Besan, the flour of ground chickpeas, is one of the most used home skincare ingredients in India. It goes into ubtan before weddings, into weekly face packs, and into baths for babies. It is gentle compared with most kitchen remedies, which is why it has lasted. It also does less than the recipes promise.
What besan does
Besan is mostly starch and protein, finely ground. On skin it does two things.
It absorbs. Mixed into a paste and left on, it soaks up oil from the surface. Oily skin feels clean and matte after a besan pack, and this is the main reason people like it.
It exfoliates gently. The fine grains loosen dead surface cells when the paste is rubbed off. This is a physical scrub, and a mild one if it is used gently.
That is the list. There is very little clinical research on besan applied to skin, so the effects that can be explained by absorbing and scrubbing are the ones to expect.
The claims that do not hold up
It removes tan. A tan fades as skin renews itself, protected from more sun. Scrubbing speeds up the shedding of the top layer a little, and scrubbing hard irritates, and irritated skin makes more pigment. Tan removal home remedies goes through the common ones.
It lightens skin. Nothing in chickpea flour affects pigment. Skin looks brighter after a pack because the surface is smoother and cleaner for a while.
It clears acne. Taking oil off the surface feels helpful, but acne starts deeper, in the pore. Rubbing a paste over active pimples irritates them. Whiteheads on the face covers what does help.
It removes facial hair. Rubbing ubtan can loosen a few fine hairs. It does not remove hair in any lasting way.
The common packs
Besan and curd. The curd adds moisture, and a little lactic acid, which is a gentle exfoliating acid. This is one of the kinder combinations and suits most skin types.
Besan and milk or malai. The fat in milk makes the pack less drying. A good choice for dry skin in winter.
Besan and rose water. A plain, mild pack. Rose water is mostly water with a faint scent. Rose water for skin covers what it does.
Besan and turmeric. The classic ubtan. Turmeric stains, and it irritates some people. Turmeric for skin sets out what the evidence supports.
Besan and tomato. The tomato adds acid, which stings sensitive or sun-stressed skin.
Besan and lemon. Best avoided. Is lemon good for the face explains why.
How to use it gently
- Mix two spoons of besan with enough curd, milk or rose water to make a smooth paste
- Apply a thin layer to clean skin, avoiding the eyes
- Rinse before it dries to a crust. A pack that cracks as you move your face pulls water out of the skin with it
- Wet the face and wash the paste off with light circular movements. No hard rubbing
- Follow with a moisturiser
Once a week is plenty. Dry or sensitive skin may do better with once every two weeks. How often to use a face mask covers the general rule.
Who should skip it
- Anyone allergic to chickpeas or other legumes. A reaction on the skin is possible
- Dry, sensitive or irritated skin, where any scrub can be too much. Over-exfoliated skin describes the signs
- Skin with active breakouts, where rubbing makes things worse
- Skin that stung after a pack. Like multani mitti, burning means stop, not push through
Patch test any new mixture on the inner arm before it goes on the face.
How it compares
Besan is gentler than a sugar or walnut scrub, and gentler than most fruit-acid remedies. For regular exfoliation, a formulated product controls the strength in a way a kitchen paste cannot. How to exfoliate your face covers the options.
Where the Cham range fits
No Cham product contains besan.
A besan pack does the same job as a cleanser and a scrub. The Brightening Face Wash is a gentle daily cleanser, so on the day of a pack it can be skipped. Follow the pack with a moisturiser either way.
