Why kumkumadi is an oil for the night

Kumkumadi is a classical face oil. It is described in the Ashtanga Hridayam, a classical text of Ayurveda, and it takes its name from its first ingredient: kumkuma, saffron. Saffron and a long list of roots, barks and flowers are simmered into sesame oil over a low flame for hours, until the oil has taken in their colour and scent.

It is also an oil you use at night. That is not a rule for its own sake. It follows from what the oil is and how it sits on skin.

Why the night

A true oil takes time to sink in. Pressed into clean skin, it soaks in over a few hours, not a few minutes. At night nothing is asked of your face for those hours: no makeup over it, no sunscreen, no dust and heat of the day. The oil is left alone to do what it does.

Saffron oil is also golden. In the evening light that colour is part of the pleasure of using it. Under a collar in the morning it is less welcome. And the scent, warm saffron and sandal, is a scent for winding down.

The oil sinks in while you sleep and skin feels soft. With regular use, it looks brighter and more even. That is the whole point of the ritual, and it is why the old way and the practical way agree.

How to use it

• Wash your face and pat it almost dry. Skin that is still a little damp takes oil more easily.
• Put three drops in your palm and warm them between your hands for a moment.
• Press your palms onto your face and neck rather than rubbing. Hold for a breath, then move on. Pressing spreads a thin, even layer and keeps you from using more than you need.
• Leave it on and go to sleep. Wash your face as usual in the morning.

Three drops is enough for the face and neck. More only sits on the surface and ends up on your pillow.

With the rest of the evening

In the Radiance ritual the elixir is the second step. The Neem & Tulsi Purifying Gel Cleanser comes first, so the oil goes onto clean skin. If marks from old pimples are what you notice most, dot the Manjistha & Haldi Spot Care Gel on them before the oil and let it dry for a minute.

If your skin runs oily, an oil can sound like the wrong idea. Our saffron night elixir is a dry-touch oil, and three drops at night on clean skin is a small amount. If your skin is oily, start with every other night and see how it feels.

Before the first night

Try a drop on the inside of your arm and leave it for a day. Any new formula is worth that patience, and saffron and the classical herbs are no different. If your skin is going through something that worries you, ask before you start: our Ayurvedic skin care expert can talk it through with you on WhatsApp.

The Kumkumadi-Inspired Saffron Night Elixir comes in a full bottle and a small mini, so you can try it for a few weeks first.