What is Turmeric?
Turmeric is a spice obtained from a flowering plant, part of the ginger family. The plant’s roots are use for culinary purposes. The ‘Curcuma longa’ is the name of this plant, which is native to South Asia.
It has an abundant amount of natural components, about more than 300. The one component that is thought to give its its benefits is curcumin.
Is Curcumin the same as Turmeric?
Curcumin is a naturally occurring chemical compound, which is bright yellow in colour. It is said to have anti-inflammatory benefits and is a rich antioxidant. Not only does curcumin protect your skin from damaging free radicals, but it also stimulates the activity of the antioxidant enzymes inside of our body. Isn’t nature so well built?
Turmeric contains Curcumin.
How can I use Turmeric for my Hair Care?
Thanks to all these amazing properties, turmeric is perfect to help strengthen as well as condition hair! It can help prevent thinning hair, giving it is strength and health back.
DIY Hair Mask/Conditioner
You will need
- 1/4 cup Turmeric
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1/2 cup (mashed) Avocado
- (optional) Tbsp Honey
The measurements may seem a little large, as my hair is thick I tend to make just enough or a bit more. If you do not think you need this much you can adjust the measurement, just ensure you have the same amount of oil and turmeric.
When making hair masks and conditioners, I would usually leave them on my hair for 25-30 minutes before shampooing.
The great thing about homemade beauty products is that you can mix them up with mostly everything! There are so many more ways that you can use this spice for your hair care… here is a blog post with a few more ways you could utilise this spice for you hair growth and care.
How can I use Turmeric for my Skin Care?
Thanks to its antioxidant properties, turmeric can decreases damage caused to the skin by UV exposure, as well as, reduce acne due to its antibacterial properties.
For my DIY Face masks I tend to keep it simple:
- One Tbsp Turmeric
- One Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp of Olive oil
- optional: 1/2-1 Tbsp of (canned) coconut milk
After steaming your face, allow the mask to sit for 5-10 minutes before rinsing off using lukewarm water and continuing your skin care routine as usual… Here is a blog post with more than one idea about how to use turmeric as an ingredient in your face masks.
Turmeric Milk (Drink) Recipe
Whilst researching its benefits I came across this milk recipe. I thought it would be great to share!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Almond Milk (any milk of choice)
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric spice
- Pinch of Black pepper
- Sprinkle ground cinnamon
Feel free to add a little nutmeg or ginger too, before warming the mixture up in a pot and serving it warm!
