Mirror, Mirror.on the wall, Who is the prettiest of them all? - A line confined to a Kindergarten Story book, may well be the Question for many. If you too had ever asked this Question, read ahead.
Ofcourse, Pretty need NOT necessarily translate to a good looking, beautiful face. It might just mean a clear, radiant, glowing skin.
My Initial Forays
I too had been intrigued by this Q, and the quest for a decisive answer, made me propel into a Medical shop(those days there were not many dedicated shops for Beauty treatments). I scrutinized the creams displayed there, most of which I had seen in the ads that promised a chand(moon) ka mukda(face). I loved to read the gyan inscribed on the tube, which describes what the cream does. After 6-7 tubes & a good 20 minutes I had learnt superlative adjectives – Glowing skin, Radiant, Texture, Replenished, Nourished, Luminous …. All these were to be the end results if I used the cream. God! I was lost actually. I couldn’t figure whether I wanted my skin to glow or make it radiant or improve its texture or make it nourished! What were these adjectives trying to communicate? Are they the same? Or different?
For loss of clarity, I randomly picked up creams, used them, abused them, adored a few, only to curse them later, changed them & finally dumped everything. My head screamed “NO MORE CREAMS” and the angel in me said “Buddy! Beauty is inner.” I was consoled. Thus, came to an end my first set of stints with the fairness & the Vanishing creams. To be Fair – My hopes Vanished. I was Lost. If you are too, just be with me. I will guide you.
THE RESURRECTION
Years after I had completely abandoned my search for a GAAS(Genuinely Amazing All-time Solution) and surrendered myself to being a POOS(Prisoner Of Oily Skin), one late afternoon I was standing by a very inconspicuous shop(yeah! at Matunga) which had all *jadi butis *in store. Fascinated, I strike a conversation with the shopkeeper. That was a turning point, coz during the course of this short essay, he introduced me to Multani Mitti - Fuller’s Earth.
The first look at the packet, evoked a void response. First the word Mitti made me wonder if the shopkeeper was in his senses. Added to this insanity, the packet which he gave me was a normal plastic one, bearing no company’s name, no brand name, and most of all no *gyan *about the product. I shrouded my perplexed looks & decided to go for it. It was just Rs 5.(Note the price).
The Application or the gyan
Multani provided the easiest method of application. Make a paste with water, apply on the face. Leave it for 15 minutes. Wash your face. Presto! That’s it.
Not having anything to lose(I couldn’t have looked worse, right?) I religiously followed this ritual, daily in the night. In between, I was introduced to a modification – Mix Multani with Rose water instead of plain water.
Ever since this modification was implemented, I had always enjoyed each & every application. The face becomes sooo cool(the Rose water is kept in the fridge) & provides the much needed ‘rejuvenation’ to your tired face, which is the only part of the body which is constantly exposed. Suddenly, it seemed to have a very cooling effect on the entire body.(I cant stand in the sun for more than 5 minutes. My body burns).
Multani – The Genuine Amazing & All Time Solution
Multani mitti has been used for thousands of years(dating back to Ancient Rome) as a face-pack until the bottled lotions with delectable adjectives burst on the scene.
Its primary property & immediate conceivable effect is the coolness it provides to the applied area. A boon for those tormented with oily skin, Multani does an admirable job in absorbing oil, impurities & toxins, and if applied regularly, one does see a visible effect.
I found the cooling property of Multani to be very relaxing & was the sole USP for me to keep on applying this. But with time, I discovered that, Multani grew up to be a complete face pack solution, dispelling not just the oiliness of the face, but every other consequence(eg Acne, Pimples etc) associated with it.
The Multani Face Packis as simple as mixing Rose water & Multani powder into a paste. No need to invest on fancy face packs, which always have riders * - “For best results, follow this with applications of xyz Deep Pore Cleansing Milk & xyz Astringent Lotion*”. Multani commands the power of a one-man army! This incidentally is also a great cleanser for oily face.
OTHER TANGIBLE BENEFITS
Open Pores: tends to accumulate dust & impurities and requires frequent cleaning. A better solution would be to close the pores. Multani Mitti+ Curd+ [Tomato juice] makes an excellent pore-closing paste.
Prickly heat: Apply Mulatni Paste on the affected area. It has a great cooling effect.
Acne: Mix Multani+Sandalwood powder+Neem Paste & apply on the affected area. Wash off with cold water.
From Vandana Luthra for the Oily Skin Mix equal quantities of Multani & Orange juice & Honey to make a paste and apply over the face. Keep it on for 15 mins. Wash your face.
Amazing aint it? In 99% of the cases, its just enuff if you apply Multani+ Rose Water. You can take my word for this.
BEYOND THE FACE MIRACLES
Oily Hair: Normally, a Lemon based shampoo is recommended for this. However, with Multani around, you need not hunt for anything.
Part your hair into sections, fluff a little Multani mitti through each section. Rub in well & leave for 10 minutes. Brush out thoroughly with a clean brush. Multani mitti powder absorbs most of the grease and dirt. But remember for this shampooing your head must not be very dirty. So do an adequate pre-wash with water before.
Arthritic Pains: Yup! U read it right! Multani, being rich in mineral contents, is used to reduce arthritic pain, strengthen finger nails, teeth, gums and hair.
Multani – The Miracle
Im sure the simplicity of application, convenience, affordability, Multi-purpose usability – everything works in Multani’s favour, making it a mandatory commodity in the house.
The BIGGEST Miracle(& Surprise)
There is one more “entity” that applies Multani mitti. Can you guess? *Refer Comments for the answer.
Finally, A Vishesh Note
The beauty of the skin/face will not be achieved merely on the basis of external application of Pastes, juices, or peel-off masks. One also requires maintaining good health by eating a balanced, nutritive diet regularly and not abuse one's body. Drink Water. Drink Lemon and orange juice.
May u all get a Bright, Glowing, Luminous, Shining, Radiant, Replenished, Nourished Skin & Face!
