Ayurvedic bathing powder

Bathing powder also known as Snana Chooranam [स्नान चूर्ण] Or Ubtan. Snana means bath / ablution. Chooranam means powder (or mixture of powders)

I remember as a kid, during our summer break, we used to visit my maternal ancestral home in Kerala, India. Those were fun days for me. Loved re-connecting & playing with all my cousins, eating yummy local, seasonal fruits etc. Very sweet memories.

I recall, elders of our house preparing Snana Chooranam - made of real home grown turmeric and red sandalwood. Before bathing, all kids in the house would have Abhyanga (herbal oil massage). Then we would apply the Snana Chooranam (in paste form) and let it dry. Once dried, we would rush to a natural pond / pool where we had a gala time playing in water. Although as a kid, waiting for the Snana Chooranam paste to get dry was not so fun.

Later on, as an adult, with a busy life, bathing always involved using soaps or shower gels. Until, I started making gradual lifestyle changes around 8 years back. I decided to stop using harmful chemicals on my skin which also in turn pollutes the environment and moved back to natural methods. I started making my own bathing powder and haven't looked back since then.

Love to share about one specific bathing powder that I made during my first pregnancy. It is not necessarily meant for pregnancy as people with all skin types can use this.

Benefits

1. Gentle cleanser: This Ayurvedic bathing powder gently removes dead skin cells imparting a glow to the skin making it smoother.

2. Antimicrobial & Antiperspirant: Due to Sandalwood, Wild Turmeric, Vetiver, Damascena Rose and Lemon zest.

3. Hydrating for skin.

4. Aromatic herbs present in this can be a stress reliever and / or itch reliever.

Ingredients

1. Multani Mitti or Fuller's earth* - 300 mg

2. Sandalwood powder - 100 mg

3. Kasturi manjal (Wild turmeric or Cucurma Aromatica)** - 100 mg

4. Almonds - 80 mg

5. Dry Damascena rose - 50 mg

6. Lemon zest (peel) - 10 mg

7. Vetiver root - 10 mg

* Base for the bathing powder is Multani Mitti as it is less drying compared to lentils on my skin.

** This could have a stinging sensation on skin so better do a patch test. You can also swap it with a regular turmeric.

Method

1. Traditionally the herbs were warmed under sunlight to have more crispness which helps during grinding. You can warm them separately in an oven or in a pan on stove top.

2. Powder the Vetiver root in a grinder and sieve it to get a fine powder. Do the same for the roses and lemon zest.

3. Take almonds and grind them to a coarse powder. I kept its consistency to be coarse as it would act as an excellent exfoliant.

4. Take all the powders in a large tray, mix and store it in an air tight container.

Usage

Mix the required amount of bathing powder with water / rose water / milk / milk cream and apply to the body and face before shower. Let it dry and wash away. Or, you can also massage it into your skin and wash right away.