Besan for Beauty – History, How to Use and Benefits

What is Gram Flour?

Gram flour, chickpea flour, garbanzo flour, besan, or beshon as commonly known is one of key ingredients of the Indian culinary that also offers skin-beautifying benefits. gram flour is what we call besan in enlish.

It has been said that the Besan flour has been one of the main ingredients of a body scrub, which traditionally was used in beauty treatments for the brides.

Benefits

• Super effective, inexpensive and highly versatile ingredient is said to polish the skin to remove dead and dry skin, thus helping reveal a new layer of skin.
• Besan helps soothe inflamed acne skin to further lightening those scars, relieves itchy pimples, and reduces dark marks and dark circles.
• Besan works to help the skin complexion become visibly fair and luminous.
• However, note that Besan is an alkalizing ingredient, which needs to be mixed with yogurt or lemon juice to make the mix slightly ‘cleansing acidic’.

This mix claims to attract acids and dust particles, which are lodged in the pores of the skin and is suitable to use these pastes as soaps.

How to use Gram Flour

This ingredient also is known to eliminate bad odor as it detoxifies the skin.

You could try few of these homemade remedies for your skin.

1. For acne scars:  Mix besan, pinch of turmeric powder and 2 table spoon of fresh milk to create a smooth paste and apply evenly on the face and neck area. After 20-25 minutes, wash it with lukewarm water to achieve glowing skin.
2. For dry flaky skin:  Mix 2-3 drops of fresh lemon juice with 1 tablespoon besan, 1 teaspoon milk cream or olive oil and half teaspoon honey to form a paste. Apply it all over the face and rinse it thoroughly with water when it dries naturally.
3. For oily skin:  Beat one egg white and add 2 tablespoons of besan to make it into a mask. Apply this mask for 15 minutes and wash it off with cold water.

A simple recipe for blemish free skin:

Ingredients:  50gms chana dal, 10gms fenugeek seeds, 2-3 pieces of turmeric.

Method:  Grind it into powder and store it in a container.

Application:  Use this powder in little quantity with some milk cream and wash the face regularly instead of soap.