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Turmeric Face Mask for Clear And Glowing Skin

Turmeric Face Mask for Clear And Glowing Skin

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Before I start telling you about how you can use a turmeric face mask let me tell you a little bit about how I first got introduced to it. Turmeric, also known as Haldi, has been used for centuries in India both as a food and as a medicine.

My Mum is from a small and quaint village called Aldona in North Goa. I spent a lot of my childhood in this village. When the month of April and May came along they would be a lot of activity in each household. You see once the rain started it would be difficult to get fish as fishermen did not go out to sea in stormy weather. It would be just as hard to go out to get groceries. So the pantry would be stocked with enough rice, sugar, spice powders and whatever else was needed for the next 4-5 months.

Pickles and papads ( savoury snacks to go with meals) would be made and the hot May sun would be made use of to dehydrate them well, so that they would last the next 4-5 months.

One of the main tasks taken up during this time was the making of spice powders. You see at the time spice powders were not freely available like they are in packets today. You had to make your own spice powders using whole spices. Buy whole red chillies, turmeric roots and whatever other whole spice you needed and get them home to clean them first.

So every May red chillies, turmeric roots, coriander seeds were cleaned, dried in the sun and then taken in bags to the mill in the closest town to be ground.The closest town to us was Mapusa.

You had to keep your bag with the whole spices in a queue. Imagine a queue not of people but with cloth bags in various colors. If you lived really far from the mill you could request the mill owner to grind your bag of spices first, using the excuse that if you missed the 8:30PM bus you’d be stranded in the market!

turmeric face mask

I still remember walking the hot, dusty markets of Mapusa in Goa. The hot summer afternoon sun bearing down on us with all its might. The strong smell of spices tickling my nose, while we waited for the spices to be ground. The skin below my nose would even start tingling as the smell was so strong. Time would be passed bargaining with the people selling their wares or getting a potato chop and tea.

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Fast forward about 20 years and while the Mapusa market is active as ever, grinding your own spices is now a thing of the past. Walk into any grocery store or supermarket and packaged spices are freely available. Now at the risk of sounding old fashioned and also a bit old, I’m going to say that the food tasted so much better with those fresh organic spices. I mean you chose the best spices for your spice powders.

In this time I also moved out of Goa and to another city. I saw the women in my new home city apply a turmeric face mask everyday. It was a common sight to see women with their faces stained yellow from the turmeric mask. Trust me when I tell you that they had the clearest, smoothest skin, though. No pigmentation, no lines, no marks and a perfectly even skin tone. Not surprising as turmeric is known for having anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing and antioxidant properties. It has antibacterial properties too, which makes it a great spice to fight acne with.

However, due to the fact that going around with a yellow stained face did not appeal to me too much, I did not think much about using it in my skincare. Also, I had been told by too many dermatologists that home remedies do more harm than good. No surprise there!!!

Then a friend gave me some organic turmeric powder which she had got from a farm. I decided to keep this solely for the purpose of making turmeric tea to be used when anyone has the flu or a really bad cold. I put it into a jar and kept it. However, it was different from the commercially available turmeric I normally buy for cooking. It had a beautiful bright orange hue which was very different from the normal yellow colour of the turmeric available at my grocery store.

When I was making my normal honey face mask, I saw the turmeric sitting on my spice shelf. Tempted I put about 1/4 teaspoon into the face mask. Fully expecting a yellow stained face, I let the mask stay on for an hour. However, after washing my face all I noticed was a slight yellow tinge on my skin. This tinge went off after my shower, leaving just a slight glow to my face. Glow is good. I like a glow!! It’s what I aim for. The better news was that the acne healed so much better and the scars left from them faded within 4-5 days. Even an old scar that had been around for 3-4 months faded very quickly.

Why Use a Turmeric Face Mask

Thrilled by the results of the turmeric face mask DIY, I did a little research to find out the turmeric benefits for skin. I learnt that turmeric contains Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium. All these play their own individual role in maintaining the health of your skin. They also help heal acne and reduce the appearance of scars. However most importantly, turmeric contains curcumin. Curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and it is also a strong anti-oxidant. With these 2 properties, I could see a lot of potential for turmeric in healing acne and acne scars.

So if you’ve been scared about the yellow stain that turmeric leaves behind, it’s time to put those fears to rest. First the stain is not permanent. And secondly, the masks do not need to stain your skin for you to get the benefit of the turmeric.

So how do we get the benefits of turmeric without getting too much of a yellow face? The trick is to use the turmeric with a thick medium like honey which gives you the full benefit of the turmeric but the thickness of the base prevents the turmeric from clumping on your skin and staining it. Of course you can also mix just plain turmeric with milk or water and apply it on your face, if you’re brave enough. Or if you’ve got a week where you can just stay at home.

The 3 Turmeric Face Masks

Below I will show you how to make 3 turmeric face masks. They are very easy and simple to make and they need at the most 4 easily available ingredients. Now remember that turmeric does stain. It stains your skin and anything else it comes in contact with. It has even stained my granite kitchen counter.

When you use a turmeric face mask, depending on your skin colour it might leave a darker or a lighter stain. This colour is not permanent and will fade after a shower or washing your face. At the most if you have used a whole lot of turmeric in your face mask, it might take a day, but it will eventually wash off.

Before using these turmeric face masks, make sure your face is free of makeup or sunscreen. If your face is already clean just splash some water on it and pat dry. I recommend doing this as damp skin absorbs whatever you apply on it much better. Apply the mask immediately after patting your face dry. These turmeric masks are better used in the evening so that your skin can use the time you sleep to further repair itself. While using the turmeric face mask, make sure your hair is out of the way. Either use a scarf or a hair band to keep your hair away from your face.

When buying turmeric, look out for organic turmeric preferably. If you cannot get it, no problem at all. You can use the turmeric that is commercially available for your turmeric face mask. Organic turmeric will have a more of an orange hue than a yellow one. It will also stain much less.

1. Honey and Turmeric Face Mask 

So this mask contains the same ingredients as the honey mask.

What You Need

  • 1 teaspoon of organic honey ( buy from here )
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (buy from here )
  • 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg powder ( buy from here )
  • 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder ( buy from here )

How To Make It

Mix all the ingredients and apply to your face. Leave it on for 1/2 an hour up to one hour. Wash off.

What It Does

The honey heals your acne with its antibacterial properties and it moisturises your skin. Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory and it soothes your skin and reduces redness. Nutmeg helps heal your acne scars. Turmeric gives your skin the antioxidants it needs to be healthy, heal acne, remove dead skin cells and clean out your pores.

This is a turmeric face mask you can’t go wrong with and it is a winner when it comes to acne.

2. Avocado and Turmeric Face Mask

What You Need

  • 1/4 of a ripe avocado mashed
  • 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder ( buy from here )

How To Make It

Mix the avocado and turmeric well until you have a well blended creamy paste. Apply this on your face and let it sit for anywhere from half an hour to an hour.

What It Does

Avocados are full of fat and they soothe any inflammation from acne. It hydrates dry and flaky areas on your skin that may have been caused by overuse of acne ointments. Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and helps your acne heal and gives your skin a glow.

3. Yogurt, Honey and Turmeric Face Mask

What You Need

  • 1 teaspoon of honey ( buy from here )
  • 1/2 teaspoon yogurt
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder ( buy from here )

How To Make It

Mix the ingredients well. Make sure the honey is mixed well with the yogurt. Apply this on your face and let it stay on for about 1/2 an hour.

What It Does

Honey soothes your skin and heals your acne. The lactic acid in yogurt removes the dead skin cells on your skin, making you less likely to get acne. Turmeric heals your acne and removes dead skin cells which helps your scars heal.

Now like all home and DIY treatments, these turmeric face masks will take a while to show results. If you’re expecting results within a day, you’ll be disappointed. The trick is to stick with it and commit to using these masks regularly. If you can’t use them everyday, use them say twice or thrice a week.

With consistent use, you’ll start to see changes in your skin from anywhere between 2 weeks to a month. Once your skin heals, do not stop using them. Use this turmeric masks at least once a week as part of your skin care routine. Used regularly over time, these turmeric face masks with help with acne, acne scars, pigmentation, wrinkles, skin ageing and skin sensitivity. If you have redness from acne and inflammation, it will be greatly reduced.

Here is a handy infographic that gives you all the ingredients for the 3 turmeric face masks all in one place.

turmeric face mask

Note :

The longer you keep these turmeric face masks on your face, the more benefits you will get. Washing your face 5 minutes after applying a mask like normally suggested does nothing for your skin. I understand these masks are a bit inconvenient to use but on the bright side, they provide a lot of benefits to your skin. If you cannot use them every day let them stay on for at least an hour and use them just 3 times a week.

Use a wide brush to apply the mask if you are scared the turmeric will stain your hands and nails. In the event, it does stain your fingers just use lemon juice and a soft brush to get the stain out.  If you feel your face is too yellow use a gentle sugar scrub to get the colour out.

WARNING : Turmeric STAINS fabric and furniture!! So make sure you wear old clothes you don’t mind getting soiled while using this mask. Make sure you don’t go near any white or light coloured furniture.

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Comments

  5. Hey and also just wanted to add one more thing, just in case you still have a yellow tint on your face after using the turmeric face mask just apply few drops of oils(any oil will do) on your face and keep it for 10 mins and later on go ahead and wash it off with a face wash. It gets rid of the entire yellowish tint.

    Reply

  6. I was wondering can I use Turmeric, milk and like regular flour with a few drops of lemon as my turmeric mask? If so can I use it everyday or how often do you recommend me using it?

    Reply

    • Hi, By regular flour I am assuming you mean plain flour, which I do not think is too good. Gram flour or any clay will be much better. Turmeric, milk and lemon are all fine. You can use it everyday without any problems. One thing to note though is that gram flour or clay does tend to dry out skin. If your skin is oily this will not be an issue, but if your skin is dry it is better to avoid using gram flour or clay on a daily basis. Alternative for gram flour or clay are mashed avocado, banana, papaya, honey, yoghurt. Hope this helps.

      Reply

    • Hello Anish.
      You can wash your face about 1/2 an hour to one hour after applying the turmeric, honey and lemon on your face. The longer you keep it the better it is. I keep my face masks on for even 2-3 hours. Hope this helps you.
      Anjali

      Reply

    • Yes, as long as you store it correctly either in the refrigerator or in a cool dry place. Masks with honey tend to stay perfectly fine at room temperature while masks that have either milk or fruit in them need to be kept in the refrigerator. Honey masks will be perfectly fine for up to 4-5 days. Milk based masks should be used in 2-3 days. Hope this helps you.
      Anjali

      Reply

  14. I’m so glad to see someone else promoting honey and turmeric. I just realized myself the benefits of using it daily.

    Reply

  15. Hi Anjali while using Honey Mask, what Face Wash and Moustriser did u use?

    Also after Honey Mask can I use a Medicated Soap to wash for Acne and a Topical Acne Gel in Night? Will it cause any side effects?

    Reply

    • H Nichola. I used Clean N Clear morning burst face wash and Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer. But any face wash or moisturizer will be fine. But after I used the honey mask I really did not feel the need to wash my face as honey is a great cleanser as well. Just plain water to wash off the honey and you face will be clean, unless of course you have used makeup, in which case you should be cleaning your face before applying the face mask.

      If you really want to wash your face I would suggest washing it before applying the mask.

      The medicated soap will be fine if used before the mask. I would recommend not using the Topical Acne gel soon after washing off the honey mask. Wait at least 2-3 hours before you use it. Actually the honey mask does a good job of healing your acne and you might not need the gel. Hope this helps.

      Reply

        • Nichola, you can try these
          1. Lotus herbals Alphamoist Alpha Hydroxyl Skin Renewal Oil Free Moisturiser
          2. Faces Ever Young 24 hour Dual action moisturizer
          3. Clean and Clear Skin Balancing Oil free moisturizers
          4. Aroma Magic Almond Moisturizer

          You can also check out the range from Clinique. Hope this helps.

          Reply

  19. Anjali, i started this today basically because of acne n especially black spot. Please does it help to eradicate d black spots I suffered from previous acne?

    Reply

  21. Can we use soap if we are applying turmeric.?. beacause it’s said tht if we use soap u wont get the benefit of tumeric ..

    Reply

  24. hi..im a black girl but i have critical uneven skin tone. and i dont have organic tumeric, just the one i use for cooking. is it still going to be effective?

    Reply

  25. Hi..can I use the tumeric, milk, lemon, honey mixture to remove/ lighten sun spots dark spots..age spots??

    Reply

    • Hi, Yes you can use this for dark spots. Lemon might be a bit too strong if you have sensitive skin, so do a patch test before using. Avoid lemon if you have active acne.

      Reply

  27. Hi thanks for the post. Can I use turmeric mixed with lemon juice every night? Turmeric with lemon or turmeric with honey which one is much safer to use every night?

    Reply

    • Hi. Lemon juice is a bit strong to use on skin. I think it will irritate your skin a lot. Much better to use honey. Honey is gentle and will help your skin a lot.

      Reply

    • Hi Racheal.
      Used everyday you should start to see some results in 2 weeks. To completely remove scars it could take about 8 weeks. Leave the mask on for a little longer everyday.

      Hope this helps.

      Reply

  30. Can you mix turmeric, lemon, and honey and store it in the fridge for long time ? or what is the best way yo store it so the mix can last atleast a week /month ?

    Reply

    • You can mix them and keep them for a week at the most. A month I would say is a bit too long to store home made masks. Store them in a shallow glass jar. I used the empty glass jar my moisturizer came in. Use clean hands to mix and clean hands when applying the mask to your face. Replace the lid on after you are done and pop it back into the fridge.

      Reply

    • Hi Stephanie
      You could use turmeric alone. The only problem is turmeric tends to stain skin yellow. This color will stay on your face for 2-3 days depending on your skin. That’s why I generally recommend that you mix it with a thick base like yogurt, avocado or honey.

      Also some skins may be a little too sensitive and turmeric used alone may irritate the skin.

      If you’re fine with the coloring you can go ahead and use it. Always do a patch test first.

      Reply

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