REVIEW: Patanjali Body Ubtan

Ubtan, in Hindi, means a mixture - traditionally of chickpea flour and some herbs and spices that is used as a skin exfoliant and body scrub. It is a traditional recipe that is integral in Indian Hindu weddings. It is also part of Abhyangasnanam or Oil Bath, wherein oil is massaged onto the entire body until it is absorbed and then a bath is taken with warm water and ubtan.

Ubtan is beneficial for exfoliating skin, imparting a glow, reducing pimples and their scars, removing superficial hair, improving the skin complexion, and removing tan.

Ramdev Baba is a renowned Yoga teacher in India who has taken the art of yoga to each and every household through television and mass yoga camps. He founded Patanjali Yogapeeth (a center for practicing Yoga) and also started producing Ayurvedic medicines under Divya Pharmacy to work hand in hand with Yoga to treat ailments better. 

Patanjali Body Ubtan is one such product from Divya Pharmacy.

It mentions the following benefits on the packaging itself:

Enhances fairness, glowing of skin, reduces dark spots & blemishes.

Shelf life 11 months from the date of manufacture.

MRP INR 60 for 100 g

Composition:

Each 10 g contains

Cuddappah almond 0.5 g

Red lentil 1.7 g

Black gram 1.7 g

Barley 1.8 g

Mustard seeds 1.0 g

Soybean 1.0 g

Rice 1.0 g

Almond 1.0 g

Turmeric 0.2 g

Camphor 0.1 g

The benefits of each of the ingredients on skin are as below.

Cuddappah almond - Also known as Chironji, it is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals and are traditionally powdered and mixed with milk and used as a face pack for their benefits. It is believed to improve complexion and suppleness of skin.

Source: http://www.onlyfoods.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Charoli.jpg

Red lentil - It is a rich source of iron and protein and makes the skin blemish free and healthy.

Source: http://cherylsnourishingspoonfuls.weebly.com/uploads/8/2/8/8/8288190/1043288_orig.jpg

Black gram - It is rich in starch and iron. Starch is helpful for oily skin, by balancing the oil in the skin. Therefore, it is very beneficial for acne prone or oily skin It also has skin lightening properties. Iron is very important for a healthy and glowing complexion. Lack of iron leads to skin darkening.

Source: http://chennaionline.com/images/articles/February2015/cf9468f5-75c3-43a9-b7ed-a5b0630953e5Large.jpg

Barley - Barley water is an excellent remedy to reduce fever. It does cool the body and when applied topically, it cools and soothes the skin. It improves the tone, and gives a silky finish to the skin. It is also a very good moisturizer.

Source: http://www.healwithfood.org/images_unique/barley-benefits-skin.JPG

Mustard seeds - This pungent little seed is a very good skin cleanser and also slows skin aging, promoting youthful skin. They lend a vibrant warm glow to the skin. 

Source:https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5112/5896917743_a3df404406_o_d.jpg

Soybean - Soy is so rich in Vitamin E and all its benefits are thus related. It keeps skin soft and moisturized, erases wrinkles, makes skin smooth and shiny, evens skin tone, reduces sun tan and soothes sunburn, promotes collagen formation thus making the skin firm.

Source: http://www.beautyglimpse.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/soybean-hair-2.jpg?047278

Rice - Rice powder is an excellent scrub for the skin and also is a whitening agent. It has been used since ages by the Chinese to achieve a whitish complexion. It is a bit drying on the skin, so it is ideal for oily skin types.

Source: http://discovermagazine.com/~/media/Images/Issues/2013/Jan-Feb/rice.jpg

Almond - Another fantastic source of Vitamin E. It helps lighten skin tone, and keep it soft.

Source: http://www.joyoushealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Almond-Heart-Bowl.jpg

Turmeric - Turmeric is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. It keeps skin diseases at bay. It also lends a warm yellow tone to the skin, which complements Indian skin tones, especially, thus making believe that it gives a glow.

Source: http://www.motherearthliving.com/~/media/Images/MEL/Editorial/Articles/Magazine%20Articles/2011/11-01/Ancient%20Medicine%20Heal%20with%20Turmeric/NH-ND11-bowl-turmeric.jpg

Camphor - Camphor's irresistible aroma nonetheless, it helps cure all kinds of skin rashes and pimples.

Source: http://www.boldsky.com/img/2012/12/24-sugar.jpg

So, as you can see, the ingredients are not only skin lightening agents but also those that keep skin healthy in all manners.

Review:

Coming to the product itself, it is a mixture of fine milled powders and larger grained powders. It smells distinctively of camphor even if it is only 1% of the composition. It is a orangish-yellow powder with flecks of black gram seen in the mixture. As you can see in the picture below, the texture is pretty grainy and some of the ingredients are fairly distinguishable.

Recipe:

Step 1. In order to make enough for a body scrub, I took a tablespoonful of the powder in a bowl. I used a glass bowl here only for illustrative purpose. For use in the bathroom, a plastic or steel bowl is recommended as things could get a bit slippery in there.

Step 2. Mix 1 teaspoon of your favorite oil. I like to use aromatic oils for ubtan mixture as they tend to do smell bland on their own. Even though the powder has a strong camphor aroma, it disappears completely after a bath. So, in order to smell good, a fragrant oil is recommended but totally optional, depending on your preference. Mustard oil is a good option. However, as this mixture already contains mustard seeds, I used Himalaya Baby Oil which has a strong but pleasing aroma. The oil is important in the ubtan mixture as the scrub tends to dry out skin, but the presence of oil keeps the skin moisturized and replaces lost oils in the skin. You can notch up or down the oil in the mixture depending on how dry or oily your skin is.

Step 3. Add a teaspoon of the liquid base for the ubtan mixture. Milk for dry skin, Rose water for normal skin, and Lemon juice for oily skin are recommended liquids. However, go ahead and add fresh cream, clarified butter, fruit /vegetable pulp to make the base more creamier and thicker. I went for rose water; one teaspoon.

Step 4. Mix together to form a paste. Consistency will depend on how much of each product you have used in your mixture. Slightly runnier consistency, like the one I have prepared, are good for everyday exfoliation as they are gentler on the skin. A more viscous, thicker consistency is good for sloughing off dead skin and rough areas occasionally. 

Step 5. You may apply this mixture over your body as a mask, wait till it partially dries off and then massage it before rinsing it off in the shower. Or you may apply it in the shower over damp skin and massage it before rinsing off.

Results:

You will experience freshness and a clear skin. At first use, only a glow is noticeable. With regular use, a definite improvement in the skin tone is noticeable. However, the enhancing of fairness as claimed is not remarkably praiseworthy if you are expecting a result in a short term. However, it does control breakouts and pimples and pimple marks are visibly reduced within the first week of regular use. I have some eczema scars and it has not only controlled eczema breakouts but also diminished the scars. The product is recommended for healthy skin maintenance, and not just for skin lightening.

Cheers,

Sash