Here In the United States, we think nothing of popping into the dermatologist’s office for a lunchtime laser peel or having unwanted hair removed with machines that rival some NASA gadgets on the sophistication scale. But in many parts of the world, it’s the goodies that grow from the ground that have time honored (not to mention clock-stopping) appeal. Here’s a round-the-globe look at some of the latest - and best - beauty ingredients.

Take a holistic approach

“Think of your beauty products not as cosmetics, but as food for the skin,” says Pratima Raichur, director of the Pratima Ayurvedic Skin Care Center in New York City. Underlying Raichur’s philosophy is ayurveda, the ancient Indian science that emphasizes the benefits of natural ingredients in healing and balancing the body. (Straight-from-the-garden extracts commonly used include licorice, basil, rose, mint, lavender and neem.) According to ayurveda, everyone is predominantly one of three doshas (or constitutions): vata, pitta or kapha, and should avoid a one-product-fits-all approach to beauty. Instead, different ingredients are used for each of the constitutions to keep them in balance (see “What’s ‘Your Skin Type?” at right).

Do-it-yourself tip “Ayurveda takes into consideration everything about an individual: diet, emotions and the five senses,” says Suzanne Dawson, Minneapolis-based Aveda’s executive director of spa development and skincare marketing. Try following Dawson’s four-minute morning massage ritual several times weekly: Using sesame oil, massage your way down your body from your scalp to your feet before you shower. “Use circular miotions on the joints and up-and-down movements on the limbs,” Dawson says. “It’s energizing and gives your skin a moisture boost.”

Must-have products Sundari Neem and Burdock Balancing Cream-Gel Cleanser and Neem and Avocado Balancing Moisturizer ($30, $52; sundari.com), Better Botanicals Ayurvedic Massage Oil, which also makes an effective eye-makeup remover ($15; 8B8-BBHERBS), and Aveda Personal Blends Massage Formula ($18; aveda.com)

Think of your beauty products not as cosmetics, but as food for the skin.

Secrets of Brazilian beauties

In the northeastern region of Brazil, near the Amazon, indigenous women harvest nuts from babassu palms. These nuts and those from a similar palm, the murumuru, are high in fatty acids, making the oil extracted from them a powerful emollient in body and hair products. Coffee is another popular harvest from South America; it’s found in body scrubs (the beans are effective exfoliators) and skin creams (the caffeine helps temporarily plump and smooth the skin).

Do-it-yourself tip Mix your favorite ground java with a body moisturizer or cleansing gel, and use it as a body scrub in the shower. Then rinse off and moisturize, suggests Anushka, owner of the Anushka Spa & Sanctuary in New York City and Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., who has incorporated coffee beans into a body scrub and wrap at her spas.

Must-have products Inara Babassu Milk Bath ($32; 888688-7565), Aveda Indigenous Purifying Hair and Body Cleanser with babassu oil ($10; aveda.com), Clinique Advanced Stop Signs Age Defending Cream with murumuru butter ($35; clinique.com) and Uhma Nagri Amazon Aktya Expresso Body Smoother ($30; uhmanagri.com)

Get smooth, flawless skin

Japanese beauties have been using the brown outer layer of the rice kernel, known as the rice bran, for centuries to achieve their legendary flawless complexions. Why? Rice bran is rich in oil, makes an effective exfoliant and contains phytic acid, a B-complex vitamin that seems to help improve blood circulation and stimulate cell turnover when used topically, according to Japanese studies, says Diana Howard, Ph.D., vice president of technical development for The International Dermal Institute in Los Angeles. Rice bran also contains proteins that help strengthen the hair shaft and prevent split ends — why you’ll find it in many hair-care products, explains Hollywood hair expert Philip B.

Do-it-yourself tip Polishing your skin with rice bran leaves your complexion feeling incredibly soft, says Dawn Gallagher, author of Naturally Beautiful (Rizzoli, 1999). Grind a tablespoon or so of rice bran (available from your local health-food store) into a fine powder (using the back of a spoon or a mortar and pestle), mix with your facial cleanser, lather and rinse.

Must-have products Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant ($40; dermaloqica.com), Fresh Rice Formula f2 1 c Sake Bath ($75; fresh.com), Peter Lamas Rice Protein Volumizing Shampoo ($10.50; lamasbeauty.com) and Dewi Sri Spa Aromatic Soap, Body Scrub and Body Lotion ($8-$26; 888-258-1070)

Banish dry skin and hair

A deliciously rich source of moisture extracted from the fruit of the karite tree, shea butter is a natural fat that is often used as an emollient base for a variety of hair and skin products. “Women in Africa use shea butter to strengthen and detangle hair and to moisturize skin,” says Gallagher. Just don’t use pure shea butter on the face; it can cause breakouts, adds Debra Luftman, M.D., clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Do-it-yourself tip Smear some on your lips any time or on elbows and feet right after a bath or shower for an intense moisture surge. Or rub into your scalp and leave in for 20 minutes before rinsing to fight dryness.

Must-have products L’Occitane 100% Shea Butter ($35; loccitane.com), Creative Nail Design Solar Butter with shea butter and almond oil for hands and feet ($21; creativenail design.com), The Body Shop Shea Sun Protection Facial Stick SPF 30 ($12; 800-263-9746) and Philip B. African Shea Butter Shampoo and Deep-Conditioning Creme Rinse ($21, $23; 800-643-5556)

RELATED ARTICLES: What’s Your Skin Type?

According to ayurveda, specific skin problems plague individuals of certain doshas or constitutional types. Identify your type - and follow the suggested treatment from ayurvedic expert Pratima Raichur, author of Absolute Beauty: Radian Skin and inner Harmony Through the Ancient Secrets of Ayurveda (HarperCollins, 1999).

YOUR SKIN/HAIR

Vata Slightly dry (chapped lips, britt e nails, dandruff); dark circles under eyes

Pitta Sensitiv skin (broken blood vessels, rosacea, allergic reactions); wrinkles around the eyes

Kapha Oily hair and skin (blackheads, enlarged pores); puffiness uner eyes

BALANCING BOTANICALS

Vata Sweet and sour: orange, lemor, basil, ginger, comfrey, rose and geranium

Pitta Bitter: sandalwood, jasmine, licorice, neem, coriander, mint, ylang-ylang and chamomile

Kapha Hot and spicy: lavender, bergamot, eucalyptus, sage, camphor and rosemary

PRODUCTS TO TRY

Vata Kiss My Face Citrus Cleanser ($7; kissmyface.com) and Neal’s Yard Remedies Geranium & Orange Massage Oil ($22.50; 888-697-8721)

Pitta Naturopathica Chamomile Cleansing Cream ($36; naturopathica.com) and Kiehl’s Coriander Deluxe Hand and Body Lotion ($17; kiehls.com)

Kapha Carol’s Daughter rosemary & Sage Herbal Foot Bath ($6.50; carolsdaughter.com) and Weleda Lavender Body & Massage Oil ($14; usa.weleda.com)

Born in the USA

Not all of the best beauty boosters are imported. Philip B., author of Blended Beauty (Ten Speed Press, 1995), gave us the lowdown on domestic goodies not to be overlooked.

* Apple cider It helps seal the hair’s cuticle and gives it shine. Our favorite: John Masters Organics Herbal Cider Hair Rinse & Clarifier ($14;johnmasters.com).

* Avocado This fruit’s high fat content makes it an effective skin moisturizer. Try OPI Avoplex Moisture Replenishing Lotion for hands and feet ($8; opi.com).

* Honey It’s a natural cleansing emollient that moisturizes and exfoliates. Opt for Lather Milk & Honey Soap ($1.50 per ounce; lather.com).

* Maple syrup This sticky stuff contains natural sugars that gently exfoliate skin. The sap is also rich in antioxidants. Try B. Kamins Chemist Maple Treatment Cream SPF 15 for dry skin ($88; bkamins.com).

* Soy When applied topically, it helps even out skin tone and moisturize skin and hair, according to recent research. We like Avon Weilness Edamame Exfoliating Shower Gel ($7.50; avon.com) and Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($14; at drugstores).

Jenna McCarthy is a frequent contributor to Shape.

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