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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 23, 2014 10:02 AM IST
While most Indians are familiar with tamarind or imli, they usually associate it with cooking or the tempting street food. Most people are unaware that tamarind is also a great home remedy for healing many hair and skin related problems. Hidden inside the brown pod is a fruit that imparts a lot of flavour to the Asian, Caribbean and even Latin American cuisine with its sweet and tangy taste. But tamarind juice is filled with vitamins and minerals that make it a good solution for many hair and skin issues. Tamarind seeds are very rich in minerals like phosphorus, amino acids, magnesium, etc. as well. It has its own benefits when used for beauty treatments.
Beauty benefits of tamarind
Cosmetic: The seeds contain a compound used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products to topically treat minor rashes on the skin. This compound is called xyloglycans.
Healthy skin: The hyaluronic acid from the seeds is a great way to keep the skin moisturised and nourished.
Anti-inflammatory: The antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties of tamarind make it a good solution for preventing skin diseases such as eczema.
Sun protection: The different nutrients such as vitamin C, flavonoids, antioxidants and alpha hydroxyl acids help in preventing the oxidative damage caused due to UV ray exposure.
Clear skin: By regular consumption and application of tamarind, skin blemishes can be reduced and the skin will be soft.
Anti-ageing: The hydrating property of tamarind allows it to provide elasticity to the skin. Thus, it works fantastically as an anti-ageing treatment and smoothes away wrinkles or fine lines.
Exfoliation: The presence of AHA in the tamarind pulp makes it a good exfoliant for the skin.
Remove pigmentation: The AHA in tamarind is also great for fighting pigmentation and dark patches on the skin.
Stronger hair: Tamarind makes the hair strong and prevents hair fall.
How to use tamarind
Tamarind seeds and juice can be used to benefit the hair and skin in many ways. Though they can be consumed directly, in the raw form, there are several external applications as well that can yield good results. (Read: Try fruit face packs for glowing skin (Gallery))
Face mask for glowing skin
Make a face mask using fresh tamarind pulp, sandalwood powder, rose water, curd and multani mitti. Mix all these ingredients together to get a nice and smooth paste that can be applied to the face. After about 20 minutes when the face mask has dried, wash it off with warm water and reveal a clean and radiant skin. (Read: 10 home-made face packs for tanned skin (Gallery))
Body scrub to remove dead skin
Create a body scrub to remove the dead skin cells by mixing together tamarind juice, baking soda, lemon juice and brown sugar. Apply this smooth paste to the body and exfoliate using a loofah. Use warm water to rinse off. Use this once a week.
Face pack to lighten skin tone
Extract tamarind pulp by boiling it with water and mix turmeric powder to the pulp. When cooled, this paste can be applied to the skin to get brighter and fairer complexion. Those with oilu skin can apply this face mask up to thrice a week to see a change in the skin tone. However, do note that the vitamin C in tamarind will make you more susceptible to sun damage so you must apply sun screen lavishly. (Read: 9 homemade face packs to remove tan)
Natural bleach
You can easily make a natural bleaching mask by mixing together tamarind pulp, lemon juice and honey. Apply this on the face and let it dry for 15 minutes. Wash off with cold water.
Hair mask
To prevent hair fall and also to make the hair stronger, extract tamarind juice by soaking it in warm water and straining it. Apply the clear liquid to the hair. Shampoo the hair thoroughly to remove the stickiness of tamarind. You could also wrap a hot towel on the head after massaging the scalp with tamarind and rinse off after 15 minutes.
Image source: Getty images
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