We've all seen the ads on Instagram: a mysterious yellow powder is mixed into a pasty face mask, slathered all over a beauty guru's face, and washed off to reveal bright, beautiful, glowing skin.
Turmeric has exploded over the past year as the natural ingredient to add to your skin care routine. What exactly is so magical about this Indian spice? We've got the scoop.
Turmeric benefits
Turmeric, which is a member of the ginger family, gets its health benefits primarily from curcumin, a bioactive component in the spice. Curcumin is known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which lead to numerous health and beauty benefits. In fact, Indian brides have used turmeric for hundreds of years as a scrub right before their wedding (in additional to an egg and milk bath, but we'll get to that some other time) to get their skin looking youthful and glowy for their new hubby. Science is now starting to back up what Indians knew the whole time - that turmeric really does have significant positive health and beauty effects.
Turmeric for beauty
As turmeric contains antioxidants, prolonged use leads to slowed down cell damage and even regenerates damaged cells, leading to youthful looking, naturally glowing skin.
Anti-inflammatory components decrease inflammation in the skin and oxidation, which can fix up dry skin, control eczema and psoriasis flare ups, calm the skin, and clear up acne scars.
It's no wonder Daisy Ridley, Thandi Newton, and Gwyneth Paltrow all swear by the yellow stuff.
Turmeric Face Mask
Now that we've gotten the science out of the way, here's how to use the turmeric in your kitchen cabinet in your skin care routine. Let's get glowy.
You will need...
- 1 tablespoon of turmeric
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- 3 tablespoons of milk or yogurt
- Half a teaspoon of honey
Then...
Mix all the ingredients into a paste, apply a thin layer onto your face, and let it dry for 20 minutes. Rinse off the mask, apply your favorite moisturizer, and enjoy glowing skin with zero highlighter needed.
Disclaimer: turmeric is a deep yellow spice, which may slightly stain your face, so we recommend to use this mask sometime when you have no social obligations. As long as you apply a thin layer, you can wash your face again with your favorite face wash, and any yellow stains should wash away.
Drink Your Turmeric
Not a fan of face masks? Ditch your regular, caffeinated latte for a turmeric latte instead.
You will need...
- 1/4 cup turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
- Honey
Then...
Combine the turmeric powder and water in a saucepan over medium heat. After 2-3 minutes, the mixture should form a thick paste. Remove it from heat, whisk in the Coconut Oil and black pepper, and set the mixture aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, cinnamon stick, ginger, honey, and 1 tablespoon of the turmeric paste. Bring this mixture to a slow simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, and let it steep. Remove it from heat, strain, serve, and enjoy.
You can store the remainder of the turmeric paste in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, so you always have some ready.
Turmeric Latter recipe courtesy of The Food Network.