12 Incredible Benefits Of Buttermilk For Hair And Skin: Adding Chaas to Your Beauty Regime

It's a shame that buttermilk doesn't get much attention in most other culinary traditions. However, we in India, have devised innumerable ways to make this cooling beverage a dedicated part of our diet. One of the most loved summer drinks of India, buttermilk is an outcome of the separation of butter from milk. It is extremely nutritious, light on the stomach and palate appeasing. While many like savouring a tall glass of chaas on a hot summer afternoon, others don't budge from experimenting and adding a dash of buttermilk into a range of curries and other delicacies. It is easy to use and so versatile, and its cooling properties are not only good for you from within, you can also try applying it externally to benefit from its healing properties. Yes, you heard us. Your skin and hair can benefit a great deal by the exfoliating and healing properties of buttermilk. To your hair it can add an enviable lustre, and can bring back that lost sheen on your skin. Buttermilk for Skin1. Buttermilk is excellent as a bleaching agent.2. It is enriched with lactic acid, ideal for solving a host of skin-related issues.3. It can help solve skin troubles like discolouration, spots, blemishes, etc.4. It can also help lighten age spots and tighten skin.5. It helps check sun damage, tanning and sunburn.6. It is great way to cleanse skin and make it softer.7. Mix it with a range of ingredients to exfoliate your skin.How to Use Buttermilk for Skin Care?Buttermilk can be teamed with a range of ingredients to benefit various skin types. You can mix it with masoor dal, besan, rose water, fuller's earth (multani mitti), orange peel powder, bananas, etc. A combination of dry orange peel powder and buttermilk works magic on those stubborn marks and blemishes. Mix it with mashed papaya or tomatoes, apply on your skin, wash off when dry - this is an excellent way to reduce sunburn and sun damage."Buttermilk has curd as the base which has cleaning enzymes. It helps cleanse and nourish the skin, especially combination skin types. Those suffering from sunburn and tanning are the ones to benefit the most from buttermilk," says Suparna Trikha, a well-renowned beauty expert.Mix buttermilk with haldi, multani mitti and crushed walnut powder. Apply, scrub and wash it off with normal water. Use this as a face wash for summers. This is ideal for oily to combination to normal skin. Those with dry skin can try teaming buttermilk with a pinch of haldi and sandalwood powder and use it as a daily face wash," says Dr. Deepali Bhardwaj.Buttermilk for Hair1. Buttermilk can bring a significant change in the texture of your hair.2. It can help cleanse your scalp leaving it feeling clean and fresh.3. Adding buttermilk to your regular haircare regime will help fight dandruff and dryness.4. It can help fortify your hair.5. The protein in buttermilk will help nourish your hair and replenish all essential nutrients.How to Use Buttermilk for Hair CareYou can add buttermilk with a range of ingredients to make hair masks and packs. Mix a few tablespoons of buttermilk with an egg, few tablespoons of olive oil, a mashed banana and two tablespoons of raw honey. Blend well, apply on your hair, and cover with a shower cap. Leave for at least 20 minutes and wash off with an herbal shampoo.You can also apply buttermilk directly on your scalp as well as in combination with lemon juice. Massage onto your scalp, leave for 15 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. This will help get rid of itchy scalp as well as dandruff. You can also use buttermilk along with white vinegar and lemon juice to treat dandruff."Buttermilk contains a type of protein that is easily absorbed when applied topically on the skin. It therefore serves as an excellent agent to be included in your beauty regime," says Dr. Deepali Bhardwaj, a leading Delhi-based dermatologist and beauty expert.Buttermilk is an all-rounder in all sense. It is a holistic ingredient that can benefit you from inside-out. It is great for digestion and helps check indigestion and gastric issues. It is low in fat and high on energy, and is an ideal energy drink for those who are trying to lose weight.Note: It is advisable for you to get in touch with your dermatologist to determine your skin type and device ways to incorporate buttermilk in your beauty regime in the best possible way. If you are feeling any kind of allergic reaction, you can discuss the same with the expert.