A mainstay in every Indian household, an ayurvedic staple and something Kareena Kapoor Khan swears by for flawless skin–ghee is highly sought after, thanks to its many superpowers. It mixes well with fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), penetrates through the lipid layer of your cells and directly delivers nutrients to them…what’s not to love?
The best way to use it topically? Shata dhauta ghrita (SDG), aka ghee that’s washed a 100 times. Ironically, I discovered this slow beauty skincare ritual on Instagram, when the founder of Purearth, Kavita Khosa posted a video where she created this one ingredient moisturiser. Amongst its many other benefits, she also mentioned that this could soothe skin concerns, like acne, rosacea and psoriasis. Khosa explains, “The Charaka Samhita [the ancient Sanskrit text on ayurveda] mentions that cow’s ghee has two types of proteins that are well
assimilated and compatible with our bodies.” My older sister suffers from occasional psoriasis and I, a DIY skincare enthusiast, thought to myself, “Why not?” Ahead, the recipe I followed:
The ingredients:
1 cup cow’s ghee
Filtered water
A copper plate and a bowl
An airtight container
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The process
Place the ghee and a few teaspoons of water in the copper plate and mix it with the flat bottom of the copper bowl. Make sure you get in a 100 rounds before draining the excess water. Repeat this 25 times till you’ve got a creamy, whipped texture. You can use it right away, and refrigerate the excess in an airtight ceramic or glass container
for up to four weeks.
The science
The pressure from washing the ghee breaks the fat down into smaller particles and infuses it with water. “Copper has anti-bacterial properties and it acts as a catalyst to split ghee and transform it into a salve. It also doubles up as a preservative that keeps the concoction fresher for longer.”
This anti-inflammatory ghee preparation may have only one ingredient, but it’s surely labour intensive. It involves a lot of whisking and sore arms are a common side effect. Initially sceptical about this whole process, my sister rolled her eyes, but applied the fluffy ghee on the spot of psoriasis on her forehead anyway. And…it worked! A few applications later, her psoriasis spot had flattened out and lost its redness. While this isn’t a substitute to her prescription creams, I plan to churn out another batch to keep my hands and feet moisturised.
Photographs: Purearth
