The Ultimate Skincare Ingredient According to Ancient Arabs

I’ve had many, MANY problems with my skin, most notably being acne. I was on Accutane, prescribed different special washes, etc. Now finally, my skin is getting better and better the more educated I get.

Due to the issues I faced with my skin I became obsessed with taking care of it. I looked to my mom (who aged very well) to ask her what she used to do. Typical of many, she moisturized and washed her face but her secret was Laban. Now “Laban” is a name used for many things around the middle east so depending on what country you are in, it may refer to either fermented milk or even cheese. However, for this blog post the Laban I will be referring to is the yogurt kind.

Arabs always were and still are very conscious of their appearance, and skincare is clearly a major part of it. Besides the fact that yogurt is widely believed to have originated in middle east, it is just such an accessible item in the Arab household because of what we eat. It was used as a sunburn cream and eventually started being implemented into skincare routines and put in face masks.

Yogurt is filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants such as Lactic Acid, zinc, calcium, and B Vitamins.

• Lactic Acid: An alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) helps remove dead skin cells, brightens and smooths skin, firms it, and even reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
• Zinc: Helps to heal and rejuvenate skin (that’s why it’s in your sunscreen that your should be wearing everyday *wink wink*) and regulates oil production which helps to keep acne at bay.
• Calcium: Helps your skin glow, relieves dry skin, and promotes skin renewal.
• B Vitamins: Specifically, yogurt contains B2, B12, and B5 vitamins. Together these vitamins help maintain collagen (B2), keep skin moisturized (B5) and aids in cell regeneration (B12).

Yes, I’m telling you to smear yogurt all over your face.

So, if you have any laban or plain greek yogurt in the fridge, I highly recommend you slap some on your face for 10-20 minutes. Of course, always do a patch test (add the yogurt to a patch of skin and see if it irritates in within 15 min), but it has been known to work great for sensitive skin too. Personally I like to add some Aztec Healing Clay to it so it dries and clarifies but it works just find on it’s own too. I’ve been using Laban in my skincare for about a year now and I have never had better skin than I have now!

The best part about yogurt is that you can add anything to it to make a number of different face masks. Some of the most popular ingredients include:

• Turmeric
• Lemon (my fav)
• Honey
• Rose Water
• Strawberries

Thanks for reading habibi!

All of the above links are affiliate links.