DIY body wash with natural ingredients

This is an incredible recipe that my friend Anbuchchelvi gave me. I should give total credit to her because I am really enjoying the luxury and aroma therapy it gives for my mood swings. It has all natural ingredients that is good for all types of skin and is also a healant. This recipe is good for skin as it exfoliates, improves blood circulation, used as an astringent, and is very refreshing.

Benefits:

• All natural products and its allergy proof unless you are very very very sensitive. 
• It helps in cleansing skin and keep skin allergy free.
• It removes sun tan, clears clogged pores and keeps skin fresh. 
• It exfoliates, cleanses and heals skin problems like yeast infection.
• It is cheap and goes long way.
• It lightens skin.

Recipe:

250 gms whole green gram dhal

100 gms kasthuri manjal powder (Curcuma aromatica)

50 gms besan flour

1 black pepper size bit of pachai karpooram (Cinnamomum camphora)

Procedure:

1. Grind green gram dhal to powder with little grains as it will help in scrubbing. 
2. Mix kasthuri manjal powder and besan flour. Make it a thorough mix. 
3. Store it into a clean and air-tight container. 
4. Add a small bit of pachai karpooram in the box.

Application:

Take required amount of the powder mixture and make it into a paste with water. Wet your body and apply on it on the wet skin and scrub. Wash thoroughly with water. 

Note:

• Avoid besan flour if your skin is very dry.
• After bath, apply moisturiser or body oil after towel dry and when your skin is wet so that it retains moisture in your body.
• Using besan flour can make your skin dry. So use a moisturiser mandatory.
• Avoid contact with eye as turmeric might irritate.
• Turmeric might stain your skin and dress mildly. 
• You can use all over your body, neck and face. 
• Be cautious in the amount of pachai karpooram used. Just put a small piece in the box. 

Powdered green gram dhal is an excellent cleanse and a excellent replacement for soap. Does not cause irritation on skin. It is known for anti-ageing and anti-bacterial properties.

Kasthuri manjal powder also known as jangli haldi powder is known for its beauty benefits. It has known benefits of anti-septic, anti-bacterial, and anti-ageing properties. Keeps skin clear without skin infections. Provides good aroma which is very refreshing. Improves blood circulation and might irritate mildly. Lightens skin and heals sun burn/tan.

Besan flour lightens skin and clears pores. Cleanses and refreshes skin. It is also know for its beauty benefits and anti-ageing property.

Pachai karpooram is an important ingredient here as it helps in reducing itchiness in your skin. It gives good and strong smell for an aromatic experience. It also keeps the mixture fresh and keeps bugs off that is formed in any dhal. A good preserver and cools down skin.

Hair Treatment for thicker, voluminous and healthy hair (oil based for all types of hair)

The following is a medicated oil formula that is traditionally used in my family. Continuous usage of this gives healthy hair. My cousins still practise the same as a routine by oiling their hair everyday with this medicated oil and this is very common in India. I am not recommending you to oil your hair everyday but still I recommend to do this medicated oil treatment at least once a week. 

A healthy hair is very important. Though there are many controversial statements and arguments about hair and beauty, I still feel hair gives face a very different dimension of beauty and feel. Of course you need to have a healthy diet and this treatment will help externally. Since this treatment is natural and Ayurvedic, it might react for few body types for many reasons. 

Benefits:

Karisalankanni leaves (Bhringraj) are amazing and proven for hair and health. U can see numerous benefits on web about this greens. They are known for the following;

• It reduces and even stops hair loss. It stimulates hair growth and strengthens your hair.
• Deep conditions your hair and prevents split ends.
• Makes hair colour darker and prevents greying of hair.

Curry leaves has many nutrients to feed your hair. Very common in India and Sri Lanka.

• Its helps in reconstructing damaged hair and nourishes you hair. 
• It also helps darkening hair colour, prevent premature greying

Neem leaves has good natural way of anti-septic and anti-bacterial property. The leave and the tree are known for its medicinal value. The following are the benefits;

• Reduces itchiness on your scalp and cures any scalp infection. Prevents lies. 
• Cures and treats dandruff and hair loss. 
• Keeps hair and scalp healthy.

Hibiscus petals prevents known for its hair growth properties and prevents hair fall. It adds loads of strength to the hair for calcium and vitamin C present in it.

use only for visual reference (source: google images)

Recipe:

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup of fresh Karisalankanni leaves (scientific name: Eclipta prostrata)

1 cup of fresh curry leaves (scientific name: Murraya koenigii)

1 cup of fresh young neem leaves (scientific name: Azadirachta indica)

1 cup of red hibiscus petals (scientific name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Procedure 1:

1. Take an oil base from my previous blog http://diywithiyarkai.blogspot.in/ . U can use any one of the three recipes. Heat the oil in slow fire. 
2. Add all the ingredients mentioned above to the hot oil. DO NOT over heat it because it will burn the leaves before it gets infused. 
3. It might foam up and get to the rim of the vessel. So use a heavy bottomed deep vessel. 
4. Stir for some time and take it off the heat. Leave it overnight for the leaves and petals to continue infusion. 
5. Filter with a clean muslin cloth and store it in a clean jar. A clean jar is important as the oil will get spoilt otherwise.

Procedure 2:

1. Grind all the leaves and petals together. It is best to do it in hand grinding stone as it has to be grinded without water. Otherwise use a processor. If it is tight then you can mix 1 tsp of oil base and try again in the processor. This should work. DO NOT use water to grind. 
2. Follow the above mentioned steps in procedure 1.

Procedure 3:

1. Grind all the ingredient without water or oil (strictly no water and oil). 
2. Spread them on clean plastic sheet in small patches and sun dry them. Sun dry is the best method to dry the mixture. U can use the dehydrator or the oven for this purpose. But Sun drying packs in all the goodies in it than the other two methods. 
3. When they are completely dry and become chips, store them in a clean bottle. You can make them in big batches and store in a separate jar. 
4. Slightly heat the oil base in a glass jar and add few of the chips to the bottle. Leave it to infuse in time. The chips will infuse slowly as u use it. 
5. You can refill the jar once the oil is used with new warm oil and some chips. U can reuse the chips twice.

Application:

Use as much as needed and soak hair in oil. Divide your hair in parts and apply all over the scalp and hair from root to tip. If you leave it overnight it will condition your hair well and cool your body. You will see the result in the first wash itself provided you leave it on your hair for at least 5 hrs. 

Note:

• It might give uncomfortable smell while making the oil and after application on your hair. 
• Please patch test and use with caution for the first time. 
• This medicated oil is very cold for body. Please DO NOT use if your body can’t take cold. 
• You can either do the oil base and the above separately and keep for different usage or make them once for all together while doing the oil base itself. You can add the leaves and petals ingredients to the oils while making them to save time.  

All the ingredients are available in the local market. If it is not, I take orders for this oil and you can mail me at ar.munchu@gmail.com for details.