11 Indian beauty secrets

These ancient tried-and-tested rituals use Ayurvedic expertise, oils and herbs for gorgeous hair, skin, and body: Monisha Bharadwaj

The one thing that is common to the whole of India is that the beauty culture is based on age-old secrets and the ancient wisdom of past experience. These secrets are a legacy passed down the generations from mother to daughter.

Yet the beauty secrets of India are for women everywhere. They respond to a universal concept of pure, natural beauty and are easy to follow. The secrets rely on the expertise of Ayurveda and ancient India herbal beauty lore to restore, maintain and improve on what nature has given us.

1. Do yogic exercises to intensify the gaze

Try this simple exercise. Look at the tip of your nose for a minute, then focus on an object far away for another minute. Choose a different object each time. Do this for five minutes every day until the eyes develop an unwavering gaze.

2. Get rid of blemishes

Blemishes are usually temporary and can be caused by anything from strong sun and wind to an excess of alcohol. A light dab of either sandalwood or turmeric powder mixed in a little water should clear the problem. Both of these have unique antiseptic properties. Carrots, known for their high vitamin A content, also make a wonderful treatment. Simply grate a carrot, squeeze out a teaspoonful of fresh saffron-coloured juice and then wipe over the blemished areas. Rinse off after half an hour.

(Always prepare only small quantities of any recipe, so that you can use it up quickly. Home recipes do not contain any preservatives [unlike commercial products] and can be breeding grounds for bacteria if stored for too long or in the wrong conditions.)

3. Improve the appearance of enlarged pores

Enlarged pores are caused mainly by the over-stretching of pores that then fill with excess oil. Any part of the body that stretches beyond its capacity may refuse to return perfectly to its original shape and size and pores are no exception. The problems can be resolved by temporarily by closing the pores with astringents, so that the skin looks toned. Buttermilk or watered-down yoghurt, a popular drink all over India known as chaas or lassi, works wonders, closing the pores to create the illusion of finely textured, perfect skin. Use it as a daily face wash and splash with cold water afterwards.

4. Get perfect foundation

If you want your make-up to last, there are two things you can do. First splash ice-cold water on your face and neck after you have applied foundation to set the base. Gently pat dry and continue your routine. Second, seal your look with a fine dusting of loose face powder. Use a soft, fat brush and blow away any excess before you start on your face. Blend well to eliminate any powdery patches.

5. Moisturise

Moisturising forms an even more important part of your beauty routine during the winter months. Always remember to treat your neck to all the goodies you use on your face - otherwise you will end up with a lovely face on a crepey neck.

Night cream

The cocoa in this moisturiser will not stain the face. Instead the alkaloids it contains - mainly theobromine and caffeine - act as stimulants and rejuvenate the skin. Lanolin is available from health and specialist beauty shops.

2 tbsp almost oil

2 tbsp lanolin

1 tsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp rosewater

Put the almond oil, lanolin and cocoa in a heatproof glass bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of water and heat gently over a low heat till the mixture melts into a smooth cream. Use only a wooden spoon to stir as a metal one will react with the ingredients. Take off the heat and add the rosewater, stirring all the while. Allow the cream to cool and store in a glass bottle.

6. Treat dark circles with Malti's under-eye remedy

My aunt Malti swears by the juice of mint although she can't explain exactly how it helps. The almond oil has gentle lubricating properties, which help to dispel fine lines and dark patches due to dry skin. Honey is an ideal energising food and according to Ayurveda has a tremendous healing effect on the body.

5 fresh mint leaves

1 tsp almond oil

1/2 tsp honey

Crush the mint with a little water in a mortar. Strain the juice and add to the almond oil and honey. Stir till completely mixed and apply a tiny amount under the eyes before going to bed.

7. Use a traditional skin polisher

This is used by women all over India. The turmeric acts as a natural cleanser and disinfectant and will not turn your skin yellow. The chickpea flour sloughs off dead skin to give unimagined silkiness and the milk will firm up the entire body. Even the tiniest of babies are massaged with this body polisher, but do be careful if you have a history of allergy to wheat or lentil flour - use rice flour instead.

1 tablespoon chickpea flour

Pinch of turmeric

About 2 tsp of milk

Mix all the ingredients together and rub on to wet skin instead of soap.

8. Treat skin with masks

The most luxurious beauty treatment for the face is the application of a face pack. It deep-cleans, tones and moisturises all at once, smells delicious and makes you feel relaxed and pampered. Face masks are simple to make and can easily save you money spent on commercial products.

For oily skin - Sandalwood is a natural astringent. Tumeric is antiseptic, and keeps spots in check, while the fruit acid in orange juice clears blemishes. Ther turmeric may stain the skin slightly, but this is temporary and will clear after a few washes. If you have a sensitive skin and are worried about staining, substitute the murmeric with geranium leaf juice (crush one leaf with a little water, strain and use 1/2 tsp of the liquid), reducing the quantity of orange juice by the same amount.

1 1/2 tbsp sandalwood powder

Tiny pinch (few grains) of ground turmeric

3 tbsp orange juice

Mix all the ingredients together and apply over the face and neck, avoiding the eye area. Allow to dry, then rinse off with cool water, without pulling the skin.

For dry skin - This mask conditions dry skin and leaves it supple and radiant.

1 egg white

1 tsp honey

1 tsp full-fat cream

Mix together all the ingredients and pat on to the face and neck. Rinse off after 20 minutes.

For normal skin - The protein in milk powder leaves skin petal-soft and the rosewater tones and refreshes.

2tbsp milk powder

Rosewater to mix

Combine the ingredients into a thick paste and apply to the face and neck.

9. Condition hair

Conditioners put the life back into dull hair and are simple to make at home.

My own super conditioner

When I was growing up in Mumbai, my parents owned a farmhouse in the verdant, waterfall-dotted slopes of the Sahyadri mountains. All kinds of wonderful herbs grew there and each weekend visit would find me bringing a basketful of freshly plucked herbs home to Mumbai to grind up into conditioning hair masks. I have never been able to achieve the same gloss and texture from any bottled conditioner.

Handful each hibiscus, marigold, balsam, basil and mint leaves

Handful of rose petals

Grind all of these (or as many as you can find) in a blender with a little water til you get an emerald-green, coarse, sticky mixture. Apply this directly to the scalp and hair and leave on for at least an hour. Wash off thoroughly. Your hair is sure to gleam like gold.

10. Oil your hair

Oiling the hair has been a highly regarded ritual in India for at least five thousand years. Even today wise old women are convinced that regular oiling maintains the natural colour of the hair and prevents greying. Oil cools the head and promotes luxurious hair growth, whereas internal body heat does the opposite. Many of my own aunts still have jet-black hair even at the age of seventy!

Oil for falling hair

The eucalyptus and clove oils in this preparation boost blood circulation that nourishes the root of the hair and prevents hair loss.

5 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp eucalyptus oil

1 tsp clove oil

Mix the three oils together and gently rub into the scalp at night.

11. Banish dandruff

A nourishing hair pack that clears up dandruff can be made of four tablespoons rosemary infusion, an egg yolk and a pinch of borax: simple massage into the scalp before shampooing. Occasional bouts of scurfiness can be cleared up with a relaxing massage with warm olive oil.

Excerpted from India’s Beauty Secrets by Monisha Bharadwaj, Kyle Cathie