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Grandma knows best
Date: 21 july 2016

If you want to know which wellness fad will next break the internet, ask your grandmother. Everything she believes in is currently trending - By Parizaad Khan Sethi

Hands up if you rolled your eyes at your grandmother when she told you that nature’s remedies were the best beauty products. But she’s having the last laugh now, as the world slowly wakes up to the inherent goodness of ingredients like turmeric, neem and moringa.

Here’s a roundup of the wellness world’s current favourite nature cures. Give naani or daadi a hug for each one that sounds familiar.

[The irony of western audiences ‘discovering’ the health and beauty benefits of these ingredients is pretty funny, though. The current frontrunner for best Old-is-New Award is Golden Turmeric Latte. Haldi-doodh, anyone?]

Rose water

This distillate of rose petals has long-heralded in Ayurveda to have a balancing and calming effect. Our ancestors couldn’t do without it, and now it seems, neither can we. It’s crazy versatile and we use it to up skin’s hydration levels, soothe skin and control redness and inflammation. Also, spray it on bed sheets to sleep like a baby. Read more about the benefits of rose water here.
Celebrity lovers: Kim Kardashian and Eva Mendez
In: Forest Essentials Pure Rose Water, Kama Ayurveda Pure Rose Water

Coconut oil

The west has discovered the anti-bacterial, -fungal, -microbial and all-round cootie destroying-power of this oil. And the subcontinent’s naanis are saying a collective ‘I told you so’. Besides using cold pressed coconut oil for cleansing off stubborn makeup and moisturizing skin, celebrities and the wellness community has also woken up to oil-pulling, an Ayurvedic detox technique (which can cleanse better than few hundred green juices). Read more here.
Celebrity lovers: Gwyneth Paltrow and Suki Waterhouse
In: Kama Ayurveda Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, Forest Essentials Organic Cold Pressed Virgin Oil Coconut

Turmeric

Indian weddings wouldn’t be complete without a little (or LOT) of turmeric. Traditional ubtans have often had turmeric as an essential ingredient, as it helps acne, fights inflammation, and helps oily skin. It’s a potent inflammation fighter when ingested, so pinch your nose and chow down on the yellow root.
Celebrity lovers: Daisy Ridley
In: Kiehl's Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque , Forest Body Polisher Sandalwood & Turmeric, Kama Ayurveda Turmeric & Myrrh Skin Brightening Soap

Neem

The bitter oil obtained from this tree has some stiff antioxidant action going on, and its fatty acids are a great anti-ager. Model Christy Turlington has climbed onto the neem wagon and a few neem-based products are an essential part of her beauty line, Sundari.
Celebrity lovers: Christy Turlington
In: Forest Essentials Luxury Sugar Soap Neem Basil & Honey and Delicate Facial Cleanser Kashmiri Saffron & Neem, Kama Organic Neem Oil

Indigo

This ingredient is no stranger to India, having been used as a dye and medicine for centuries. In beauty, indigo has been most commonly used in India—in conjunction with henna—to colour hair. Now, luxury skincare brands are adding the distinctive purple-blue shrub to creams and moisturizers. Indigo has also been popular in other parts of Asia—Geishas have traditionally used it to soothe and repair skin.
In: Kama Ayurveda Bringadi Intensive Hair Treatment Oil (Indigo)

Grandma knows best
Parizaad Khan Sethi

is a beauty and wellness editor based in New York. She was the former beauty editor at Vogue India and now serves as a contributing editor for the magazine. At age 5, Parizaad fell in love with an old cream blush she found in the back of her mother’s drawer, and has been in awe of the transformative power of beauty ever since. When she’s not writing about beauty, she researches advances in skincare as a hobby, and is constantly guinea-pigging herself in the name of beauty.

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