NATURAL BEAUTY SALON

Festivals in India are geared to ensure that one stays in tune with the rhythms of nature and changing seasons. We herald the beginning of spring with a water drenched Holi and welcome winter with Diwali.
This festive season, turn to the treasure box of traditional beauty routines, most of which depend on the use of natural ingredients like turmeric, sandalwood and honey for skincare, or essential oils to moisturize the body. Oil baths and ubtan (face and body packs) keep the skin luxuriant and well moisturized. The natural products from the kitchen are the safest way to attain that healthy glow, since they have no chemicals or added preservatives.

In Maharashtra, the practice is to take a bath before sunrise with oil and ubtan (pack) of gram flour and fragrant powders, a traditional option to an apricot scrub. An oil bath that involves the ritual of rubbing oil all over the body and head, then washing it off with coarse shikakai,is still followed in many a south Indian household. Even today, aromatic pastes are prepared out of a powder called sugandhi, in Maharashtra. Consisting primarily of gram flour, turmeric and sandalwood powder, the paste is smeared on the body before a ceremonial bath.
In the North, the festive season also heralds winter, which is when the skin dries up and cracks. Keeping your face moisturized is the most essential thing. In Rajasthan, women use the husk of whole wheat called choker, mixed with cream left at the bottom of a pan after draining the milk as moisturizer. On Diwali day, they use besan to scrub their bodies.
In the East, the land of torrential rainfall, women prepare masks using fresh fruits like grapes, watermelon, papaya and cucumber, which help eradicate blackheads and pimples. They are left on the face for 30 minutes, and then washed off.
Another aid to beauty is large quantities of curd, great for soft and supple skin, or for getting rid of unwanted pimples. A day before Diwali , women soak methi seeds in water overnight and grind them to a paste. It is applied on hair and left for 30 minutes, before it is washed off.

Most traditional beauty practices have a scientific and rational base, whichever part of the country you choose to draw inspiration from.

Some herbs and oil extract from them are used to nourish the skin from decades, viz...

TURMERIC - Among the most widely used herb is turmeric or haldi, also known as Indian saffron. It ensures that your skin glows. Turmeric has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and softens the skin.

Haldi body pack - This cleanser is great for dry skin, since it doesn’t disturb the delicate acid balance.

Take half-a-cup of besan (gram flour), 2 teaspoons of haldi, 2 teaspoons sandalwood powder, and 2 teaspoons of ghee or almond oil.
Add water to make a paste .Apply on your face and entire body.
Leave it on for 10 minutes. Rub with both palms and fingers to remove all the paste.

BESAN - Besan or gram flour is another widely used ingredient. It is shampoo, face scrub and hair remover, all powdered into one. When used in the right combination, it makes for a great scrub.

Skin glow mask – Soak tamarind root or imli for some time. Grind and mix it with a little besan, and apply it on your face, hands and other parts of your body.
Keep it on for 10 minutes, and then wash it off. Your skin will have a golden glow.
Another option is to mix cream and besan.
Apply this paste on your entire body. But avoid areas around the eyes, eyebrows and lips. Shower after 5 minutes. Your skin will be soft as silk.

MILK AND HONEY- These two ingredients are a must in all ancient beauty therapies.

Milk Hair – conditioning mask – After washing your hair, pour milk all over it.
Leave it on for two minutes, and then rinse it out for shiny, long hair.
Body and Face scrub – Soak a few almonds in milk overnight. Grind them and mix with honey. Use this as a face or body scrub.
You could add a little milk to your bath water and bathe normally, for soft skin.
Alternatively, use pre-boiled unpasteurised milk as liquid pack on your face. Milk is a natural bleaching agent and nourishes the skin. It also acts as a skin softener.