Young skin from the oldest culture on earth: visit the Mayan civilization
The Mayan culture of Central America, known around the world for the magnificent stone-stacked temples still standing in the middle of the rain forest jungles of Mexico and Guatemala, is the oldest indigenous culture in the world. As other civilizations have come and gone across the march of time, Mayan culture has not only withstood those who tried to conquer it, but has absorbed them into its ever-widening cultural heritage. The modern-day Mayans make the most intricate and colorful textiles in the world. Anthropologists and historians study the culture the Mayans celebrate in rituals of song, dance, culinary arts, and music, with both amazement and profound respect.
But few know the simplest beauty secret of the Mayans, and those who do tend to guard it for themselves. Read on, as we reveal it to you in all its sweet and natural simplicity.
In Central America, sugar cane is grown and harvested both as an exported cash crop and for local use in cooking. While visiting the ancient city of Antigua, Guatemala, a town renowned for its 500-year-old Spanish Colonial architecture and active volcanoes, we met a native woman with skin so perfect that she looked 10 years younger than her actual age. She was more than happy to share her beauty secret, and we were delighted to find out that it was not only simple, but that the necessary products were practically free, and available at every grocery store, coffee shop, and restaurant on the planet.
She taught us that the Mayans have used granulated sugar, particularly raw sugar, for hundreds of years, to exfoliate the skin in an organic way. So if you want to enjoy fun in the sun of Central America, but don’t want your skin to wrinkle, take a hint from the hosts, and add some sweet tonic to your skin.