Introduction
Hey there beautiful! Today we will start talking about all my favourite herbal and natural products. If any of you missed out the first part of this series, here is its link:
Many of us don’t realize that we won’t have a replenishment of our skin in this lifetime. Therefore, we must have a routine for our skin to be able to breathe. We must never go to bed without removing makeup and moisturising our skin. Similarly, we must find a time (daily or weekly) which we dedicate to our skin.
What I do is that when I have to take a shower, I apply one of the herbal products being discussed in this post, I then start cleaning up my room, sorting clothes etc. Fifteen minutes later, I take a shower. This has worked for me perfectly for a long time.
The reason I love using natural products on my skin is that they make me feel fresh, have absolutely no side effects and very little cost.
It’s heartbreaking when I see girls running after skin specialists, wasting thousands of rupees on harsh medicines in an effort to enhance their skin. Honestly speaking, after working in medical sector, I realized its all about business and money in this industry just like all others. We will never hear doctors telling us to use Aloe Vera, Turmeric powder or Sandlewood powder, because it doesn’t go with their business policy. I keep trying to convince my friends to use natural products which actually work wonders and are good for the skin instead of running after doctors.
During this first part of the post, we will start with the herbal products which I believe are most important and effective. Todays post will cover:
- Rosewater
- Sandlewood powder
- Ubtan
- Aloe vera
- Vaseline/Petroleum jelly
- Besan/Gram flour
- Multani Mitti/Fuller’s earth
Rosewater
There are many ways by which Rosewater works wonders on your skin. It has anti-inflammatory properties so it can help reduce the redness from irritated or over-heated skin. It is a great cleanser and aids in removing oil and dirt accumulated in clogged pores, so it prevents acne and pimples. It also has astringent properties so can be used to close open pores. The aroma of roses is said to be a mood enhancer as well as it helps you sleep better if you use it right before going to bed. The best and easiest way of using it is to apply it directly with cotton balls or spray it directly on your face. It helps clear all impurities that your face has accumulated through the day.
Rosewater is perfect to use with herbal powders to make a quick and easy face mask. I most often use Rosewater mixed with Ubtan or Sandlewood powder. The paste can then be applied on to face and neck. I use rosewater to remove make up also. Whenever we use harsh chemicals on our face like bleach, we can spray Rosewater to soothe our skin.
It can also be used as a hair conditioner by spraying it over your hair and scalp after a shower. Pouring rosewater directly into the eyes cleans them up naturally. Spraying rosewater on to your closed eyes freshens up your eyes and reduces the effect of dark circles under your eyes. So this is definitely a must have product for every girl/woman out there.
Sandalwood Powder
Personally, this is my most favourite herbal product. Sandalwood powder works amazingly well on the skin and has a nice delicate fragrance. The human skin is prone to itch, rashes, pimples or acne. If you make a quick paste of this and rosewater and apply it on to your face, you will see instant results. So the next time you think a nasty pimple is about to pop out of your face, just apply this paste on the area before going to sleep at night. A few years ago, one really had to struggle to find this but thank God now it is readily available in Saeed Ghani outlets all over Pakistan.
Even when you don’t have any skin problem, simply apply this paste on to your face, you will see how refreshed it feels and looks. Sandalwood powder has anti-biotic elements which clean your pores and removes bacteria. You can add Haldi (turmeric powder) into this paste to make it even more effective. (but Haldi makes your skin yellowish which has to be cleaned up properly). You can add some drops of lemon juice to make your skin marks free. Haldi and Sandal wood powder can also be mixed in milk instead of rosewater to enhance their cleansing properties. Because Sandalwood powder has no side effects whatsoever, it may even be applied at night and washed off in the morning. Ideally that’s when it works the best. If you’re single, you can easily apply it at night and wash your face in the morning. If you sleep with your partner, it may not be such a good idea. In any case, applying it for 15 mins before a shower should be perfect. I highly recommend every woman to buy this and use it regularly for rejuvenated skin.
Ubtan
Ubtan is my second most favourite herbal beauty product. I use it as a face mask (mixed with rose water). I also keep it near shower and use it as a facial scrub. Always works wonders.
Ubtan, a traditional beauty paste applied on brides-to-be a few days before marriage is something that’s become a ritual of sorts! Even grooms-to-be apply it. Made using natural ingredients, it helps clear the skin and many believe it even lightens it by removing the layer of accumulated tan. It does have several beauty benefits for your skin but you don’t necessarily have to wait to get married nor stop using it once you are married. Its use should be continued throughout your life. It is made up of Besan, turmeric powder, sandlewood powder, milk and rosewater.
I have tried a few companies but I found Norangi Ubtan the best. All you need to do is mix a small quantity of Ubtan and rosewater in your palm and apply it on your face. I have seen that watery consistency works better as its easier to wash later and reduces the chances of it getting into the eyes. After using ubtan, you can instantly feel your skin softer and more radiant. You have to be careful to keep ubtan away from moisture and keep it in an air tight container. If it isn’t kept properly, it will have fungus assembling inside which you don’t want. A tip is to buy small bottle of it not a very big one. It has many benefits:
- Adds a natural glow to the skin: Since ubtan consists of so many herbal products, it is bound to show its effects sooner than later. Applying ubtan regularly can help get rid of the tan you’ve accumulated over the years and get a good glow in it. It has exfoliating properties which helps get rid of dead skin cells which give the skin a dull appearance.
- Clears the skin Ubtan is known for visibly reducing acne scars, marks, pigmentation, etc which are often found on sun-damaged skin. For faster results, you can mix a few drops of lime/lemon juice in it as it has bleaching properties. This makes it all the more effective. Using it even weekly once is good enough to give you flawless skin. But make sure you also protect your skin from the sun by applying sunscreen or avoiding the sun.
- Prevents ageing of skin Who likes to see wrinkles and lines on their face? And ubtan can help prevent them. Turmeric has anti-ageing, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties which can keep wrinkles at bay. The combination of other ingredients further makes it a strong anti-ageing potion which when applied on the skin not only repairs it but prevent damage as well. These days, several brands offer ubtan powder which is a premixed powder of all the ingredients that go in making it. All you need to do is mix it with rose water, milk, etc and then apply the paste.
- Reduces facial hair growth. Though it may take months to see visible results, it is still worth the effort as it will not harm your skin. Many add ground red lentil (masoor dal) and also orange peel powder for further enhancing its effects. If the paste does not come off easily with water, one can rub olive oil on the area. Don’t irritate the skin by rubbing too hard.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a miracle natural ingredient that can help you have beautiful hair like celebrities you see on TV. Most of you know that aloe vera is commonly used as a moisturizer for skin because it can help trap and lock in moisture. Simply apply its gel on to your face and wash off after 15 minutes. But what about aloe vera in hair?
Aloe vera the miracle plant is ideal remedy for solving majority of your hair woes. You can apply this natural ingredient to cleanse, nourish and protect your hair from damage. You can also use aloe vera on hair for many other purposes, like getting rid of dandruff, itchy scalp, dry hair, bacterial and fungal infections. You can use this plant to make your hair shine with a healthy glow and get perfect hair. It can be used in making many hair masks.
Aloe vera hair treatment is an excellent natural home remedy to make your hair problem free and perfect. The best form is to pluck a leaf from garden plant. Peel off its leaf and use the gel that you find inside. You can collect some aloe vera leaves from your garden and treat your hair problems naturally. Before you take a shower, simply apply the gel to scalp, hair and roots and ideally wear a shower cap so it absorbs. After half hour or so, you can take a shower. It can be applied on your scalp after applying hair oil also. The benefits of Aloe Vera for Hair are as follows:
- Adds strength and luster to hair.
- Promotes hair growth.
- Easily penetrates scalp and hair.
- Maintains the hair hydrated by locking moisture in hair.
- Helps to maintain the pH balance of the hair.
- Relieves scalp itching.
- Lessens scalp redness and inflammation.
- Its anti-fungal properties help in controlling dandruff.
- It solves itchy scalp problem.
Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly
The most popular ingredient in all lotions, creams is petroleum jelly or Vaseline. It is best to use products in their natural form whenever possible. Our body needs to be moisturized often and the best way to do that is by using petroleum jelly directly. My grandmother (nani) and my mother have always only used Vaseline and Johnsons baby lotion. If you have a tendency for oily facial skin like mine, then you may only use it on your hands, feet before going to bed.
Coconut oil is another must have item in your drawer. After you take a shower, its great to be used all over your skin. It not only moisturizes your skin, but also helps calm any muscles which were hurting. It can be used as makeup remover, an eye de-puffer, shaving cream and as a lip balm. Then there’s your hair: It repairs damage, removes frizz and flyways, and can add major shine.
In winter, Coconut oil turns solid so after warming it up a little, it can be filled in a jar with cap. It can be used in its balm form during winters for skin and scalp. Its other advantages are that it lightens age spots, prevents stretch marks, recovers split ends of hair and stimulates hair growth.
Besan/Gram Flour
Gram flour has been used extensively for its beauty and health benefits. It is mainly used for exfoliating and cleansing the skin. I try to keep an air tight container with Besan in my bathroom always. I prefer using this to wash my face rather than commercial face washes. It is known to smoothe the skin, make it look radiant and remove tan. In case you’re looking to make your skin look fairer, you could mix besan, milk and lemon juice drops and use that as a face mask. If your skin is prone to pimples, mix gram flour, sandalwood powder, milk and a pinch of turmeric powder to make a paste. Apply it all over the face. You will be surprised with the results.
Multani Mitti/Fullers Earth
If we are talking about a good face mask to apply on your face right before a shower, Multani Mitti is the best option. Apart from being extremely cost-effective in comparison with these facials, Multani Mitti lets you get rid of all skin problems naturally. It is a very good skin-cleansing agent which clears the unwanted oil, dirt and dead cells from the face.
It is best for oily and acne–vulnerable skin and kills the harmful bacterias, thereby giving fresh, soft and radiant skin. It also reduces wrinkles and pre-aging effects as it helps to tighten the skin. Easiest way is to apply multani mitti mixed with Rosewater to your face. Another way is to mix it with sandlewood and milk to make a paste. It can also be mixed with honey. Multani mitti can be used to get toned, oil free skin, glowing soft skin, for flawless skin, removing dark patches, treating tanned skin, treating pigmented skin and to get even skin tone.
This is the end of this part. Stay tuned as there is much more to come. In the next posts, we will be discussing a number of other natural products and how they can be used to our benefit. Would love to know your experience and thoughts about these natural skincare solutions.
I love this post. I will start applying these on my face. Fingers crossed.
I have applied these natural products. aloe vera is my favorite natural ingredient. It nourishes protect hair from damage, leaves it smooth and silky
Hey Nadiya. I used to be so religious about using natural and herbal things back in Pakistan. Recently I did see these products avaialable here in Canada but it did not cross my mind to buy and use them. You post has motivated me again 🙂 Thank you!
Hennna.. I love aloe vera too… My maid applies it on my hair after an oil champi.. So much fun! 😀
I'm glad you got motivated. I also get lazy at times but have to keep reminding myself. So I try to do something like this on every weekend.
My son has acne inflammation and I have just started applying aloe Vera gel from the plant stem…wish me luck! I don’t like the idea of harsh medicines at 14.
Hi Valerie. Thanks for your comment. So true. Medicines should be avoided as much as possible. I hope aloe vera helps in acne. Best of luck. So excited BTW about meeting you finally 😀 Fingers crosssed. Praying hard it works out.
Hi! All of these I use regularly. My favourite to cleanse is a mixture of natural oils which I then remove with a cotton pad dipped in hot water. No more expensive chemical Laden cleansers for me. And sandal wood, ubtan and rose water are just the mainstays of my life.
Hey thanks for your comment. So glad you’re a fan of these three products too. Natural oils.. Yes definitely. I use almond oil on my face regularly.
Hey 👋🏻 can you please tell how to keep bugs away from ubtan 😭 i always make sure that the jar is tightly closed but after a week or so there are bugs inside the jar 🐜 They look like weevils 🤦🏻♀️ And can we reuse ubtan after staining ?
HI Ifra, Thank you for your message. I haven’t actually noticed real bugs but yes I have noticed dis-coloration (or fungus) in ubtan due to which I have had to throw a lot of it away. I’m not sure if straining would really help but I recommend buying very small amount or distributing it to family members friends so it is used within a few months and kept air tight. One week is way too less. I still keep it for a few months. Just try buying it in small quantity and using it daily. For that I keep some of it in bathroom to use as a facial scrub daily while showering. Hope this helps.