Bollywood sirens are the gold standard for smouldering Indian beauty. Their glowing skin and silken tresses are often down to brightening face masks or nourishing hair conditioners whipped up at home using recipes passed down the generations. My own grandmother’s recipe for brightening skin is a mix of yoghurt, gram flour and turmeric stirred into a paste and applied over the face for 20 minutes before washing off. These ready-made potions from a hydrating face serum with saffron to a brow oil that has cult status are inspired by the wisdom of the founders’ mothers and grandmothers.
1. Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi Revitalising and Brightening Face Oil £122, kamaayurveda.com
2. Champo Vata Hydrating Shampoo £18.50, champohaircare.com
3. Ranavat Flawless Veil Resurfacing Saffron Masque £75, cultbeauty.co.uk
4. BBB Nourishing Brow Oil £24, bbb-london.com
I can’t do without… Ayurvedic beauty for the modern age
Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicinal system using herbs, spices and natural ingredients, has been part of my life since I was born. More recently it’s been appropriated by western wellness tribes (tongue scraping, ashwagandha smoothies or turmeric latte anyone?) but is often reductive and lacking in diversity. Now a crop of South Asian beauty entrepreneurs is reclaiming and decolonising ayurveda’s historical, spiritual and culturally significant practices, all while giving back to the planet and the communities the philosophy is derived from. According to the practice, we are predominantly ruled by one of three doshas – vata, pitta or kapha – constitutional energies that affect everything from sleep to metabolism. Dosha imbalances can manifest in various ailments, including skin issues. Mauli Rituals has an easy quiz to discover your dosha on their website, while Indian brand Kama Ayurveda offers in-store consultations with ayurvedic practitioners in its Notting Hill boutique in London. It can seem a little woowoo to the uninitiated, but the modern approach to ayurveda is all about accessibility. I love ayurvedic beauty because it’s part of my ancestral heritage, the rituals regulate my response to stress, but most of all because the products feel and smell so wonderfully luxurious.
On my radar… Hair oils for a healthy scalp and lustrous locks
Shining example Ashwagandha, coconut oil and amla extract have been revered for their hair and scalp benefits and this contains all three, with a lightweight formula to give limp locks their mojo back. Resèt Invigorating Hair Oil, £32, wearereset.co
Best tressed I have drained multiple bottles of this for my post-Covid hair loss. Ayurvedic ingredients bhringraj and brahmi nourish and promote hair growth, while the coconut and sesame oil lend lustre. Mauli Grow Strong Hair Oil, £35, maulirituals.com
Crowning glory Incorporating scalp massages into your routine is a good way to encourage growth and this brand strengthens cuticles and decongests the scalp so your hair feels pampered. Fable & Mane Holi Roots Hair Oil, £34, fableandmane.com
Funmi Fetto is away
