Saturday, March 24, 2012

something for the tan and dry skin...

I am so sorry to be away from this blog of mine for about two and a half years. No less.

My apologies to my subscribers and followers who expect posts on how we apply a knowledge of Ayurveda to keep a few common ailments at bay, or to improve our health through simple home remedies.

The lost time has been quite eventful, life changes a lot in a couple of years and it has certainly been so for me. I hope you all are in good health and high spirits. We shall keep meeting frequently now.

This post is intended to do some exfoliation that was quite essential for a tanned-aged blog :-)
Jokes apart, re-energising this blog would be an achievement of the weekend for me.

Here is a recipe to re-energise your skin and body as well. 

Have you heard about 'Ubtans' or freshly made scrubs used not so long ago by grandmothers to keep their skin glowing? Those were the days when no fancy skin care products were flooded on the shelves and people used to depend on the good old wisdom of eating healthy and using natural remedies for skin and hair.

You must have seen many grandmothers with glowing skin. Botox be doomed.

We earn our wrinkles, the skin can be kept perfectly supple using some readily available goodness in the herbs and seeds.

For exfoliation, tan removal and to improve circulation in the skin, this Ubtan I am suggesting, works like a charm. Massaging the ubtan on the whole body just before bath improves the circulation of the whole body as you rub and scrub the skin on your limbs, back, face and all over the body.

Here are the ingredients...

a large flower of marigold (can be sustituted with Calendula or even Rose if you like)
1/4 cup of yellow mustard
1/4 cup of chironji (also called Chirauli nut)
1/4 inch piece of fresh turmeric root or 2 pinches or powdered turmeric
6-7 almonds
yogurt, milk, fresh cream or lemon juice (see notes*)


Mustrad seeds are natural circulation boosters and both the nuts are great for skin.


Boil the yellow mustard seeds first with just enough water to soak them completely. I cooked them in Microwave for 2 minutes, covered. let them cool.


In the meanwhile pluck the bunch of florets from the marigold, separating the green stalk from all the yellow petals. Then chop off the black colored needle shaped bases of the petals, retaining only the yellow parts.


Now liquidise everything together to make a paste.

* Notes :
For very oily skin you can use lemon juice (1 tbsp) and a little water to make the paste in mixie.
For combination skin yogurt is very good.
If you have a dry skin, milk or even fresh cream will be great.

The paste looks like this and refrigerates well for 2 weeks.


To apply this Ubtan , take spoonfuls into your fingers and rub all over your body, on the face, arms and legs  one by one. Massage well into the skin, it dries when rubbed into the skin and then comes off like husky flakes along with the dead skin. Leaving your skin refreshed and exfoliated gently.


Wash or bathe yourself with warm water after this.

If not during a bath, all the open parts or arms and legs and face can be exfoliated using this Ubtan as these parts are exposed more to sun and pollution.

I am sure it would work well for you.... let me know if you like it.

Hope to see you soon with a new post.

Stay tuned.