Ubtan

The haldi ceremony gets all the photographs, but ubtan was never meant only for weddings. In many homes it was the winter bath routine: a bowl of besan, a pinch of haldi, a few drops of mustard oil and enough milk to make a paste, rubbed on and rinsed off before the bath.

Packaged herbal ubtan powder follows the same idea with more variety. Besan and masoor dal give body, rice flour and oats add gentle grit, while haldi, chandan, manjistha, orange peel or rose petals bring colour and fragrance. Mix a spoonful with milk, curd, rose water or plain water, spread it on, let it half-dry and rub it off with wet fingers.

Haldi can leave a yellow tint on fair skin and on towels, so rinse well. Read the ingredient list for anything you are sensitive to, patch-test on the inner wrist, and stay clear of the eye area. Mix only what you need, because a wet paste does not keep.