Whipping up diy face masks and scrubs is a hobby I enjoy and I’d like to share more of that here, starting with this gram flour one. Homemade face, hair and body packs are simple to make, mostly natural/organic, and very effective in managing different conditions and problems. And gram flour, aka garbanzo bean flour, aka besan, aka unga ya bhajia is one of my favorites because it is multi functional! Depending on what you mix into it, a gram flour mask can work for all kinds of skin problems and trust me it works well. It’s basically a wonder worker that has been used in traditional beauty for hundreds of years (in the Middle East and India).
Gram flour is made from ground chickpeas which contain diverse minerals like zinc and vitamins like linoleic and oleic acids that make it amazing for skincare. Zinc is known for its acne preventing/fighting properties while linoleic and oleic acids are essential fatty acids that support healing for skin, reduce inflammation and keep it moisturized. So right off the bat, no matter what you’re looking to do with the gram flour face mask, you get ready benefits based on its natural make up. My go-to gram flour mask is a deep cleansing one that’s simply equal parts gram flour to water. I just mix them up in a bowl and voila!
Because gram flour has long been known as a gentle yet powerful soapless cleanser, I use my deep cleansing gram flour face mask whenever I feel like my skin is overwhelmed with build-up or I need a boost of radiance. I usually apply a generous amount of the mask on my face (after an initial cleanse) using a flat foundation brush or my fingers and let it sit on for about 10-15 minutes. That gives it enough time to do its magic. By this time, it’s dried to some extent and when I wash it off with cool water, I feel some exfoliation happening which is a bonus!
Anytime I use this gram flour mask or any other variation of it, I immediately see a difference. My skin looks brighter with an undeniable glow and it feels softer and smoother. I follow it up with the rest of my skincare to make sure I lock in the results before I start drying up and that just makes me look and feel even better. Depending on how my skin is, I switch out the water for other ingredients but this way is my favorite to use. The ingredients are easy to find and probably already in the kitchen, it’s inexpensive so I can use it as often as I want (buying masks can get costly if you use them as often as I do), and it’s quick and easy. Plus it has a soft and bearable scent, familiar even if you make bhajia. Haha.
Gram flour really is a wonderful ingredient for skincare and hair care and one I refuse to do without. I’ll be sharing so many more of my favorite natural and homemade masks and scrubs here and I’m excited about that! Let’s have more natural, clean beauty fun this year. Check out my easy chickpeasy (lame) gram flour mask recipes below.
Xx
