True beauty comes from within. Our attitudes, lifestyle, and level of connection to the light of our inner selves determine how beautiful we are on the outside. The most effective ways to express radiant beauty are to cultivate our inner worlds and find peace with ourselves.

There are, however, ways to augment and support our beauty from the outside. Our skin is susceptible to poor dietary choices, hereditary factors, and environmental toxins. Sometimes an external boost is helpful to make our radiance more obvious. We dont need expensive chemical products to do this. Nature has provided all that we need to soften, purify, and polish our surfaces.

Women in India have been using the bright orange rhizome turmeric, which they call haldi, for countless generations. Turmeric is used to add flavor, color, and nutritional value to many traditional dishes. It is used as a dye in traditional wedding ceremonies and other rites of passage. And turmeric is used daily to give Indian women the smooth complexions and soft skin for which they are famous. Here are a few ways you can use this potent herb to heal your own skin.

1. Wrinkles

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines on the skin when combined with an acid and a fat.

• Mix a little turmeric powder with an equal portion of rice flour or clay.
• Add a small amount of coconut milk and a squeeze of fresh tomato (without the seeds), lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar.
• Apply this paste to wrinkles and fine lines and allow to dry.
• Rinse carefully with warm water and apply rosehip oil, vitamin E oil, castor oil, or sweet almond oil.

2. Dark Circles

To get rid of dark circles under your eyes, use a combination of a cultured fat and sugar with the turmeric to lighten your skin.

• Mix a little turmeric powder with sweetened coconut kefir or yogurt with honey.
• Apply this in a thick layer to the under eyes and other dark spots and let sit until dry.
• Rinse well with warm water and apply rosehip oil, castor oil, or carrot seed oil.

3. Skin Texture

Turmeric can improve the texture and even out the tone of facial skin. Rough spots will soften over time with regular use of this exfoliating scrub that combines the smoothing power of turmeric with the humectant properties of honey

• Mix turmeric powder with an equal part powdered oats.
• Add raw organic honey and just enough water to make a paste.
• Gently rub into your entire face except lips and under eyes (use treatment #1 or 2 under your eyes).
• Allow to dry, then rinse well with warm water, pat dry carefully, and apply a natural moisturizer that is appropriate for you skin type.

4. Burns

The antiseptic properties of turmeric help burns heal more quickly with less scarring. There are two ways to make this treatment depending on what materials you have available.

Fresh:

• Mix finely grated or juiced fresh turmeric root with an equal part of the insides of an aloe vera leaf. Blend in a blender, food processor, or clean coffee grinder to make a pulpy gel.

Packaged:

• Mix turmeric powder with an equal amount of aloe vera gel. Be sure to get a brand that does not have alcohol, as that will dry out the burn more. A brand that is designed to be taken internally is usually preferable over one that is made to be applied topically.
• Apply your mixture to the affected area several times a day, keeping it moist as much as possible until the pain fully subsides and the skins normal texture begins to return. Keep the mixture in a sealed jar in the refrigerator between uses.

5. Cracked Heels, Elbows, and Knees

Turmeric is great for softening extremely dry skin patches.

• Mix turmeric powder into castor oil or melted shea butter.
• Apply to feet just before bed and cover with socks you do not mind staining. Wear overnight and rinse well in the morning before applying more shea butter or castor oil.
• For other dry body parts, rub the mixture in well and let sit for as long as possible, at least 15 minutes. Rinse well and moisturize again.

6. Stretch Marks

Turmeric returns elasticity to the skin and helps stretch mark scars heal.

• Mix turmeric powder into coconut yogurt or coconut oil with a little fresh lemon juice.
• Apply to stretch marks daily.

As with any natural remedy, healing skin with turmeric takes time and consistency. You may not see any results for a few days or weeks. But once they come, the results are usually lasting, and do not have any side effects other than the potential for temporary staining. Be careful with your clothes and porcelain surfaces when working with the powerfully hued turmeric. Any discoloration of your skin will clear up within a day.

Mother nature provides countless ways for us to care for ourselves, inside and out. And while true beauty comes from within, we can make our skin as flawless as possible with a little help from one of her most potent plants, turmeric.

Watch how to pick turmeric at your local grocery store and clean it properly. Also learn the various ways you can use this herb in your daily life.