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kirankomail · 6 years

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Slow and steady the love of Besan and Haldi

Haldi and Besan - gold for the skin.

How we women long and wish we had relatives, especially sisters in the US or UAE and they could send us their love in the form of expensive skincare creams; luscious serums, eyecare salve, deep moisturizers, hydrating oil, lip balms, hair masks, body scrub, brightening lotions… the list is endless. Somewhere deep down inside our hearts it has been etched that expensive and imported skincare can miraculously give us the skin we desire and make us beautiful.

The jars in my imagination somewhat look like this.

Like for instance there is an image in my mind (this is possibly a waiting-to-be-made skincare ad) of a woman dressed in thin white cashmere-silk or lace nightwear, sitting over bright white sheets surrounded by wine-colored velvet cushions and puffy pillows, smearing on her cheek an (expensive – I wish I could spell the name of the brand here) cream from inside a glossy golden jar. Then softly landing herself on to one of the puffy pillows she looks at me and smiles like an angel. Oh! Her beautiful hair does not even get ruffled as she falls asleep. Then she wakes up pushing through clear white curtains revealing a face that is spotless, bright and glowing like a star.

Now, I want that golden jar so I could become as beautiful as her. Did you see a yearning problem there? Because of this image in my head (You may have a different image in your head), I begin to think and possibly you have thought this too:

“Is my skin fair enough?”

“Oh, no another black spot!”

“This pimple is never going to go!”

“Fine lines under my eye! Uh ugly!”

“I have to get that cream. Otherwise, I am going to look like some hideous thing.”

Because I hate my skin I ain't gonna show my face! LOL!

Most see skin as fair, spotless, wrinkle-free... Why cant w just see it as good, healthy and well-nourished skin? No, your advertisement wants you to believe otherwise. Touch 30 and the same ad will be so loud you almost won’t hear anything else. While I am blessed with healthy skin, it took me a lot of years to realise I can’t be (don’t want to be either) that girl who has dreamy skin.

Some ads though are ridiculous and beyond compare. One in specific is where a young girl aspiring to get a job is turned down because the color of her skin is brown. For god’s sake, will somebody tell those people skin can’t type or make an on the spot presentation and the least thing for your boss to worry about is the fairness cream you are using! The worst is not over… Heard about fairness creams for men? Now laugh out loud.

This was when I lived in Coonoor. Never used any cream or make-up.

Having lived in a small town near Ooty, and with almost no access to the so-called fairy godmothers of gorgeous, expensive “skincare” creams you can say I’ve used besan and haldi all my life. As per my Ammijaan ke nuskhe (Grandmother’s home remedies) haldi and besan, you cannot replace by any expensive cream in the world. “It’s holistic. The water you drink, the food you eat and the thoughts you think got to be clean for the haldi and besan to work on your skin,” she says. “Slow yet steady the besan and haldi will teach you the art of loving yourself.” Both the colour of yellow she says are “gold for the skin. They make the skin rich.”

Going back to the old skincare regime.

After moving to the city, some of the skincare regime that I followed religiously was replaced by a 10-min peel off pack, fairness cream, and expensive makeup. For three years I did exactly what every working woman in the city does, did what was easy; bought the creams, went for a facial, bleach and an under-eye treatment and of all these the one I still regret the most is smoothening my hair and advising a good friend to take a chemical treatment for her acne (Don’t ask!). Not that they dint work but these expensive parlour facials never lasted. The benefits of it are overstated. Initially, it was just one facial a month then slowly that became twice a month and left my skin robbed of its originality and glow. If that wasn’t enough I felt as though my skin had aged.

The smoothen hair and makeup days.

Now I am not saying going all natural is a must nor think going makeup-free is brave, but the lust for dreamy skin can be pricey! Forget the price tags, in some cases, this wishful greed has left people faceless, skinless and in worst cases lifeless. The truth is you can’t fight age with a Botox or a surgery or an antiaging serum or anything that asks you to “fight” your skin for that matter. You have to gracefully accept it, love your skin and keep it healthy all along. That is why going back to haldi, besan felt like a good idea. After all, it’s all about loving yourself.

Your skin has a memory. In ten, twenty, thirty years from now, your skin will show the results of how it was treated today. So treat it kindly and with respect. - Jana Elston

Eight months of natural skincare products and loving it totally <3

Here is where Girija – a wonderful curator of all things natural for the skin steps in. how I met her and her brand story will be up on my next blog. But for the moment you have to know my skin has dramatically changed over the last 8 months and her products are one of the reasons why. The in-detail product blog will feature Girija’s brand and a few other brands that have helped me remove the chemicals and toxin from my skincare basket. (No, we aren't trying to promote her brand or sell you anything. She already has a dedicated customer following and is extremely passionate about her work.)

So, if you love haldi, besan and organic skincare stay tuned.

PS You can’t completely shun away from your current skincare that includes chemicals. I haven’t given up on my red lipstick. It’s a slow process that works only if you research, learn what is good for your skin and find brands you can trust.

#skincare #homemade #naturalbeauty #organic

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