Traditional medicinal knowledge about common herbs used in face Care in Chhattisgarh, India

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh, give more emphasis on internal care as compared to external care. In starting the treatment, the healers suggests the patients to make the bowels clear. For pimples and other relate troubles, according to them , constipation is main factor. They give herbal combinations to root out this problem and in many cases, treatment of constipation solves the problem of pimples. During my ethnobotanical surveys in different parts of Chhattisgarh, I have collected information on over 1500 herbal combinations commonly used in face care. Most of the combinations are applied externally. As mentioned earlier, the healers prefer internal care and they emphasize on healthy body and tension free routine life. The surveys revealed that in rural and forest areas face care is not taken as big problem and in general, natives adopt home remedies. They never visit to the healers for treatment or special herbs. In urban areas, as the modern culture is establishing its deep root in society , the natives take special care of face. The traditional healers living nearer to cities, have routine patients for this trouble. The healers blame busy life and over tension, as root cause for disturb health and according to them, face shows the symptoms of ill health very easily. In rural and forest areas, the Kanhar (Black clay) soil particularly, the Kanhar soil collected from organically grown rice crop fields is used to wash the face daily. In case of pimples and small boils common in young age, the healers suggest the patients to apply the aqueous paste on pimples and small boils in order to suppress it.

In many parts of Chhattisgarh, the natives mix neem leaf juice in place of water, in order to prepare aqueous paste of Kanhar soil. Pelopathy is also in existence and in this pathy, patients are advised to use Kanhar soil during bath as substitute to chemical soaps. This is a matter of scientific investigation that why the Kanhar soil of organically grown rice fields is preferred ? In urban areas, the natives use multani mitti (Fuller’s clay) in place of Kanhar soil, due to poor availability of Kanhar soil. For the natives in urban areas, it is really hard to get this soil. The natives having home gardens purchase the Kanhar soil in bulk and keep a part of this bulk supply, for face care round the year. According to the traditional healers and natives of Chhattisgarh, Kanhar soil is more effective as compared to multani soil. This is the reason that most of the beauty parlours at cities are using Kanhar soil. They are adding many herbs in this soil before using it for face care. These herbs are recommended for mixing in multani soil. The traditional healers are against this mixture. According to them, Kanhar soil alone have enough potential to solve the problem. Mixture of exotic herbs in indigenous soil and its use in face care may result in side effects. But untrained beauticians ignore the warnings of the healers. For face care, the natives of Chhattisgarh are using Dhikuar (Aloe vera) since generations, alone and in combination with other herbs. The untrained beauticians are also using this herb for face care. In general, the natives strictly use fresh Aloe gel for face care and they are aware that storage of Aloe gel at room temperature upto long time can deteriorate its useful properties and result in harmful effects. You will be surprised to know that the untrained beauticians are using a month old Aloe gel for their clients. Last week when I asked a leading beautician of my city Raipur, She replied that she was not aware of this fact. The availability of Aloe vera in cities is a big problem. This is the reason, the beauticians purchase it once in a month and use it whole month. As mentioned in previous articles. Aloe as garden plant is not preferred by the natives and it is general belief, that the presence of this herb in home gardens may causes family tensions. The beauticians are dependent on herb growers and herb growers generally not take much interest in limited supply and small orders. Like the use of Kanhar soil, the use of dew crops collected from Doob ghas (Cynodon dactylon) is also popular in Chhattisgarh. The natives wash their faces with freshly collected dew drops. The traditional healers very frequently recommend its use to their patients. The dew drops are also useful as eye tonic.

The natives walk barefooted on these dew drops (on Doobghas) every morning. The dew drops collected from other herbs are not used for face care. This use is common in rural and forest areas, not in urban areas. According to the natives the dew drops are sure cure for pimples and its regular use prevents the problem of new pimples. Now, I am describing some rare traditional medicinal knowledge about common herbs used in face care in Chhattisgarh, India, I have collected through my surveys.

In treatment pimples, the natives prepare a herbal combination using the bark of Dhanbaher (Cassia fistula), Ama Haldi (Curcama amada) and Gondla (Cyperus rotundus) nuts and these herbs are mixed in water and aqueous paste is applied on pimples externally. In many parts of Chhattisgarh, the natives add the bark of Anar (Pomegranate) and neem leaves in this combination. Due to poor availability of Gondla herb in urban areas, the natives are dependent upon herb shops. As many species of Cyperus are found in Chhattisgarh, the adulteration is common. This is the reason, the natives avoid using Gondla herb in this herbal combination. The traditional healers of Dhamtari region informed me that the stones of Desi Boir (indigenous Ber, Ziziphus sp.) are good substitute to Gondla herb in this combination. Stones from new crop are preferred but according to healers, stored stones can be used without any problem. When I discussed the traditional healers of Bastar region about this herbal combination, they suggested that use of fresh cow milk for preparation of aqueous paste in more beneficial as compared to water. The boiled milk is not preferred. The traditional healers of Pendra region suggest the natives to use Narkachura (Curcuma caesia) in case of pimples. Its aromatic rhizome is used to prepare aqueous paste. According to the healers, regular use of this aqueous paste is best remedy for pimples and specially suitable for persons having oily skin. For black spots in face, the natives and traditional healers use many herbs, alone or in combination with other herbs. The use of common wasteland herb Jangli Chaulai is very common among poor natives. The whole herb (including roots) is collected and dried in shade. After drying it is burnt in fire and ash is collected. The ash with water is applied ( in paste form), on black spots. After drying the paste is washed only with warm water. The scientific name of Jangli Chaulai is Amaranthus spinosus. The natives and traditional healers use Jangli Chaulai in treatment of many common diseases. As medicine, many valuable medicinal properties and uses of Jangli Chaulai are reported in reference literatures. According to Ayurveda, it is cooling, digestible, alexiteric, laxative, diuretic, stomachic and antipyretic and useful in biliousness, blood disorder, burning sensation, hallucination, leprosy, bronchitis, rate-bite, piles, leucorrhoea etc. In general, whole herb is used as medicine. In Chhattisgarh, Mahanadi river belt is popular for commercial cultivation of Tarbooz (watermelon). The natives of this region use Tarbooz fruits in special way for treatment of black spots. They make a hole in matured fruit and Sathi rice is filled in this hole. Sathi variety is specific short duration rice variety in Chhattisgarh. In different herbal preparations, Sathi rice variety is used very frequently. As this variety matures in sixty days (Sathi means sixty) , it is named as Sathi. After filling the Tarbooz fruit with Sathi rice, fruit is kept beneath the Neem tree upto ten days. After ten days, seeds are taken out and by crushing powder is prepared. The powder is applied externally on black spots. According to the traditional healers it is promising treatment. For regular face care, the natives prefer this method. They select many fruits in a way that they can get rice, daily. Many natives dip the Sathi or other rice in juice of Tarbooz, but according to the healers, this is not of much use, and one must adopt correct method in order to get desirable effects. In villages of Chhattisgarh plains, the use of Sirsa bark mixed with Black seeded variety of Til (Sesamum) is very common. Both Sirsa bark (Albizia sp.) and Black Til are commonly available. Both herbs are mixed with the help of water and paste is applied for face care.

It is common belief in Chhattisgarh that regular use of Baigan (Brinjal) as vegetable, darken the skin colour, particularly the colour of face. Hence, the traditional healers suggest its limited uses. Baigan is under commercial cultivation in the state. I am not describing other common herbal combinations, as a lot have been written on these combinations by various herb experts and researchers in past.