Eat your food and slap it on your skin too — 5 face masks that will make you glow like Dadi's gajar ka halwa

Are you ready to set formidable multitasking goals?

Fridays were for face masks. But now, they’re for tackling the ever-multiplying stacks of dirty dishes, hunting dust bunnies, cooking meals that will cure Maggi-induced constipation, and then going back to the dishes that have magically reappeared in the sink.

It’s safe to say that face masks to clean your oily T-zone have been dethroned by Scotch-Brites that clean your kadhais.

But wait, we might have an idea that will let you combine kitchen time with me-time. Now you can wear your food and eat it too, by using the core ingredients of the dishes you’re making as the base for your face masks.

Here’s how you can covert breakfasts to desserts into DIY beauty rituals, complete with recipes for both — replenishing face masks and mouth-watering dishes.

5 face masks you can make from the food you’re about to eat

Beauty ritual breakfast bowl

There’s a reason gluggy oats are weekday breakfast favourites. It’s not the consistency of the dish, but the lack of effort and time it takes to whip it up.

Guess what? We just found a way to make overachieving oats an even bigger hit – by whipping together a face mask to promote glowing skin.

The classic oats porridge

You can’t go wrong with this recipe, even if you’re pulling an early morning Durga Ma while trying to brush, comb, type, and stir all at once.

Ingredients:

• 50 g porridge oats
• 350 ml milk or water, or a mixture of the two
• Yogurt (thinned with a little milk)
• Honey (to serve)
• A pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Put porridge oats in a saucepan, pour in milk or water.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for four to five minutes, stirring from time to time and watching carefully so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Take 1/3 cup of cooked oats and set aside for the face pack. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the remaining oats and mix well.
4. To serve, pour into bowls, spoon yogurt, thinned with a little milk, on top and drizzle with honey.

Recipe: Bbcgoodfood.com

Oatmeal face mask for sensitive skin

Oats act as mild exfoliating agents for sensitive skin, while keeping your sebum production in check as well. Yogurt contains lactic acid, which is also a natural exfoliant.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

Directions:

1. Mix the cooked oatmeal with plain yogurt.
2. Apply a thick layer of the mixture on your face with your fingers.
3. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.
4. Follow this up with a soothing moisturiser or serum.

Recipe: Helloglow.co

Lunch for the mind, body, soul, and skin

You’re bored to death of eating rice, and making rotis isn’t just cumbersome, but almost always a fail.

Here is a way to keep your menu interesting and skin happy.

Masoor dal dosa to mix things up

Now is when you get to make mummy proud. Plus, it really is impossible to keep the dosa cravings in check anymore.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 1/2 cup masoor dal
• 2 tbsp channa dal
• 3 dried red chillies
• 1-inch-long piece of ginger
• A pinch of asafoetida
• 2 carrots (optional)
• Oil to cook dosa
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash and soak rice and dal for at least an hour.
2. Once soaked, drain, add asafoetida, dried red chillies, ginger, and salt to the rice and dal, and grind into a smooth paste. Add water depending on desired consistency of the batter.
3. You can grind the carrot with the batter or add grated carrot to the ground paste.
4. Let the batter sit for half an hour.
5. Grease a non-stick dosa pan with oil and pour a spoonful of batter in the centre. Spread the batter using the back of your ladle.
6. Add a few drops of oil on top of the dosa. Once it turns slightly brown, flip and cook the other side as well.

Recipe: Simpleindianrecipes.com

Masoor dal face pack to help with pigmentation

Masoor dal powder is said to be a great exfoliating agent, it helps minimise the appearance of pores, and brightens skin. Honey makes it to many natural face packs thanks to its antibacterial and antiseptic properties.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp masoor dal powder
• 1 tsp organic honey

Directions:

Combine both the ingredients and mix well until it forms a thick paste.

Apply it all over your face, leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes.

Rinse with cold water, while gently rubbing your skin in circular motions.

Recipe: Food.ndtv.com

Regional snack and beauty hack

Besan is the core ingredient for a Rajasthani chilla, and works wonders for the skin too.

Make up for not being able to travel with regional snacks that’ll take you around the country not on a magic carpet, but your Corelle plate.

Rajasthani Chilla

Give the chips, biscuits, and butter popcorn a rest. Swap oily finger food with this healthy alternative.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)
• 4 tsp oil

Directions:

1. Combine gram flour, chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt and approximately 3/4 of a cup of water in a deep bowl, and whisk well.
2. Add the coriander and mix well.
3. Grease a non-stick pan with oil, pour a ladleful of the batter and spread in a circular motion.
4. Smear 1 tsp of oil on the top of the chilla as well.
5. Cook on a medium flame till the chilla turns golden brown and crisp.
6. Flip and cook for another minute, then fold.
7. Serve the chilla with chutney.

Recipe: Tarladalal.com

Besan and neem face pack for acne-prone oily skin

Neem’s antimicrobial properties clear up the acne and its anti-inflammatory properties reduce swelling. And besan? Well there is a reason why it features in each one of your grandmother’s homemade face packs – it disinfects, exfoliates gently, and even gets rid of fine facial hair.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp dried neem powder
• 1 tbsp besan
• 1 tbsp yogurt

Directions:

1. Mix the neem powder and the besan.
2. Add yogurt, and mix well to form a paste. Add more to reach desired consistency.
3. Apply all over face and neck and wait for it to dry.
4. Once dry, rinse it off with water.

Recipe: India.com

 

Sugar, spice, and tons of rice

Nothing beats the post-rice slumber. Have a generous serving, and it is sure to knock you out like a baby, and even leave your skin feeling as soft as a toddler’s bum.

Tamarind rice from Kerala

After your Rajasthani escapade in the evening, it’s time to pay Kerala a visit for dinner.

This rice preparation hits just the right balance of tangy and spicy.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice (cooked)
• 1/2 cup tamarind pulp
• 3 red chillies
• 1/4 cup curry leaves
• A pinch of asafoetida
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp channa dal
• 1 tsp urad dal (dhuli)
• 1/4 tsp methi seeds
• 1/2 tsp red chillli powder
• 1 tbsp peanuts
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp jaggery
• Oil

Directions:

1. Heat oil, roast peanuts and the dals.
2. Sauté till the dals begin to splutter and appear slightly coloured.
3. Add curry leaves and whole red chillies, and mix well.
4. Add salt, hing, red chilli powder and turmeric powder, and sauté.
5. Add jaggery to the cooked mixture and sauté well. Then add the tamarind pulp and cook till it becomes a semi thick gravy.
6. Add cooked rice and mix till completely combined.

Recipe: Food.ndtv.com

A Japanese home remedy for dry, damaged or ageing skin

We have decided to take things up a notch and traverse international borders.

This rice, coconut oil and orange face mask is a Japanese beauty ritual that moisturises, nourishes, and brightens.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp boiled rice
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp fresh orange juice

Directions:

1. Boil the rice until soft.
2. While it’s still hot, add the coconut oil and mash well until you get a smooth paste.
3. In the end, mix in the freshly squeezed orange juice.
4. Apply the paste on your face and leave it on for about 20 minutes.
5. Rinse off with lukewarm water and a gentle face cleanser.
6. Apply a face moisturiser while your skin is still slightly damp.

Recipe: Bespotted.org

A decadent dessert with a remedy for the morning after

Why just end the day on a high (and bright orange) note, when you can also begin the next one on an equally happy footing?

The ultimate comfort dessert – ghee-filled gajar ka halwa

Cheat days or not, there is always room for some sinful gajar ka halwa. Don’t forget to publicise your newfound talent on the family Whatsapp group, to finally get a few nods of approval from your otherwise unimpressed aunties.

Ingredients:

• 8 to 9 medium tender juicy carrots
• 4 cups full fat milk
• 4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 10 to 12 tbsp sugar
• 1/3 to 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 10 to 12 cashews (chopped)
• 10 to 12 almonds (sliced or chopped)
• 2 tbsp golden raisins
• A pinch of saffron strands (optional)

Directions:

1. Rinse, peel and grate the carrots.
2. In a deep thick bottomed pan, combine milk and grated carrots.
3. On a low to medium flame, bring the whole mixture to a boil and then simmer.
4. Keep stirring while the mixture is simmering on a low flame.
5. The grated carrots will cook in the milk and the milk will start to reduce and evaporate.
6. When the milk has reduced by 75%, add the ghee, sugar and powdered cardamom to the mixture.
7. Stir well and continue to simmer and cook on a low flame.
8. Keep on stirring the halwa at regular intervals.
9. Towards the end, add the cashews, almonds, saffron and raisins.
10. Simmer till all the milk has evaporated.

Recipe: Vegrecipesofindia.com

Sun protection carrot spray

Staying indoors is no excuse to not protect your skin from the sun. Take a handful of grated carrot the night before, and juice it up. And then use it to make a DIY sun protection spray.

The beta-carotene and carotenoids in carrots protect the skin from UV rays, while the rose water hydrates and soothes burnt or tan skin.

Ingredients:

• Carrot juice
• Rose water

Directions:

1. Mix carrot juice and rose water in equal parts,
2. Put the mixture in a spray bottle.
3. Spray on face and body to keep the skin hydrated to be able to brave the hot summer sun.

Recipe: Food.ndtv.com