Turmeric for Skin
Turmeric is one among the most popular Ayurveda herbs.
Botanical Name: Curcuma Longa Linn.
Family: Zingiberaceae
Ayurveda Properties of Turmeric
Taste – Bitter, Pungent
Qualities – Dryness, Lightness
After digestion it gets converted to pungent taste
It balances all the three doshas
Parts used – Rhizome
Benefits of using Turmeric as per Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, Turmeric is the most beneficial drug for Diabetes. It is also beneficial in most of the urinary disorders. It's useful in most of the toxic conditions. It's a natural detoxifier and has antibacterial properties. It is useful as antidote for most of the insect bites. It's also useful in gout and relieves inflammation, swelling and improves skin complexion. Turmeric relieves constipation and is useful in removing facial hair naturally.
Turmeric thoughts -
Turmeric is a spice which should be included in diet on a daily basis. Sometimes if a person is predominant in pitta, he can experience hotness due to the heating property of Pitta. In such cases adding turmeric to milk and having is advised. This combination of Turmeric and Milk is called as Golden Milk in Ayurveda. Recent studies have established the effect of Curcumin, a component of Turmeric has cancer preventing effects. This again proves the importance of using Turmeric in daily life.
When cooking with turmeric, always add black pepper or healthy fats (like coconut oil) to increase its bioavailability and improve absorption. Another thing to keep in mind is that turmeric is somewhat delicate and its beneficial properties can be reduced through the cooking process.
Turmeric description can even be find in vedic books – The color imparted by Turmeric to cloth (yellow color) has given the name 'Rajani' meaning one which imparts color as per Vedas.
Using Turmeric for Skin
Turmeric is not only delicious, it has great benefits on your skin as well. Ancient Indians have been using Turmeric for improving skin complexion since centuries. Many people who use turmeric skin treatments on a regular basis find their skin looks so good that they stop using foundation altogether. Turmeric gets its health benefits primarily because of curcumin, a bioactive component. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Let's check out the effect of Turmeric on Skin.
It contains the following potent nutrients for radiant skin:
B-vitamins: B-vitamins are powerful antioxidants that are necessary for cell regeneration and new cell turn over. They keep skin moisturized and healthy.
Calcium: The epidermal layer of skin contains a significant amount of calcium. It solves dry and itchy skin.
Vitamin C: A powerful antioxidant that boosts collagen production, vitamin C also fights free radical damage and promotes glowing skin. It maintains skin’s natural elasticity and tautness thereby slowing down the aging process of skin.
Potassium & Magnesium: These two minerals solve dry skin by moisturizing and hydrating. They also promote youthful skin by preventing oxidative damage to skin cells.
Turmeric mixed with mint juice is ideal to apply for acne prevention and reduction.
When applied to the skin, turmeric can temporarily stain the skin or leave a yellow residue. This is normal. Washing off your skin with chick pea/ besan flour can prevent from the stain after external application.
Skin Glow – Turmeric contains curcumin which is a powerful antioxidant which has skin brightening properties, which will improve glow of skin and rejuvenates skin.
For glowing skin, make a paste out of Turmeric and honey. Apply and leave for 20 minutes. Do this twice a week.
Lightens dark spots and improves complexion – It helps to remove dark circles, even skin pigmentation and improves skin complexion.
Make a small paste of a pinch of turmeric, 1/2 raw honey and 1 teaspoon yogurt. Slather this onto your face and rinse off after 10 minutes. This helps in reducing dark spots and improves complexion.
Soothes skin and reduces inflammation – The ant inflammatory properties of curcumin soothe the skin and reduces skin inflammation. The external application is a medicine for almost all insect bites.
Make a paste out of Turmeric, Cucumber juice, yoghurt and wash off after 15 minutes.
Helps in oily skin - Turmeric, water and lemon juice paste effectively gets rid of excess oils on the surface of the skin.
Inhibits facial and hair growth -Turmeric inhibits facial hair growth, encouraging it to fall off naturally.
Acne prevention – Turmeric treats and prevents acne. The antiseptic properties of Turmeric can work against acne causing bacter