Avaaram & Vettiver Daily Use Body Scrub

Once upon a time, I wrote of a face scrub I’d developed based on a recipe my mother-in-law used. That one’s long been a house favorite, and loved by every single person to whom I’ve ever sent a sample … but for all that love, it remains a pamper-yourself “me-time” indulgence rather than an everyday powder used about as matter-of-factly as soap. This post is an attempt at altering that fairy tale. Or, making it real.

From face to whole body, then: part to whole.

Here, I’m adding two important ingredients to my earlier face powder recipe: aavaaram and vettiver.

I’ve written about avaaram’s history of use in tanning and medicinal properties here and cooked extensively with it: rasam of course, but I’ve also added it to chapatis, kootus, dosas, salads, and really anything else that could do with a little yellow floral pepping up. There are few things that wouldn’t get prettier for that floral addition! I’m adding it now for it’s widely known use in skin care. Aavaaram’s topical applications, they say, remove blemishes and make skin glow. I’m going with that.

The second new entrant is vettiver. Vettiver–vetti-ver, or roots that are cut or dug up–is in fact a tropical grass that grows tall (2-5m) and with a root system as deep, penetrating, and almost stubborn in establishing a hold on soil. This distinguishes it from most other grasses whose roots spread horizontally, mat-like. Plants are extremely hardy, have a high tolerance for heavy metals and apparently also the ability to absorb large amounts of nitrates, phosphates and farm chemicals from soils. All these characteristics have made vettiver suitable both for countering the effects of soil erosion and rain-runoff (they’re planted in rows to form stabilizing hedges), and for soil conservation and pollution control practices. Owing also to these characteristics, the grass has also come to stand for something of a metaphor for hardiness and sometimes also collective strength and unification.

Vettiver is probably best known, however, for it’s characteristic woody-smoky fragrance. Volatiles in the roots are widely exploited in the fragrances and cosmetics industry, and even to aromatize canned asparagus and peas! Its fragrance, the tough-ness of the roots, and their anti-microbial properties each make this a valuable addition to a body scrub: scent, exfoliation, and cleansing. It’s also known to be cooling, so add that to the list of benefits.

Now to the recipe. Note that I’ve re-ordered the ingredients here in order of proportion and value (1-8 are essential, the remainder good-to-haves but optional), and that avaaram and vettiver are really primary in terms of volume. The result is a scrub that you can well still use as a face mask, but works just as well in place of regular soap and gives you a good massage, too, thanks to its graininess (vettiver action again for you).

Avaaram and Vettiver Body Scrub Ingredient List

1. 4-5 parts avaaram poo–Tanner’s cassia–Cassia Auriculata/ Senna Auriculata: has various medicinal uses, among them the treatment of acne, skin blemishes, variations in skin coloration, and the general improvement of skin complexion
2. 1 bunch vettiver (about 50gms)–வெட்டிவேர்–khus–Chrysopogon zizanioides, available from local country medicine shops as root or “choornam” (edible powder): known to have antimicrobial properties, acts here as an exfoliant and adds unmistakable woody-smoky fragrance
3. 1 part dried organic orange peels: anti-bacterial, lightens blemishes, skin brightening, exfoliating, improves skin tone (good for dry skin!); fragrant
4. 1 part neem–veppa ilai–வேப்ப இலை–Azadirachta indica: anti-fungal, anti-bacterial
5. 1 part tulasi leaves–holy basil–Ocimum tenuiflorum: anti-bacterial, cleansing; fragrant
6. 1 handful (about 100 grams) dried wild turmeric root–kasturi manjal–கஸ்தூரி மஞ்சள்–Curcuma aromatica: anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral used in the treatment of eczema, acne, insect bites and other minor skin ailments; said to improve complexion and deter facial hair growth; non-staining (unlike cooking turmeric) and fragrant
7. 50 grams edible camphor–pacchai karpooram–பச்சை கற்பூரம்–Cinnamomum camphora: anti-fungal, soothing, relieves skin irritations; fragrant and very cooling; also acts as a natural preservative to keep the mix from spoilage or attracting bugs over a long period of time: increases shelf life! 
8. 4-5 parts gram flour–kadalai mavu–கடலை மாவு–cleansing, removes excess oils and prevents the formation of pimples and blackheads, keeps skin supple and glowing; helps keep all the above ingredients together and create a smooth, applicable paste
9. {OPTONAL} 1 part “paneer” rose petals–பன்னீர் ரோஜா–Damask rose–Rosa Damascena: anti-inflammatory, mildly astringent (good for oily skin); fragrant, rejuvenating
10. {OPTIONAL} 1 part marikozhundhu–மரிக்கொழுந்து–Dhavanam (Sans.)–Artemisia pallens: protects skin from acne, boils; effective in treating small skin abrasions
11. {OPTTIONAL} 1 part marjoram–Maruvu  மருவு Origanum majorana: antioxidant, aids minor wound healing; said to keep skin smooth and delay wrinkling onset; fragrant 

Grinding, layering, blending

Once you’ve procured all ingredients and dried them thoroughly, it’s time to powder.

Note that all except vettiver will powder really easily in a regular home spice grinder or small mixie jar. Vettiver was a tough one for me to tackle at home. Even though I spent time cutting up the tough roots with a scissors, it threatened to destroy my blender’s blades. To blend the grass roots into a fine enough powder, you will have to grind–then sieve out the tougher, longer strands, and return these to the blender a few times, until you have a more-or-less soft and uniform powder.

The second time I made this, I gave up and sent my mix to a local mill to powder.

Note also that once you have all your ingredients well-dried, you have two choices, based largely on your own aesthetic preferences. First, you may choose to blend all your ingredients together. This decision will have an auxilliary benefit: you’ll not to argue, beg and plead with the mill-kaaran, who would prefer not to grind your vettiver at all, so you’re better off “hiding” it amidst so many other leaves and petals. He’ll know, and he’ll grumble, but he’ll not object so much.

Second, you can elect to keep each powder distinct, so that you can layer them in jars and create a semblance of “sand art,” which makes this body scrub a wonderful thing to behold and then perhaps to gift (as I once did with my Shalikuta peeps). Just spoon the different colored powders into glass jars in irregular layers. Make sure you sprinkle camphor at regular intervals, to preserve its role as preservative! Have fun with the process; it can be quite meditative.

Move over, Lush; home gardeners and wild weed foragers are ready to give you a run for your money.

Then just seal, and send off to whoever your lucky recipients might be. The powder keeps for about a year or more, in a well-sealed jar and a dark corner. Exposed to sunlight, it lasts barely a month.

The Bath Routine & Application

Here’s the trick, right? In the sense that after all that work, and all the pretty sand-art layering and sending to girlfriends and all, it may seem like we’ve done little to move away from the idea of an indulgent me-time body scrub to and everyday use product.

You can change all that by just keeping a small jar of this powder in your bathroom, next to the shower. Only a small jar so you don’t have to worry about making it wet or other contaminations. Take a spoonful or two in the palm of one hand. Sprinkle some water and make a paste–and apply just as you would your regular soap.

It feels good, so I promise you’ll want to rub harder and longer than with a regular soap bar–which is a very good thing, because that’s a massage right there. Which is something slip-slidey soaping never really encouraged us to do.

Camphor and all the volatiles in the other ingredients will be extraordinarily cooling. So, either plan on enjoying that, or keep warm water ready if you’re one of those inclined to sneeze at such sudden changes in temperature.

I’ll leave you with an image of just how much such little changes in fact bring gardens and the whole natural world with them right into your ordinary routines. Whoever said a garden has to live only outside or in potted plants lining apartment balconies?