Natural Beauty Hacks We Can Learn from Priyanka Chopra

As a former beauty queen (hello, she’s 2000’s Miss World winner!), Priyanka Chopra has beauty hacks for days. But the 36-year-old’s beauty secret isn’t a collection of beauty products or dermatologists on speed dial. Her secret is a handful of household ingredients—yogurt, coconut oil, turmeric, etc.—which she uses for her DIY masks, scrubs and treatments. The result? Her pretty-much flawless hair and skin.

To learn more about what Chopra does in the kitchen, we’ve rounded up some of her best natural beauty hacks. From the DIY scrub that will make your lips buttery smooth to the tried-and-true face mask she learned from her Indian background, Chopra is full of beauty secrets, and we’re lucky to be her students. Find out her all-natural DIY hacks below.

Yogurt Scalp Treatment

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The secret to Chopra’s signature full, princess-like hair might lie in your refrigerator. In a video for Vogue, Chopra revealed that she makes a DIY hair and scalp mask out of full-fat yogurt, a teaspoon of honey and one egg—which she calls her “secret ingredient.” After mixing the ingredients in a bowl, she lathers the mix on her scalp and leaves it on for 30 minutes. Afterward, she rinses it out with warm water and baby shampoo. And there you have it, a healthy scalp. “It is usually for if you have a dry scalp, if you have dandruff,” Chopra said. “The yogurt helps hydrate the scalp and cool it down. My secret ingredient is an egg. Apparently, they’re really good for your hair.”

Turmeric Body Scrub

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Another hack Chopra learned from her mom, grandmother and other women in India is her turmeric body scrub. The scrub includes a cup of graham flour and plain Greek yogurt (if your paste is looking a little thick, she recommends adding some milk for a thinner texture), which you mix into a paste. Then Chopra adds a squeeze of fresh lemon and mixes some more. She finishes off with her “magic ingredients”: sandalwood powder and turmeric. (Don’t worry about the yellow hue, Chopra says.)

The actor also recommends spreading some on your hand to determine if you’re allergic to any of the ingredients. After spreading it on your body, Chopra says to let the mix dry. Once it’s completely dry, you can scrub it off your body, revealing softer, more baby-like skin underneath. If you have oily skin, Chopra recommends using skim milk or nonfat or low-fat yogurt. “It’s an exfoliator, hydrator. It moisturizes. It heals,” Chopra told Vogue. “The idea is you scrub it off. So it literally exfoliates. Then you shower and you get rid of whatever excess, and you’ll see a difference.”

Ubtan Face Mask

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As you might be able to tell, turmeric is huge in Chopra’s skin-care routine. The actor also uses the ingredient for a DIY face mask. In a video for Harper’s Bazaar, Chopra and her mom make a mask called Ubtan, which uses whole-wheat flour, turmeric, lime juice, full-cream yogurt and rose water for a soothing face mask that will exfoliate and soften your skin. The whole wheat is meant to exfoliate the skin, while the rose water is used to turn the mixture into a paste-like consistency and soothe the face. After leaving it on for 15 to 20 minutes, Chopra washes it off, leaving her with a fresh face. Chopra also credits the mask with healing a sunburn from a movie set. It’s a win-win.

MORE: 10 All-Natural Celebrity-Approved Beauty Hacks to Try Out in Your Kitchen

Sea Salt Lip Scrub

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For her soft signature pout, Chopra makes a DIY lip scrub out of sea salt. She detailed the process in a video for Vogue, which began with pouring some sea salt in a bowl. The amount depends on the “size of your lips,” Chopra says. Then she adds a few drops of 100-percent vegetable glycerine and some rose water so the mix isn’t too harsh on your mouth. She mixes the ingredients together with her finger and is left with a lip scrub that will leave your pout supple and soft. “Women in India [tend to] use natural products,” Chopra said. “It really does work for me.”

Coconut Oil Exfoliation Mask

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Every once in a while, to remove her makeup and clean her pores, Chopra uses coconut oil as a DIY exfoliation mask. Though the ingredient isn’t groundbreaking in the beauty community, the way Chopra uses it is definitely noteworthy. The process is simple: After taking off her makeup with coconut oil, Chopra leaves the oil on her face for a few minutes before wiping it off with a moist towel. That way, the mask not only exfoliates the skin but hydrates it at the same time. Chopra learned the DIY spa treatment from her mom.

“And it just takes off all your makeup, and it really helped with my dry skin,” Chopra told Harper’s Bazaar. “And your pores say, ‘Ah, thank you,'” her mom adds.