Beauty Secrets from Around the World - Show Recap

Thursday, November 20, 2008

World Beauty Secrets - Mara:

Mara Schiavocampo from NBC Nightly News joined Oprah to share information from her world travels. Mara, a digital correspondent for the show, has traveled the world with just her camera and laptop, reporting on a variety of world traditions. Mara brought footage from her time in Japan to share with viewers first.

World Beauty Secrets - Japan:

In Japan, the skin in the key to beauty. Women in Japan was to have fair and smooth skin with no marks, especially on their faces. One of the secrets in Japan is drinking or eating collagen.

In the clip, a woman shared how she drinks a spoon of powdered collagen mixed with water daily while others in Japan eat collagen rich food, such as beef tendons. Another way to have beautiful skin in Japan is washing with powdered nightingale droppings mixed with face soap twice a day. Women also purchase face whitening creams to lighten their skin.

Besides flawless skin, Japanese women also want to have perfectly straight hair without any curls or kinks. Straightening creams and irons are used regularly in Japan.

Footage was shown from the show Taboo on National Geographic Channel of beauty standards from around the world. The women of the Kayan Tribe in Thailand wear brass coils around their necks starting at the age of 5 to lengthen their necks. Maori women in New Zealand traditionally tattoo their lips and chin. Women belonging to a tribe in Ethiopia cut scars into their stomachs and do not marry or have children until their design is completed.

A viewer first shared how she sees beauty in her home country of India. Indian women blend turmeric and honey to spread on their body to glow on their wedding day, and also adorn themselves with brightly colored fabrics and jewels.

Many women in America purchase real hair extensions, but aren't aware of where the come from. The most desirable hair for extensions comes from India; with 25% coming from a Hindu temple where women shave their heads in sacrifice for their religious beliefs. The temple makes 18 million dollars a year selling the hair.

A viewer in Oman shared how women in the country use more natural beauty treatments. Women in Oman put dried roses in boiled water and rinse their hair for the fragrance. A powder called sheba is used as a natural deodorant, while a miswak stick is used like a toothbrush to clean the teeth. Clothing and jewelry are considered beautiful when it is colorful, though women also cloak their bodies and heads and optionally wear the burqa, or face veil as a sign of beauty.

Brazil is the biggest consumer of diet pills in the world - women want to have beautiful bodies; whether through fitness or plastic surgery. There are 4 magazines in Brazil focused on plastic surgery alone - and Brazilians aren't concentrating just on the butt anymore, but also having larger breasts. Everyone in Brazil is able to get plastic surgery since clinics offer payment plans for all income levels. Beauty is so important in Brazil, there are just as many salons in the slums as in wealthy areas. Women don't feel happy if they aren't pretty and will spend up to half of their income on beauty services.

A viewer from Indonesia sent in a video clip sharing how women get their shape back after giving birth. Indonesian women use a piece of fabric that is 65 feet long, called a stagen, and wrap it tightly around the waist causing pressure on the womb - the expectation is that, while painful, the pressure will help the body return to pre-pregnancy shape faster.

World Beauty Secrets - Iran:

Iran is considered to be a very conservative Muslim country which contradicts the fact that it is also the nose job capital of the world. Iranian women find beauty in the face and see having their nose done as a status symbol.

While in America and other countries thin is considered sexy, the African country of Mauritania has very different standards of beauty where bigger is better. In remote areas of the country, young girls are force fed high fat food to gain weight quickly. Other women turn to illegal drugs used on animals to gain weight.

Houda, from Mauritania, joined Oprah on the show and shared how her father sees health issues in women as a doctor. Men in Mauritania prefer women who have big butts, are divorced, with thick ankles, arms and stretch marks. While women are big and beautiful, they also lack in education and power.

Stephanie, who lives in Paris, France, walked cameras through the streets showing viewers how French women see beauty. Stephanie shared that at one time it was hard for her to find clothing in Paris since anything bigger than a 12 is rare. French women like to look elegant but in a natural and subtle way. Feeling good starting from the inside is important, so French women buy beauty products for every part of the body to have beautiful skin to top with fabulous underwear and clothing. It is normal for French women to still feel sexy at 60 - it is a part of their lifestyle.