3 DIY tamarind face packs for getting rid of dull skin

Try these skin brightening easy to make face packs with tamarind plus a few basic kitchen ingredients.

Lately, your skin hasn't been at its prettiest best? Job stress, pollution, bad diet, etc. have all been ganging up against you and taking a toll on your skin. But getting your natural glow back isn't rocket science. All you need is this simple kitchen ingredient -- tamarind. Known as imli in Hindi and amlika in Sanskirt, tamarind is commonly used for making chutneys and for flavouring lentil curries like Sambar. Teeming with antioxidants and micronutrients, tamarind has a lot of health benefits.¹ Here are some health benefits of tamarind. But the beauty benefits of tamarind are relatively unknown.

Tamarind is rich in alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs, which are naturally-occurring acids present in certain fruits.² Alpha hydroxy acids are excellent for skin health, mainly because it helps in sloughing off dead cells, revealing clear, bright skin underneath. That's why many skincare lotions and creams contain tamarind extracts. If your skin has been looking dull lately, you should definitely try brightening it with these three DIY, tried-and-tested tamarind face masks.

A word of caution before you start: Tamarind is acidic in nature and may not suit certain sensitive skin types. So avoid putting the concentrated tamarind pulp on your face if you can't tolerate it. Always mix it with a base ingredient like besan or rice flour and try a patch test on a small area first before you apply it on your entire face. If you feel a burning sensation, wash off immediately.

Method:

Preparing tamarind pulp is easy. All you have to do is put a few pieces in lukewarm water and wait for 5-10 minutes. The water will turn brown and the pulp will separate from the fruit. Use your hand to loosen the pulp till the consistency of the water changes and becomes thicker. Store this pulp in the refrigerator and use whenever you require it.

1 Besan + tamarind pulp

Take 1 1/2 teaspoon of besan or chickpea flour and mix enough pulp to form a thick paste. Apply it all over your face and massage it for a while. Then leave it on for 15-20 minutes till the face pack dries. This works best if you have an oily skin.

2 Multani mitti + tamarind pulp

Follow the same steps as the previous face pack. Apply on areas where you have breakouts or discolouration. It can be slightly drying, so moisturise thoroughly after use. Read the beauty benefits of multani mitti.

3 Oats + tamarind

Pulverise a teaspoon of oats into a fine powder and mix it with tamarind pulp. Apply it all over your face and wash off after it is dried.

You can also add more ingredients like turmeric, yoghurt or rice flour to the mix, but limit your use to once or twice a week. If your skin can't tolerate it, wash off immediately with cold water.

References:

1 Bhadoriya, S. S., Ganeshpurkar, A., Narwaria, J., Rai, G., & Jain, A. P. (2011). Tamarindus indica: Extent of explored potential. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 5(9), 73 81. http://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.79102

2 Maenthaisong, R., Viyoch, J., Chaiyakunapruk, N., & Warnnissorn, P. (2007). Cleansing lotion containing tamarind fruit pulp extract. II. Study of cumulative irritation effects in human. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 6(3), 178-182.

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