Therefore, for the convenience of those unfamiliar with the term, let’s define ubtan – it is made with chickpea flour, turmeric, and sandalwood powder. It is also most likely the world’s oldest face mask. It is often considered an important aspect of Indian weddings. Ubtan is almost like a pre-bridal facial routine. Because of the natural elements in the ubtan, we recommend making it a permanent part of your beauty routine. This article will take you through the top 5 tried-and-tested ways to use an ubtan to get rid of a dark, uneven complexion. Continue reading.
Ubtan For Fair Skin – Various Recipes
Ubtan can be incorporated into your daily skin regime, depending on your respective skin problems. It will not only help you with noticeable skin lightening but also take care of other issues like blackheads, whiteheads, dark spots, pigmentation, sunburn, etc (1). Ubtan can be used in various ways to attain that desired fair complexion and flawless skin. The top 5 trusted recipes to use an Ubtan to get rid of a dark and patchy complexion are as follows:
1. Simple Ubtan Face Wash
You Will Need
1 tbsp sandalwood powder 2 tbsp besan (chickpea/Bengal gram flour) ½ tbsp turmeric powder 2 tbsp milk Mixing bowl Applicator brush (optional)
Prep Time
5 minutes
Processing Time
15-20 minutes
Process
In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, and then add milk. Mix it with your hand or an applicator brush to ensure that it’s not lumpy. It should be neither too thick, nor too runny – just enough to spread over your skin smoothly. Apply this about 15-20 minutes before you take a shower. Let it sit until it’s dry (which is usually about 15 minutes). Wash your face. Avoid applying any face wash or soap, because the ubtan does the job for you.
How Often Should You Do This?
If you can completely replace your face wash or soap, go ahead and do it. Otherwise, use it thrice a week at least or as often as possible. You will start to see a difference soon.
Why This Works
Anecdotal evidence suggests that raw milk may have a range of benefits for skin, such as hydration, deep cleansing, oil control, and gentle exfoliation. When this is mixed with the ubtan, your daily skin needs are taken care of. Sandalwood has anti-inflammatory properties and soothes your skin, while besan exfoliates it and removes dead cells (2), (3). Turmeric is an antiseptic and helps with pigmentation, besides a lot of other things (4).
2. Ubtan Face Scrub
You Will Need
1 tbsp oatmeal 3 tbsp chickpea/Bengal gram flour 2 tbsp sandalwood powder ½ tbsp turmeric 2 tbsp ground cucumber Mixing bowl
Prep Time
5 minutes
Processing Time
15 minutes
Process
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the cucumber paste and give it a good stir. In a circular motion, rub this on your face by taking just a little at a time. Do this for about 5-10 minutes at least. Wash your face like you normally would.
How Often Should You Do This?
We need to scrub our face at least once in a couple of days because of all the dust and dead skin that accumulates on our skin. They are also one of the reasons most of us end up with blackheads. Always follow up your scrubbing and cleaning with a toner. All your pores open when you exfoliate your skin, and a toner helps to seal these.
Why This Works
Cucumber, as we all know, is an excellent hydrant for your skin. However, most of us are not aware that it has antioxidants as well. It also helps with removing dead skin cells, sunburn, tan, etc (4). And, oatmeal, as we all know, is the cheapest exfoliant and cleanser available (5). Mixing them with the ubtan mask helps you reduce wrinkles and fine lines, and cleanses your skin overall.
3. Ubtan Moisturizer
You Will Need
6-7 almonds Fresh milk or cream 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp tulsi powder 3 tbsp chickpea/Bengal gram flour 2 tbsp sandalwood powder ½ tbsp turmeric
Prep Time
5-8 hours
Processing Time
5 min
Process
Soak the almonds in fresh cream or milk overnight or a few hours. Peel off the skin. To this, add sesame oil and tulsi powder, and pulse it in a mixie or a processor. Add the ubtan mix to this and make it into a paste. Apply this to your face and leave it on for 10 minutes. Take a shower.
How Often Should You Do This?
At least twice a week or as often as you can. You can save the paste in the fridge and use it for a few days consecutively too.
Why This Works
It works great as a moisturizer, and keeps your skin supple, clean, and lightened. Almonds are no news to the beauty industry; they contain Vitamin A and help reduce any flare-up on the skin (6). Tulsi works wonders for acne-prone skin and is loaded with antioxidants (7). When these are combined with the ubtan and sesame oil (which helps with pigmentation and uneven skin tone) (8), it works like a charm for oily or pimple-prone skin.
4. Excellent Ubtan Face Mask For Daily Use
You Will Need
1 tbsp wheat flour 1 tbsp besan/chickpea flour 1 tbsp sandalwood powder ½ tbsp turmeric 2 tbsp rose water Mixing bowl
Prep Time
5 minutes
Processing Time
15 – 20 minutes
Process
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Now, slowly add rose water and make a paste. Add more rose water to it till you get the desired consistency. Leave it on for about 20 minutes or till it gets dried up. Wash your face with cold water and moisturize.
P.S – You could add a little milk if you have dry skin.
How Often Should You Do This?
Apply this mask for two weeks continuously, and you will notice a remarkable change in your skin. Do this before you take a shower or at the end of the day.
Why This Works
Wheat flour is known to help with the regeneration of skin cells (9 ), and thereby lightening the skin. When mixed with the ubtan mask, it works as a catalyst to improve your skin. And, rose water (which contains tannins), like we all know, is an astringent that helps with skin tightening and locking your pores (10).
5. Ubtan For Tan Removal And Dark Patches
You Will Need
1 Tbsp besan/chickpea flour 1 Tbsp milk powder 1 Tbsp sandalwood powder ½ Tbsp turmeric 1 Tbsp honey 2 Tbsp honey 1 Tbsp lemon Mixing bowl
Prep Time
5 minutes
Processing Time
15 – 20 minutes
Process
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Now, add honey, lemon juice, and milk to make a paste. Apply and leave it on for about 15 -20 minutes.
How Often Should You Do This?
Apply this at least twice a week and more often in summers.
Why This Works
Lemon is supposed to be a natural bleach, and when mixed with honey, it is considered to be one of the most effective anti-tan packs. Which ubtan is best for fair skin? You can mix ubtan with besan, oatmeal, or cucumber to exfoliate your skin and give you nourished and glowing skin. What should I apply after ubtan? You may apply a gentle moisturizer after washing off ubtan to keep your skin smooth and healthy. What is the best time to apply ubtan? You can apply ubtan every morning as a face scrub to remove excess dead skin and rinse it off with water after 10 minutes. Which is better, Multani mitti or ubtan for skin? Both Multani mitti and ubtan offer various benefits for the skin. You can use either ingredient individually or mix both as per your needs.
