Why the Himba are called the most beautiful tribe on the planet (4 photos)

More precisely, we are talking specifically about luxurious Himba women. They maintain their beauty in a strange “signature” way.





Northern Namibia is home to the small but amazingly distinctive Himba people. It seems that technological progress and civilizational achievements of mankind have bypassed their villages a thousand kilometers away.

However, it is the Himba who are often mentioned in various sources as the most beautiful tribe on the planet. True, these delights are usually illustrated by photographs of the fair half of the people. Apparently, men look pretty ordinary compared to them



The exotic beauty of Himba women is truly impressive. Plump lips, expressive almond-shaped eyes, smooth skin of an incredible reddish-chocolate hue, outlandish hairstyles... Add to this a traditional outfit consisting of a short leather skirt and a heap of jewelry - and that’s it, any gentleman will be smitten

What is especially striking in photographs of Himba women is the good condition of their skin. How do they achieve this? Everything would be clear - good ecology away from cities, healthy food, a lot of movement and fresh air...

But. Add to this the fact that Himbas practically do not wash themselves. There is barely enough water for drinking and cooking - what kind of baths and daily washing can we talk about?*





How, under such conditions, do the women of the tribe manage to look as if their skin receives daily complete cleansing and care?

It turns out that the Himba have a “national” beauty routine. While Korean women (and after them half of the planet) maintain their skin with strict multi-step care using liters of cosmetics, the Himba do it much simpler.

Every evening they arrange something like a sauna for themselves. A bowl of aromatic herbs and twigs is heated over the fire. The Himba lean over the steam, covered with a blanket, and sweat profusely. They then clean off the sweat and dirt with flat wooden sticks. And after that, the entire body is carefully covered with a special ointment made from volcanic ocher, milk fat and aromatic resin from the local umumbiri tree.

This ointment gives the skin that recognizable reddish tint, cares for it, and protects it from the sun and insects. They also say that it smells very nice. Agree, it’s important for people who are deprived of the opportunity to wash in the heat

By the way, Himba women use this same composition to coat their twisted strands of hair. It turns out to be a kind of long-term styling. Convenient, practical and you don’t have to wash your hair.



Note*: More precisely, the Namibian government has now dug artesian wells for the Himba. This should have made life much easier for the tribe. But, as we have already said, the Himba are very conservative and do not change their habits. Water is still greatly conserved - after all, this is exactly what our ancestors did for hundreds of years.