Ubtan recipe for glowing, clear skin

Ubtan, a traditional Indian beauty paste applied on brides-to-be a few days before the D-Day is something that’s become a ritual of sorts! Even the grooms apply it before the wedding. 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 to use ubtan.

How to make ubtan?

Ubtan is made using natural ingredients. Here’s what you need:

• Gram flour or besan

• Turmeric or haldi

• Sandalwood powder or chandan

• Milk

• Rose water

Mix all these together to make a smooth paste. It shouldn’t be too thick to apply nor too watery. Decide the quantity based on where you want to apply it, just the face and neck or the whole body. The paste needs to be kept till it dries and then washed with lukewarm water.

Though these are some of the basic ingredients, many people substitute or add other powders as well such as neem powder, dried orange powder, lemon juice, almond powder, etc depending on their skin type. Here are some benefits of using ubtan.

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. Besan has exfoliating properties which helps get rid of dead skin cells which give the skin a dull appearance. Chandan soothes the skin especially during the summer months. And the addition of milk further enhances the complexion.

Reduces facial hair growth

Many Indian women swear by ubtan as it helps in reducing hair growth. The paste when applied in circular motion helps make the hair weaker from the roots and eventually leads to a finer 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.

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 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.

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. You can store the powder for several months. You can make use of this if you don’t have the time to make ubtan at home.