Dark Spots and Blemish Removal/Turmeric

 Turmeric Facial mask to Stop Pimples, Acne, Blackheads and Eczema

The skin is vulnerable to a series of environmental factors as well as stress and poor eating habits. Although there is a wide market for cosmetic products that offers to improve skin problems, nature also provides a solution to these. Natural treatments for skin that give lasting results are often better than expensive commercial products and cosmetic procedures. One of such natural treatment that I have come to absolutely love is turmeric powder for skin.

Turmeric or 'Haldi', is one of India’s most widely used spices and is one of the ingredients used in Curry powder. Turmeric has been used as beauty product over the centuries. In south Asia, the Turmeric facial masks were an integral part of the bride’s wedding preparations, making her look spotless and glamorous on her big day( I know you remember how those women you see in Bollywood movies glow in their skin).

Turmeric contains a substance called Curcumin, which can benefit the body, both inside and out.

Curcumin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that works to prevent Acne, Eczema, reduces inflammation and redness, and promotes skin healing while reducing hyper-pigmentation and blemishes 

Turmeric masks has been used for skin rejuvenation. It helps in softening lines and wrinkles, giving the face a more youthful appearance. It is also effective with Rosacea – a chronic skin condition that is characterized by redness and pimples. It eases the redness and treats this disease.

The turmeric basic face mask is easy to make, it brightens the skin and makes it look fresh and glow.

After I researched about the use of Turmeric, I decided to purchase it from a local Indian store. I wanted to hear from the horse's mouth and so I asked the older Indian lady about the Turmeric mask and if all the magic effects I have heard about it was just one of the popular Bollywood film tricks. To my positive surprise, she confirmed the benefits of this yellow spice, she gave me first hand recipes for the turmeric face masks which I have tried and am sharing with you here.

Here are the recipes for a homemade Turmeric Facial mask:

There are many variations for the recipe, but below you will find the basic recipe. Some add chickpea flower to thicken the paste and help fight wrinkles or a little bit of lemon juice which helps to lighten the skin.

Face preparation

Wash your face with running water and remove all makeup. If your hair is long, tie it up at the back. Wear a T-shirt you are not too attached to, in case it gets stained.

1. For a glowing Skin 

Put turmeric into a little bowl. Add honey (honey can be used to prepare other homemade honey face masks that you can make at home and is one of my personal favourites). Then add milk or yogurt. You can adjust the amount of milk to make the paste more or less thick, but make sure it’s a firm paste that will stick to your face. 

2. Reduce Signs of Ageing
Use turmeric as an exfoliating agent to reduce signs of ageing. Combine turmeric powder and Besan or gram flour also known as chickpea flour in equal proportions and add water, milk or yogurt to make a paste. Apply evenly on skin and leave it to dry. Wash away with lukewarm water, gently scrubbing your face in circular motions.

3. To Brighten skin and reduce blemishes
Prepare turmeric mask by adding some Honey, lemon juice and milk to turmeric powder to make a paste. Apply on skin and leave on for 30 minutes then wash off gently with water.

4. To reduce acne scars 

apply a mixture of turmeric powder and water on acne marks and leave on for 30 minutes.

 5. Healthy and flawless skin
Prepare a paste from equal quantities of turmeric power and rice powder or chickpea flour and milk. Apply directly on face and neck then leave on for about 30-45 minutes. Rinse off with water.

Application of the Turmeric Face Mask

Apply the mask evenly all over your face. A spot you don’t want to miss is under the eyes, as turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties help reduce the dark circles, which form as a result of vasoconstriction (narrowing of the vessels). Besides the mask has a brightening effect and leaving out your under eye would mean having darker under eye circles.

If you have any mask leftover, you can save it in the fridge for a few days and use it the next time.

Make sure the mask dries on your face before washing out, this means leaving it on for about 20 minutes or longer and then washing it off with cool water. Dry your face gently with a cloth.

Repeat the mask over the course of a few days. You can do it every few weeks, depending on your needs and complexion.

During my intensive Skin care phase, I used the mask everyday for 2 weeks and saw amazing results, now I would use it once in every two weeks as a prophylactic measure to prevent further breakouts

Why is this mask so great?

Turmeric is a good antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent. Honey also has anti-bacterial properties and it moisturises the skin well. Milk and other milk products contain lactic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid and it exfoliates and brightens the skin. Together, these three ingredients work wonders for your skin.

Important Tips

• Turmeric is a dye and it can stain anything, so you don’t want it dripping off your face.  

• To keep your skin glowing, use this regularly or at least once a week.

• Chickpea flour or gram flour may be added to turmeric to be used as facial scrub, which also inhibits facial hair growth. Do this for about one month for best results. 

• If your Skin is healthy and clear, you would want to maintain the beauty. Make a paste with turmeric powder, Chickpea (gram) flour, honey and milk. Use this as a body scrub before taking a shower. Regular use will lead to clear, spotless skin. This can also be used t lighten your complexion.  

• Apply turmeric powder directly on minor skin cuts to help speed up wound healing

• Using turmeric regularly helps to prevent skin disorders and make your skin absolutely flawless.

• Remember, patience is the key. These are natural products and not laboratory chemicals, they need time to work.I will be sharing a few possible ways to effectively conceal your blemishes to be able to comfortably and patiently transit from a bad skin to a flawless skin.

Enjoy the flavors of Turmeric..


Picture update of result so far. This is after about 4 weeks of intensive skin treatment.