Ayurveda beauty secrets: Have you ever thought in ancient times we didn’t have parlour and so many cosmetics to enhance our beauty? Then how the ancient women took care of their skin and hair with no parlour or cosmetics. Well! This question comes into everyone’s mind. In modern times women want instant results so they switch to chemical-based products ignoring the fact that these contain so many chemicals. These products will give you quick and fascinating results but can also cause damage to your skin and hair in the long run. Our ancestors are dependent on the things given by nature. They use homemade products made with natural ingredients to maintain their beauty. Let’s explore how ancient women took care of their different body parts.
Soap used by ancient women was prepared at home
Today we have so many soaps available in the market promising glowing skin. Nothing works better than the natural product. In ancient times women used to make their homemade soap by gently heating a mixture of sweet almonds, bitter almonds, Ghee, almond oil, aromatic oils, etc. Apart from it Natural clays both neutral and alkaline, Borax, Trona (Sodium Sesquicarbonate), potassium carbonate, all acquired from nature were also used as cleaning agents. These homemade soaps work great in the cleaning of their body.
Ancient women follow Vedas for luminous skin
There is no denying of fact that our Vedas have so many records of beauty secrets hidden in them. Rig-Veda & Atharva-Veda, Smrutis, and Samhitas refer to various codes of routine behavior laying great emphasis on personal cleanliness. Following this routine regularly makes a great difference in the appearance of the skin. It strongly puts emphasis on taking baths daily with clean flowing water. It not only cleans out the dirt but also refreshes the body to carry out one’s daily tasks efficiently. Apart from it applying soft earth, saponaceous fragrant soft plant materials on the body before a water bath to remove dirt and other impurities from human skin is spelled out as a means to maintain personal cleanliness and hygiene. The most common ingredients that were used and are used till present times include, Astringent plants like Amla (Emblica officinalis), aromatic plant Nagarmotha (Cyperus Pertenuis), oils of almonds, sesame, lather-producing local fruits like Ritha, Shikkakai, etc. An aqueous extract of Hard (Terminalia Chebula), Bheda (Terminalia belerica), and Amla (Emblica Officianalis), was used as antiseptic preparation to keep one free from bacterial ailments like pimples, acne, and to keep skin complexion soft and smooth.
Ancient women used betel leaves for lipstick and rice powder for talcum powder
In modern times wide range of lipstick is available in different colour shades but in ancient times women didn’t have so many options. Orthodox women chewed ‘Paan’ a combination of crushed areca nut; betel leaves spices, and lime. ‘Pan’ is not only a popular refreshing delicacy, but it also promotes salivation, improves digestion, and at the same time imparts a reddish-brown hue to the lips, a colour very popular as a fashion statement.
Talcum powder was prepared using natural vegetable agents. Ancient Indian face powder was made up of rice powder; violet roots or freshly ground sandalwood. Rouge was obtained from the combination of various juices namely plums, cactus fruit, red beet, ripe strawberries, or green walnut husk. All these beauty preparations were neither costly nor unattainable luxury by the common masses.
Black and shiny hair with the help of curry leaves and fenugreek seeds
Curry leaves benefit in both ways whether consumed or applied. When consumed internally prevents premature greying of hair and when boiled in coconut oil and used regularly, stimulates hair growth and helps retain the natural pigmentation of hair keeping it black for a longer duration.
Methi (Fenugreek) seeds are also very effective in promoting the growth of hair. We can soak it in water overnight and then ground it into a fine paste and applied on the scalp. The paste is left for about 15 to 20 minutes and then washed with Ritha or Soap nut to remove dandruff. Fresh Methi leaves paste when applied regularly before bath promotes hair growth and keeps hair black and silky.
The wise man of ancient India also advised that it is necessary to take care of your body both internally as well as externally. We should develop the habit of consuming healthy homemade food and a lot of green vegetables and fruits in our diet. A lot of laugh and happiness can also do wonders with your skin. Following these tips will definitely give you youthful glowing skin.
