Ubtan, every week
The paste every Indian bride knows, made for an ordinary Sunday.
Most of us first met ubtan at a wedding. Aunts and cousins mix gram flour, turmeric and rose water into a paste, smooth it over the bride's arms, face and feet, and laugh while it dries. Then it is washed off, and the skin underneath looks soft and bright for the days that follow.
It is a lovely ceremony. It is also a very good habit that most of us keep for one week of our lives and then forget.
What an ubtan is
An ubtan is a paste of ground grains, pulses and flowers, mixed with water, milk or oil and rubbed over damp skin. The flour takes away dull, dead-feeling skin as it is massaged in and rinsed off. It cleans without soap and leaves skin feeling smooth rather than stripped.
Every family has its own. Besan, ground from chickpeas, is in nearly all of them. Some add masoor dal for a little more grain, some add sandalwood, saffron, rose petals or orange peel.
Why every week
Skin on the body renews itself all the time, and in an Indian city the outer layer gathers sweat, dust and the oil of the day faster than a quick shower takes it away. Arms and legs start to look dull, a little rough, sometimes a shade darker than they really are.
Once a week is enough to keep up with it, twice in summer. More than that and you start to wear away skin you would rather keep. The ritual is in the rhythm, not in scrubbing harder.
Ours
The Besan, Masoor & Rose Ubtan Body Polish is gram flour and red lentil, ground fine, with rose and a touch of saffron. It comes ready to use, so there is nothing to mix and no bowl to wash.
- Twice a week, in the bath, on damp skin.
- Take a palmful and massage it over arms, legs, back and shoulders in small circles. Gentle is enough; let the grain do the work.
- Rinse with warm water, and pat dry.
Skip skin that is broken, sunburnt or sore. And it is made for the body: the skin of the face is thinner, and asks for a gentler hand.
Before and after
The old way is to oil the body first. Massage the Nalpamaradi-Inspired Even-Tone Body Oil into arms and legs fifteen minutes before the bath, then use the ubtan to take the oil off with everything else. Skin comes out of the bath soft, not greasy.
After, if your skin feels dry, smooth on the Shatadhauta-Inspired Deep Repair Cream while it is still damp. In summer, the Chandan & Khus Cooling Body Lotion is lighter.
Once a week becomes a ritual quickly: a longer bath on a Sunday, the radio on, the scent of rose. No wedding needed.
