reduce wrinkles, and reduce hyperpigmentation. Try these geisha-approved product picks: Plant Rice and Clean Organic Gentle Facial Cleanser and SKINFOOD Rice Mask Wash Off.

Baobab seed oil—extracted by cold-pressing the seeds of the nutrient-rich fruit—is used in a variety of natural skin and hair care remedies. Rich in omegas, antioxidants, and vitamins A, D, E, and F, this precious healing oil repairs and regenerates skin. Dry, damaged locks? A baobab oil–infused mask, like Topganic Treat Hair Mask with Baobab Oil, or a few drops of Shea Terra Pure African Baobab Oil impart much-needed moisture and revitalizes stressed strands.

Prickly pear seed oil offers a multitude of anti-aging and anti-inflammatory benefits because it's jam-packed with antioxidants, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and flavonoids. It absorbs quickly and penetrates deeply to moisturize, heal, soothe, and rejuvenate skin. And with 150 percent more vitamin E than argan oil, prickly pear seed oil protects against environmental stress and free radical damage for healthier, younger-looking skin. Get your fix with Kahina Prickly Pear Seed Oil and MyChelle Hydrating Cactus Mask.