7 Reasons to Use Turmeric for Skin

Our skin, the largest organ in the body is not just a protective barrier that guards the body against infections, but it also plays an important role in our physical appearance. The importance of cannot be stressed enough. Most people, although they do want to have perfect and clear skin, don’t have the time or patience for a regular skin care routine.

While it’s so easy to get carried away by the numerous advertisements of skin care products that you see daily on TV, it’s only after you spend a fortune on these products and use it that you realize that they are of no good to you. In fact, some of these hyped up products may even produce adverse effects on the skin. This is where the importance of natural products such as turmeric for skin care comes in.

The benefits of turmeric for skin have long been recognized by the Ayurvedic system of medicine. People in many parts of the world make use of turmeric powder for skin care. The healing effects of this amazing root on various skin problems as universal. The medicinal and healing effects of turmeric is primarily due to the presence of a bioactive component known as curcumin that has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Regular application of turmeric face mask not only improves the health and appearance of the skin, but also helps get rid of acne and skin conditions such as dryness, eczema and psoriasis. There are multiple turmeric uses for skin. Let’s understand in detail what the various turmeric benefits for skin are:

Table of Contents

1. Turmeric for Acne

Acne is a major cause of worry for both teenagers as well as adults. While one or two acnes on the face can be dealt with easily, the occurrence of too many can be frustrating and difficult to cure. Moreover, since a scar-free, blemish-free skin is considered to beone of the main criteria for a beautiful face these days, people would try anything to get rid of those ignominious reddish, bumpy spots on the skin.

Turmeric, with its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties is one of the best and safest remedies to cure acne. The use of turmeric powder for skin helps destroy the bacteria and remove the excess oil that contribute to acne breakouts. The antiseptic properties of the spice help heal the acne quickly and get rid of the acne scars.

You can make a simple turmeric mask foreliminating acne by combining ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon of sandalwood powder with 2 tbsp. of curd. Make a paste with these ingredients and apply it on the acne affected areas. Keep this paste on your skin for about 20 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

Apply this turmeric face mask at least twice a week for best results.

2. Turmeric for Skin Whitening

If you want to have fair andskin. The more melanin in your skin, darker will be your skin tone. Various factors like pollution, sun exposure and improper diet can trigger an increase in production of melanin. Turmeric benefits for skin lightening through its strong curcumin action.

Does drinking turmeric milk lighten skin? Can drinking turmeric water for fair skin help? No scientific evidence, however the Curcumin found in turmeric restricts the hormones that are responsible for stimulating melanin production, helping to lighten the skin tone. This is the reason why there are several fairness products in the market that contain turmeric as the main ingredient.

To obtain fair skin, apply a turmeric mask made by mixing turmeric powder with lemon juice or cucumber juice. After applying the mask, wait for 15 minutes and then wash it off. Apply this mask daily and you’ll notice that your skin pigmentation has reduced and you’ve lighter and brighter skin.

3. Turmeric for Treating Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin condition which causes the skin cells to grow rapidly leading to the buildup of dead cells on the skin surface. As a result, there appears itchy, inflamed and scaly skin on various parts of the body.

Turmeric’s magic component, Curcumin has thepower to treat various skin related disorders including psoriasis. The anti-inflammatory properties of the compound help reduce the inflammation of the skin. It also inhibits the activities of the various proteins and biochemical pathways that lead to the progression of psoriasis. The antibacterial properties of turmeric help reduce the risk of developing skin infections.

To use turmeric for treating psoriasis, make a paste by combining turmeric powder with water. Apply this paste on the affected area and wrap a gauze over it. Leave it on overnight and in the morning, remove the gauze and wash off the turmeric paste. Repeat this procedure everyday.

Instead of using water to make the paste, you can also use honey, coconut oil, olive oil or aloe vera gel.

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4. Turmeric is One of the Best Anti-Aging Agents

Turmeric is a spice that contains a high level of antioxidants. Early appearance of aging signs such as wrinkles and fine lines on the skin is mostly due to the oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Antioxidants in turmeric can help keep the integrity of your skin by protecting it against the harmful effects of these free radicals.Turmeric has also been found to increase the elasticity of the skin by stimulating the growth of new cells.

To eliminate the visible signs of aging, you can use turmeric either internally or externally. External application includes preparing a turmeric face mask by mixing together a teaspoon of turmeric powder with a teaspoon of honey and half a teaspoon of coconut oil. Apply this turmeric mask on the skin, leave it on for about 20 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

5. Turmeric Helps Heal Wounds Very Fast

Use of turmeric powder for skin infection is traditional practices in parts of Asia. Open wounds should be treated as early as possible to prevent blood loss and the risk of infection. Small wounds can be easily treated using simple home remedies such as turmeric. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial of Curcumin is responsible for the therapeutic and wound healing effects of turmeric.

Applying turmeric paste on the wound speeds up the healing process and prevents the formation of scars. While the anti-inflammatory effects of the spice reduce inflammation and swelling, its analgesic properties help relieve the pain associated with the wound and anti-bacterial properties helps prevent infection of the wound. Turmeric also stimulates the formation of new skin cells that helps the wound to heal very quickly.

6. Turmeric for oily skin

Our skin is kept moist and supple by the natural oils secreted by the sebaceous glands. However, excess secretion of natural oils on the skin can lead to clogged pores, bacterial infection and the development of acne.

Turmeric is a great remedy that helps control the oiliness of the skin.According to a research that studied turmeric’s effect on the production of oil on the skin, applying turmeric twice a day for two weeks helped in significantly reducing the amount of oils on the skin. Researchers suggest that this effect is likely due to the presence of fatty acids and phytosterols in turmeric that have thepotential to reduce the excess quantities of skin oils.

Here’s how you make a turmeric mask for oily skin. Mix together a teaspoon of turmeric powder, one tablespoon of sandalwood powder and three tablespoons of orange juice to make a paste. Apply this turmeric paste on your face, leave it on for about 15 minutes and then wash off with lukewarm water. Regular application of this mask will help reduce excess oil on your skin and prevent acne breakouts.

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7. Turmeric Helps Remove Facial Hair

If you’re a female, then having unwanted facial hair can affect the beauty of your face. Having to constantly remove it can be quite annoying too. There are several methods such as threading, waxing, shaving and the use of hair removal creams that help remove facial hair temporarily. But the problem is that you’ve to keep repeating these procedures every time the hair grows back.

Don’t you think it would be great to have a natural and safe remedy to get rid of facial hair permanently? Well, there is one such remedy and it’s called turmeric! You may not notice the results immediately,but you’ll get your facial hair removed permanently if turmeric is applied on your face on a regular basis.

A turmeric face mask for removing facial hair can be prepared using turmeric and water. Make a turmeric paste for skin with these two ingredients and apply the mask on your face where you’ve excessive hair growth. Leave the turmeric mask on for about 15 minutes or until it dries. Then dip a cloth in warm water and wipe off the turmeric from your face.

Where to buy turmeric powder for skin?

With popularity of turmeric powder as spice, it is commonly available. Edible turmeric powder is today available on racks of grocery stores, super markets and online shopping portals. However when you use it for skin care, it is essential to use unadulterated turmeric powder. You should use turmeric powder which is from a brand you know and trust. Organic turmeric can be preferred.

Turmeric soap benefits: If you are fan of homemade soaps, turmeric soap is good way of seeking benefits of turmeric for your skin. While preparation of soap, add turmeric powder to hot oil. Rest process for homemade soap would be same.

Conclusion

So, now that you know the amazing benefits of turmeric for skin, don’t you want to reap those benefits? Start incorporating turmeric in your skin care regime. You can do this in many ways – adding it to food, drinking turmeric tea, taking oral turmeric capsules or via topical applications such as turmeric masks. Applying turmeric on the skin may cause temporary staining, but don’t worry! The yellow stain can be removed easily by washing your face thoroughly.

When you have safe and natural ways to take care of your skin, why go after costly beauty products that are laden with toxic chemicals? If you’ve been using turmeric for skin care, let us know how you like it

References for benefits of turmeric for skin:

Alternative Medicine Spices