04/06/2026
Educational Insight #7
In 2018, I made a decision that many people found surprising.
I stepped away from medicine for a year and took a sabbatical to travel the world.
What began as a journey across countries soon became a journey through cultures, traditions, and centuries of wellness wisdom.
From bustling cities to remote villages, I found myself asking the same question everywhere I went:
"How did people care for their health, skin, hair, and wellbeing long before modern medicine and aesthetics existed?"
Over the years, I learned about:
🌿 African Black Soap in Nigeria
💙 Nila in Morocco
🌾 Ubtan and Multani Mitti (clay) in Pakistan and India
🌹 Argan Oil from North Africa
🍵 Green Tea rituals in China
🌸 Beauty sleep and simplicity in Japan
❄️ Traditional steam bathing rituals in Russia
🫒 Olive oil and Dead Sea minerals used throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean countries.
What fascinated me most was that despite being separated by continents, languages, and religions, these cultures often arrived at remarkably similar principles:
✨ Nourish the body✨ Protect the skin✨ Prioritise rest✨ Live in harmony with nature✨ Understand that beauty is a reflection of wellbeing
Today, I practise modern aesthetic medicine, but my appreciation for wellness extends far beyond treatments and technology.
The more I travel, the more I realise that every culture carries its own wisdom.
And sometimes, the oldest traditions still have something valuable to teach us about health, beauty, and ageing well.
Dr Huma Aesthetics