Skin Care

Skin care in a South Asian household mixes the modern and the traditional. A bathroom shelf might hold a British moisturiser, a bar of sandalwood soap brought back from India, a bottle of glycerin for cracked winter hands and a tub of cold cream that a mother has used for decades. This category is where we gather everyday skin care: soaps and body washes, creams and lotions, and the familiar products that South Asian families reach for.

Traditions still play a big part. Before a wedding, the haldi or ubtan ceremony coats the bride and groom in a paste of gram flour, turmeric, sandalwood and rose water, and many families make ubtan at home as a gentle face pack. Oil massage, with body massage oils such as mustard oil, is still part of winter routines and baby care. Choosing skin care is personal: fragrance-free products suit sensitive skin, rich creams suit dry winter skin, and lighter lotions suit summer and oily skin.

Whatever you use, try a new product on a small patch of skin first, such as the inner arm, and wait a day before using it more widely. Keep creams sealed and out of direct sunlight. This category belongs to personal care and household, alongside hair oils. For a homemade ubtan, the kitchen ingredients are gram flour and turmeric powder.