Detox Face Mask Made With Turmeric

Turmeric beauty masks have been used across Asia for centuries. They are known in Chinese and Indian traditions, and are an element of the Ayurvedic medical system. In south Asia, they were an integral part of the bride’s wedding preparations, making her look spotless and glamorous on her big day.

Turmeric contains a photochemical called curcumin, which can benefit the body, both inside and out.

Turmeric mask works for acne and eczema. It reduces inflammation and redness, and promotes skin healing. Due to turmeric’s antioxidant properties, it has been used for skin rejuvenation. It helps softening lines and wrinkles, giving the face a more youthful appearance. It is also effective with rosacea – a chronic skin condition that is characterized by redness and pimples. It eases the redness and treats this disease.

The turmeric basic face mask is easy to make and acts as a moisturizer, exfoliator and reduces redness. It brightens the skin and makes it look fresh and clean.

Here’s a recipe for a homemade turmeric facial mask:

There are many variations for the recipe, but below you will find the basic recipe. Some add chickpea flower to thicken the paste or a little bit of lemon juice which helps to lighten the skin.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of raw organic honey
1 teaspoon of milk (or natural yoghurt)

Optional ingredients to add – following readers questions, you can add to the above mixture 1 tsp. of lemon juice (helps lighten the skin and good for oily skin) and/or a few drops of tea tree essential oil if you suffer from acne.

Put turmeric into a little bowl. Add honey (honey can be used to prepare other homemade honey face masks that you can make at home). Then add milk or yogurt. You can adjust the amount of milk to make the paste more or less thick, but make sure it’s a firm paste that will stick to your face. Turmeric is a dye and it can stain anything, so you don’t want it dripping off your face.

Face preparation

Wash your face with running water and remove all makeup. If your hair is long, tie it up at the back. Wear a T-shirt you are not too attached to, in case it gets stained.

Application of the Turmeric Face Mask

Apply the mask evenly all over your face. A spot you don’t want to miss is under the eyes, as turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties help reduce the dark circles, which form as a result of vasoconstriction (narrowing of the vessels).

If you have any mask leftover, you can save it in the fridge for a few days and use it the next time.

Let the mask dry on your face. This means leaving it on for about 20 minutes and then washing it off with cool water. Dry your face gently with a cloth.

Repeat the mask over the course of a few days. You can do it every few weeks, depending on your needs and complexion.

Why is this mask so great?

Turmeric is a good antioxidant, and an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent. Honey is also an anti-bacterial and it moisturizes the skin well. Milk contains lactic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid and it exfoliates the skin. Together, these three ingredients make wonders for your skin.

There are other reasons to consume turmeric:

• You can use it make a healing golden milk to treat many ailments
• You can use it to prepare anti inflammatory pain relief tea
• It can even be used to treat depression

If you use turmeric internally you need to be aware that turmeric has low absorption and you need to consume it in a way that will improve its absorption. I wrote in the past about the best ways to consume turmeric as well the best turmeric recipes to improve it bio-availability.

Here is a video with detailed instructions on how to make and apply the turmeric mask. The woman in the video is using a slightly modified version of the above recipe and adds organic brown rice flour.