My knowledge of Indian beauty secrets is pretty limited, with the exception of turmeric, which is basically the new coconut oil. What I do know is that a lot of it is rooted in all-natural traditions passed down from generation to generation.
And in a recent interview with Byrdie, “Top Chef” star (and bonafide goddess) Padma Lakshmi shared the ones she was taught in impeccable detail. There’s her weekly jojoba oil hair mask for fullness, geranium oil for “mood elevation” and my personal favorite, a recipe for decreasing bloat safely and quickly.
Source: Instagram
The concoction, which she describes as a “topical diuretic,” includes two ounces of jojoba oil as a base and 2-3 essential oils on top of that to rid the body of unwanted water and give it a proper detox. Lakshmi personally swears by Desert Essence jojoba oil, but notes that you can pick up other options for less than $10 at your local Whole Foods or health store. From there, she uses the Desert Essence bottle to house the oil mix.
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“So I buy a four-ounce bottle of Desert Essence jojoba oil, take out about a teaspoon so it’s not super full, then put directly into the bottle: 40 drops of juniper oil, 30 drops of grapefruit oil, 20 drops of black pepper oil (or ginger or clove oil, if you can’t find black pepper, though those two are really hot, so if you’re using them, you probably only want to use 12 or 15 drops versus the 20),” she said.
The combination of these ingredients promotes better circulation and faster metabolism. Geranium oil also makes for a decent mosquito repellent alternative if you want to throw that into the mix.
As for how to apply, you can rub all over the body the same way you would a body oil or lotion. Lakshmi recommends having it applied by a massage therapist if you want it to be even more effective; just be sure to test on a small patch of skin first since it’s incredibly potent.
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“Make sure you drink a lot of water because you might feel like you’re dehydrated or like you have a hangover or headache the next day. You can also make a less potent formula by mixing that recipe in six ounces of jojoba oil instead of the four that I’m suggesting. Just as a disclaimer so this thing doesn’t give any of you hives or something,” she added.
Well, color me intrigued. This is the kind of bloating trick I can get behind and will definitely be trying, stat.