{"id":1318,"date":"2025-09-10T21:28:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T21:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/?p=1318"},"modified":"2025-09-11T15:12:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T15:12:10","slug":"these-are-the-ancestral-beauty-rituals-your-fave-latina-creators-swear-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/2025\/09\/10\/these-are-the-ancestral-beauty-rituals-your-fave-latina-creators-swear-by\/","title":{"rendered":"These Are The Ancestral Beauty Rituals Your Fave Latina Creators Swear By"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

To me, my mom has always been the most beautiful woman in the world. When I was little, I\u2019d rummage through her makeup<\/a> (and come out clown-faced), waddle around in her high heels<\/a>, and put on runway shows with my little sister, styled entirely from her closet. I was obsessed with her soft mint silks and the \u201890s maternity tops that fit me like maxi dresses. I\u2019d watch her pop vitamin E pills and spread the oil across her face, pour paraffin wax over her arms, play meditative music, and brush her hair 100 times before bed. When I\u2019d ask why she was so beautiful, she\u2019d always say, \u201cporque mi mami es bella y ella me ense\u00f1o.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

I know I\u2019m not the only one with mother-daughter beauty memories<\/a> like this. It\u2019s one of those \u201cI\u2019ve never had an original experience\u201d moments I\u2019m grateful to share, because it means love and beauty have been passed down in similar ways across so many families.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the release of Bad Bunny\u2019s DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS<\/em><\/a> at the start of the year, I\u2019ve been thinking a lot about my family history<\/a>, what has been passed down to me, and how it all unfolds ritualistically. With song like \u201cDtMF,\u201d \u201cWeltita,\u201d and \u201cLo Que Le Pas\u00f3 a Hawaii,\u201d it\u2019s the kind of album that makes you sentimental about family and home.<\/p>\n

This summer, I had the opportunity to attend Bad Bunny\u2019s No Me Quiero Ir de Aqu\u00ed<\/em> residency<\/a> in Puerto Rico with method, the residency\u2019s official body-care sponsor<\/a>. Standing in the audience at El Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jos\u00e9 Miguel Agrelot, with tens of thousands of people around, I witnessed his album, his ode to his ancestral lands, culture, and resilience, come to life. I\u00a0 watched how the people around me cherished the moment they were experiencing with their loved one, just as DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS <\/em>called them to. Even as a colombiana from New Jersey, I felt similarly, struck by how my own memories and passed-down rituals were surfacing for me.<\/p>\n

Concertgoers taking a selfie in method\u2019s bathroom transformation at El Choli for Bad Bunny\u2019s No Me Quiero Ir de Aqui\u0301 residency<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But that\u2019s the point of Benito\u2019s music and the mission behind method\u2019s \u201cpa\u2019l recuerdo,\u201d<\/a> a celebration of the cross-generational traditions that were passed down to us and that we then are responsible for preserving. For method, it\u2019s about ancestral and intergenerational beauty\u00a0 rituals<\/a>. During Bad Bunny\u2019s 30-concert residency, the brand transformed the bathrooms at El Choli into immersive spaces honoring Puerto Rican beauty customs and the bathroom as a site of connection, memory, and self-expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whether someone is reapplying their lipstick before the show or calming the runaways that dashed out their ponytail while dancing to \u201cVeLD\u00c1,\u201d they\u2019re greeted with mirrors that are etched with affirmations and counters that hold installations that nod to the little rituals we inherit: from how our abuelas taught us to fix our hair to the fun of getting ready with friends. Out in the concourse, method also set up a cafecito bar (like the one at your tia\u2019s house) and a shower-inspired photo booth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the spirit of DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS<\/em> and \u201cpa\u2019l recuerdo,\u201d I took myself on a weeklong journey to reconnect with inherited beauty rituals. While some were passed down to me by my own mother, others came from the mamis of our favorite Latina creators. From Jess Judith to Jools Lebron<\/a>, here\u2019s how beauty grounds us and how this residency deepened our connection to culture, memory, and ourselves.<\/p>\n

The perfect lipstick and a well-ironed outfit \u2014 Jess Judith<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

On the first day of my beauty week, I followed the tips that were handed down to Dominican content creator Jess Judith<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never leave the house before putting on lipstick,\u201d she told me. \u201cAnd I make sure I brush my hair, so I\u2019m not walking around with a \u2018degre\u00f1e.\u2019 I also never go out with wrinkled clothes \u2014 everything must be perfectly \u2018planchadito.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

I love the idea of ritualistic beautification, though perhaps to Jess\u2019 dismay, I\u2019ve never had much of a problem with leaving the house in a wrinkly garment (though recently, I\u2019ve been ironing my clothes more. We can call that adulthood or personal growth).\u00a0<\/p>\n

So Day 1, I put on my favorite lip combo (NYX Cold Brew lip liner<\/a> and Saie\u2019s Dip lip gloss<\/a>), brushed down my hair, ironed my favorite button-up, and went for a walk around town. I\u2019ll admit, ironing may now officially have a spot in my dressing essentials.<\/p>\n

Use honey as a face mask \u2014 Larissa Dones<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Larissa Dones<\/a>\u2019 grandmother and my mom are two very genius beauty queens: they swear by honey facials.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOne [ritual] that my grandmother passed down to me is using honey as a facial,\u201d the Puerto Rican-Dominican actress and content creator told me. \u201cIt\u2019s simple, natural, and every time I do it, it reminds me of her love and the traditions that keep me rooted in who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

I, too, grew up using honey on my skin, but I preferred to use it as a face scrub. I used to mix it with coffee for it to exfoliate. This time, I followed Dones\u2019 approach: I spread a layer over my face, let it sit for about 15-to-20 minutes, and then rinsed it off. My skin felt soft and bright afterwards. Thanks to honey\u2019s antibacterial and antioxidant properties, this ritual also helps with acne scars, cleansing, and moisturizing, which feels like a bit of magic passed down from one generation to the next.<\/p>\n

Always be \u201con point\u201d \u2014 Carla Bejar\u00e1n<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Just like any other homebody, I love lounging around in oversized clothing, being cozy, and not really thinking about getting dressed, so Carla Bejar\u00e1n<\/a>\u2019s beauty pass-me-down made me step out of my comfort zone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA beauty ritual I\u2019ve learned from my grandmother and still practice till this day is to always be on point everywhere I go, even if I stay home, because, like she says, \u2018you never know who\u2019s coming to knock on your door or who you\u2019re meeting that day.\u2019 And because feeling and looking good is also beauty,\u201d the Puerto Rican beauty creator said.<\/p>\n

So, on a day when I had no plans to leave the house, I washed my hair, did my makeup, and put on a comfy yet styled outfit. It added a little formal layer to my day and made me think of my own grandma, who always had her hair perfectly curled and a matching set on, no matter what the day held or the activity planned.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s something empowering about this kind of ritual \u2014 even if it\u2019s just for yourself \u2014 that sets the tone for your day. You carry yourself with a little more intention and confidence.<\/p>\n

Never leave the house without earrings \u2014 Adriana Filomeno<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Accessorizing is such an important style and beauty ritual for me. I see jewelry as a way to adorn my vessel and a meaningful part of how I present myself to the world and honor my little earth body. So I was all-in for Adriana Filomeno<\/a>\u2019s familial beauty advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome beauty rituals that my mom has passed down to me are to never leave the house without earrings and to always style my hair, even if I\u2019m staying inside the house. And to this day, those are tips I live by,\u201d the Puerto Rican TV host told me.<\/p>\n

My earrings usually stay the same: a three-hoop stack that I switch between gold or silver, depending on the moment. But taking after Filomeno\u2019s ritual, I decided to have a little more fun with it. I sapped out my bottom two hoops for my favorite dangly pearls by CreepyYeha<\/a>, and I added a larger silver hoop on the second piercing. This is something I usually reserve for special occasions, but I think Filomeno would agree that every day is special.<\/p>\n

Nails and hair as family bonding \u2014 Dakota Latalladi<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Here\u2019s a strange but fun fact about me: I only ever paint my nails on wash days because shampooing my hair also helps remove any polish that accidentally got on my skin, so Dakota Latalladi<\/a>\u2019s two rituals actually go hand in hand for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the strongest rituals we\u2019ve passed down is doing our own nails. In my family, we all know how to do them exactly how we like: long, colorful, and with bold designs that reflect our personalities,\u201d the Florida-based Puerto Rican content creator shared with me. \u201cThe same goes for hair. From my grandmother to my mom, caring for and styling our hair has always been something we take pride in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Latalladi, taking care of my hair has always been a central part of my beauty rituals, one I share with my mom and grandma. My grandma always slept with curlers in her hair to have perfect spirals the next day, and my mom\u2019s jet-black hair was always long, glossy, and smelled amazing. For me, that translates to keeping my hair healthy and caring for my curls as best I can.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To honor Latalladi\u2019s tip, I took a day to give my nails and hair some much-needed TLC: I cleaned up my nails and pressed on Chillhouse\u2019s Priestess of Punk press-on set<\/a>, washed with method\u2019s island mist shampoo and conditioner,<\/a> added my favorite Rizzo\u2019s Curls curl defining cream<\/a>, and styled my tresses using a ritual passed down from my dad (he used to finger-curl each ringlet individually). In that moment, I felt an incredible sense of love for myself and for my family.<\/p>\n

Coconut oil for everything \u2014 Jools Lebron<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

For Nuyorican content creator Jools Lebron<\/a>, there\u2019s no beauty tip more demure than coconut oil lathers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandma always had coconut oil on deck and now so do I,\u201d she told me. \u201cCurls acting up? Coconut oil. Dry skin? Coconut oil. Nails looking dull? Coconut oil. It\u2019s basically the Puerto Rican version of Windex from My Big Fat Greek Wedding<\/em>. It\u2019s simple, it works, and it makes me think of her every time I use it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coconut oil is a true multitasker. It\u2019s rich in fatty acids, deeply moisturizing, helps reduce protein loss in hair, and can be used for everything, from skincare to cooking. Since my hair has suffered from many layers of bleach and box dye, I decided to do a coconut oil hair mask to help revitalize my curls. I used to do these all the time in high school when I was a swimmer dealing with chlorine damage, but I hadn\u2019t done one in years. It felt incredibly nostalgic, and after leaving the mask on for about 30 minutes, my curls felt softer and bouncier (like they had a piece of their former glory).\u00a0<\/p>\n

For anyone who wants to try it at home, warm up a few tablespoons of coconut oil, massage it through damp hair from roots to ends, cover your hair with a shower cap, leave it on for 20-to-30 minutes, and then shampoo and condition as usual.<\/p>\n

Personal massages and signature scents \u2014 <\/strong>Natasha L\u00f3pez<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

method\u2019s island mist body wash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Okay, it\u2019s my mom\u2019s turn now. Like my mother, I\u2019ve never really been into wearing perfume. My mom\u2019s signature scents always came from the creams she wore: Ponds and cocoa butter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As my allergies and sensitivity to fragrances have gotten worse over the years, I also prefer subtler scents. So, in honor of my mother and the moisturizing body rituals she inherited from hers, I took a little deep-moisturizing moment for myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I used method\u2019s simply nourish body lotion<\/a>, which has coconut, rice milk, and shea better, and it reminded me of the yummy scents my mom always carried. I massaged it slowly into my skin, using my hand in a fist and rubbing my knuckles in circular motions (just like Mami taught me), which not only moisturizes but also helps with circulation. Now, I can have my own signature scent and can hopefully pass it down to the next generation, just as my matriarchs did for me.<\/p>\n

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To me, my mom has always been the most beautiful woman in the world. When I was little, I\u2019d rummage through her makeup (and come out clown-faced), waddle around in her high heels, and put on runway shows with my little sister, styled entirely from her closet. I was obsessed with her soft mint silks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ecotech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1318"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1330,"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318\/revisions\/1330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cncurc.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}