BEAUTY TRADITIONS AND HEALTHY CUTANEOUS RITUALS AMONG THE IGBOS OF SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

This paper is insightful to the understanding of how practices, ingredients, recipes for youthful, radiant, glowing and healthy skin in the Igbo society are rooted in tradition and culture. It problematizes modern chemical skin care routines, toxic ingredients, products, and practices that expose people of colour to bodily and environmental damage. The aim of this study is to examine the interplay of the Igbo cultural beliefs and practices and the adoption of certain natural ingredients in their environment for skin beauty rituals from the theoretical lens of cultural ecology. The cultural ecology framework offers a platform to explore how the Igbos meet their specific skincare needs in relation to their approved norms of beauty definitely influenced by the resources available in their environment. The study is qualitative research that draws on ethnographic evidence, through observation and oral history. Data from oral narratives were collected from women aged seventy (70 years) and above in three (3) out of the five (5) Igbo states of South-east Nigeria. The states are Abia, Anambra and Imo out of which Ngwa clan; Awka and Mbaise were purposively selected respectively. This method portrays the influence of the natural environment in the beauty practices and products for skin care in Igbo culture. The study found that these indigenous natural and plant-based ingredients have medicinal properties, non-toxic and sustainable. In addition, beauty traditions are a source of inspiration to the global beauty industry and give insight to culturally inspired beauty products and practices that engender a healthy skin, lifestyle, and environment. The study recommends a shift to organic, non-toxic and environmental friendly trends in the global beauty and wellness landscape