Grab these spices from your kitchen to whip skin recipes
By Nidhal
“What goes on your skin, goes in your skin” is the mantra that we Indians swear by when it comes to skin care. Naturally, we believe in ‘feeding’ in our skin. And since nutrition is best derived in its unprocessed, raw and virgin state from nature with minimal processing, it is small wonder that we Indians nourish our skin to the bounties of nuts, fruits, herbs and everything natural!
On that note, let’s give all Non-Indians a sneak-peak into the spices that Indians incorporate into their skin care regimen. Sounds a good idea or should we better keep our treasure trove well-guarded? Let us be benevolent for a moment and spill the beans today.
1. TURMERIC- I am pretty sure there’d be hardly any Indian mother who wouldn’t have prepared/recommended/forcefully slapped a mask predominantly yellow in colour on their kid’s face while the poor child would’ve either succumbed to her persuasion or hid himself/herself to avoid being daubed that weird-looking and (apparently) unpleasant-smelling mask. Ask any Indian mother on the virtues of turmeric and brace yourself for information will flow at a pace that even Google would hide in shame!
Let me summarize why turmeric is our go-to spice. Turmeric helps one bid adieu to skin hazards such as acne, wrinkles, fine-lines and imparts a bright skin tone. Face packs made up of turmeric not only help to clear acne scars and inflammation, but also diminish excessive oil secretion by the sebaceous glands. It should then not come as a surprise that, Hindu weddings have a ceremony devoted to haldi application in order to impart a winsome glow to the bride as well as groom’s face.
A word of caution from my side. Please use either Amba Haldi or kasthoori manjal/haldi only for skin care. They are exclusively meant for skin care. The one in your masala daani is meant for pakoras not packs. Kasthoori haldi/manjal (whatever you prefer to call it) can be easily purchased online. I would recommend Dhathri’s Kasthoori manjal that is, priced at 25 INR for 50 grams.
2. CLOVES- In order to incorporate cloves in one’s beauty regimen, one has to invest in clove oil for that is how its bounties are harnessed. Clove is highly potent for obviating acne and removal of scars left by the same. It is to be applied topically to the affected areas. It is often blended with face packs or massage creams for application on the skin. It gives a tingling sensation when applied. The reason behind this tingling sensation is the potent nature of clove oil.
Skin woes, such as blackheads, whiteheads, scarring, pimples and scaly skin are signs that characterize the skin ailment known as acne. Acne commonly happens during adolescence due to hormonal imbalance. So, if you’re pestered by acne, ditch those over-the- counter medicines and invest in an organic brand of clove oil or you can crush some cloves, add a heaped tbsp. of besan and rose water and voila! Bid adieu to this pesky skin woe!
3. CINNAMON- Next comes the saviour of acne-prone skin. It is tingling but boy, it is effective to the hilt. Cinnamon (Dalchini in Hindi) delivers fantastically when it comes to speeding blood circulation which makes your skin breathe thereby removing acne. This is done by drying the skin and bringing blood and oxygen to the outer skin surface. Thanks to its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, cinnamon helps enhance one’s complexion.
However, please always use only a pinch (one-eighth a tbsp.) of cinnamon as a little over that can sting your skin excruciatingly. Personal experience corroborates this. So, do not go overboard 🙂 Just add a pinch of it to all your face masks and you will be good to go.
4. GINGER- Being a potent antiseptic and cleansing agent, ginger helps in keeping the skin clean, smooth and free of blemishes. Besides that, it also invigorates and stimulates one’s skin. It is the best natural acne-fighting weapon as it minimizes the rate of acne formation and eruption by killing and clearing the acne-causing bacteria. Acne-prone ladies, did I see your eyes dilate on discovering the perfect weapon to kick away those acne scars?
The next time you go grocery shopping, you have your reasons to add ginger to your shopping cart, right? Do not just brew it in your tea, let your skin savour its virtues externally too 🙂
5. SAFFRON- Now, comes the spice from the Northern corner of our country which we fondly call ‘Heaven on Earth’- Kashmir. Although this spice is going to be a bit straining for your pockets, yet its beauty benefits will compel you to turn a blind eye to its price at least once. Okay, enough of this ‘Guess my name’ game.
The spice I am talking about is kesar and this is an elixir for our skin. Is there seriously anything that this wonder spice doesn’t do? From imparting an enviable glow to one’s complexion to treating acne, blemishes and blackheads thanks to its anti-fungal content, from softening skin to making it supple, this spice is a must-have (at least 1 gm) in our beauty stashes.
Feel free to add 2-3 strands of it in whichever pack you whip. Let it stay undisturbed for half an hour and once the colour changes to yellow, it is a prefigure to not only slather it on your skin but also that you have bought authentic saffron.
Editor’s Note: Loved this post Nidhal. Have used Cinnamon, turmeric and honey a lot!
Do you use these spices for DIY skincare recipes?