These 5 Indian spices that can enhance your beauty

Indian spices are famous all around the world for adding a burst of flavours to any dish, but not many people know spices can also work wonders for the skin and hair.

According to Dr Rashmi Shetty, a Mumbai based cosmetologist and anti-ageing expert, "Some of our spices like cardamom, cinnamon, garlic etc are great immune boosters. They have some or the other property which increases metabolic rate and enhances the immune system. When we prepare Indian detox drinks and diets, spices are always used in them, so consuming them orally is also very good for the skin and body. And when it comes to using spices in beauty treatments I find two ingredients to be very useful, coriander and turmeric.”

Well, guess our grandmothers were right, when they said that kitchen was the storehouse for all the beauty secrets. Here's a look at five spices that can take your beauty to next level. But, before trying out any of these spices on your skin, do a patch test by applying the mixture on the inside of the elbow first, to avoid any redness or reaction.

People are not aware of the fact that cinnamon has some great benefits. It has very good anti-bacterial properties, it improves blood circulation. It can be used to tackle pimples. Just make a paste of it and apply it on the affected area. When applied all over the face, it can help in skin rejuvenation as it improves blood circulation.

“Turmeric has wonderful anti ageing, antibiotic and antiseptic properties. As a beauty product, it is often used in skin creams also. Every other product touts ‘haldi’ as an ingredient. It also has good skin lightening properties. It can be used as a facepack along with honey for wonderful results on skin,” reveals Dr Shetty.

Dermatologist, Dr Madhuri Agarwal, shares a few more:

These are very cooling and soothing. If you soak them overnight and use the water as a face cleanser, it gives a wonderful cooling effect and makes the face look brighter.

Black pepper is very good for exfoliation. If you make a powder of it and apply a paste on your acne marks and blemishes, it will help exfoliate the affected skin and give it a clearer appearance. It can also help in clearing pimples. A little curd can also be added to black pepper powder and applied for beauty benefits.

Ginger can aid skin rejuvenation and it improves the skin colour and texture. It can be applied as a paste on the skin and left for some time. It will improve skin tone. It is said to reduce blemishes.