Last Updated March 8, 2025

Mexican folk medicine, aka “curanderismo,” is a traditional approach to healing. Rooted in indigenous wisdom, it’s a collection of herbal remedies that have been passed down for thousands of years to treat all sorts of ailments. That includes skin conditions, from sensitivity to acne and beyond. At the heart of this ancient healing system are Mexico’s native plants and the powerful therapeutic benefits they offer. It’s something that really resonates here at Shimmer Chef, where we craft skin-friendly plasters and balms through the magic of superfoods and fermentation. Let’s take a closer look at Mexican folk medicine, how it benefits the skin specifically and why this approach to skin, scalp and hair care is so deeply personal.

The History of Mexican Folk Medicine

Tracing the history of Mexican folk medicine takes you back a very long time. Before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, Mexico’s indigenous peoples had already developed impressive, holistic medical systems that drew from their knowledge of local plants and the human body. While these medicinal traditions varied from one culture to the next, all of these groups approached health and healing in similar ways. Fast forward to the 1800s, after Mexico gained independence from Spain, when Mexican folk medicine retained its traditional healing influence in spite of scientific developments in Europe and the United States. In the middle of this century, formal medical institutions were established, and indigenous healing methods were studied and practiced because of their efficacy. Fast forward again, to the 20th century, and even as modern medicine began making strides in the country, Mexican folk medicine nevertheless persisted. Curanderos, trained through apprenticeships, continued relying on plants to treat ailments.

Recently, traditional healing practices have seen a resurgence—and it’s not limited to Mexico. People are increasingly seeking natural, holistic approaches to health, and a growing body of research that scientifically validates traditional remedies is backing them up. The combination of practical experience and natural scientific principles has a lot going for it, and we understand that from personal experience.

Shimmer Chef founder Jennifer Sanford struggled with chronic cystic acne as a teenager, and no prescription or over-the-counter medication helped. A recipe for a nourishing poultice crafted by her abuela, Juanita, and given to Jennifer by her father was the turning point for her ongoing skin issues. Juanita had long practiced Mexican folk medicine, using the fresh herbs and native plants from her garden and farm, and her poultice included maize, aloe leaf and egg yolk. In addition to bringing salvation to teenage Jennifer, it would prove to be the spark behind Shimmer Chef as a company and the inspiration for our very first product—the Honey Lime Polenta Face & Neck Plaster (the OG!).

How Mexican Folk Medicine Benefits The Skin

It’s not magic. It’s science! Mexican folk medicine can attribute its efficacy to a deep understanding of plants and herbs—the kind of knowledge that accumulates over centuries. Today, many of the plants used in Mexican folk medicine, like aloe vera, chamomile and calendula, have scientific studies confirming their anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and generally healing properties. What’s the takeaway? Curanderos using these plants hundreds and even thousands of years ago were incredibly attuned to the natural world!

The holistic component of this traditional approach to healing emphasizes the body, the mind and the spirit. Consider it an early iteration of what we now understand about the gut-brain-skin connection, a network so deeply intertwined that imbalances in one ripple across the others. Communication is ongoing between the gut microbiome, the skin microbiome and the brain, and it’s surprisingly easy to create disruptions in one part that wreak havoc in the others. Stress and a poor diet are enough to throw the delicate balance out of whack, and more often than not, those imbalances loudly announce themselves on your skin. Unfortunately, trying to remedy the situation with conventional cleansers, toners, exfoliators and lotions tend to make things worse, compromising the skin barrier and upsetting its microbiome. Another option? Drawing from the wisdom and practices of Mexican folk medicine. And that’s exactly what Shimmer Chef’s line of skin, scalp and hair care products do.

Shimmer Chef x Mexican Folk Medicine

With firsthand experience on the efficacy of remedies derived from whole foods and a lot of skepticism about the current state of the skincare industry, Jennifer drew inspiration from her abuela and the wisdom of Mexican folk medicine. Just as her grandmother did, Jennifer headed to the kitchen with a garden’s worth of fresh, organic superfoods and botanicals to craft nourishing plasters and balms designed to balance the skin by supporting its barrier and microbiome. 

It’s Mexican folk medicine with a modern spin, incorporating the magic of fermentation to create potent yet gentle products bursting with skin-friendly compounds. Our proprietary Vitamin C Fermentation Technique is a nine-day labor of love that turns a rotating crop of fresh, organic citrus peels into a rich, living concoction. Not only do fermented ingredients penetrate more effectively for better absorption, they’re accompanied by probiotics. And your skin loves these little guys, because they help maintain its microbiome. A balanced microbiome is a happy microbiome, fending off pathogens and regulating inflammation for clear, glowing skin.

Our preservative-free formulas are entirely crafted with superfoods, plant butters, nutrient-dense oils and select seeds and herbs—just like Jennifer’s abuela did it. At its core, Shimmer Chef is about working with the skin so it can function as it’s meant to. Our less-is-more approach emphasizes giving the skin everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t, and we’re incredibly proud to have earned Made Safe certification from the Environmental Working Group. It means we’ve met incredibly stringent standards for safety, quality and sustainability (and that our products are free of more than 6,500 banned and restricted substances). And it’s a signal that you can trust our products to be safe for you, your family and the planet.

The Bottom Line

There’s a reason Mexican folk medicine has been practiced for thousands of years. And with Shimmer Chef, you can see the benefits of this approach to skin, scalp and hair care for yourself. Our focus is on nourishing the skin to support its natural regenerative abilities, and we do it without a laundry list of unpronounceable, lab-synthesized ingredients. This is skincare as Mother Nature intended, and it’s supported by thousands of years of plant wisdom. Really, what more could you need?