Jam sessions

You've got jam on your face! No, don't wipe it off. After all, you do want soft, glowing, taut skin, right? A New Delhi-based naturist has created fruit-based face treatments that are fetching sweet results.

Now, who does not like jams (that come in bottles, not create bottlenecks!)? A generous dollop on warm, toasty bread with a jiggling drop just about to slide off a corner and you catch it right there and get your first taste of sweet, tangy yumminess.

And then Junior gets it all over his face when you are not watching and you have to leave your half-eaten delicacy right then and there and wipe that jam off his face.

But what if you got jam all over your face and did not wipe it off? Before you go Ugh!, think again. You just could end up with a beautiful complexion. Yes, jams are the new face treats.

According to Suparna Trikha, a naturist who runs the Aaveda Centre in New Delhi, jam doubles as a skincare product. "We are all familiar with the phrase 'peaches and cream' complexion, but just why was the term coined? Obviously, it had a reference to the skin of the fruit that is soft, peachy and golden glowey, like the blush of dawn.

And therein lies the secret. "Fruits actually help skin be supple and soft," Trikha says.

A regular traveller to the foothills of the Himalayan region, Trikha has her own organic farms where she grows herbs and fruit and vegetables to be used in her specifically formulated range of skin and hair care products. Recently, she introduced organic 'jam face treatments', which contain natural AHAs (alphahydroxy acids).

AHAs present in all fruit are incorporated in cosmetics to rejuvenate, refresh and bring softness and cellular health to the skin. According to Trikha, AHAs are best preserved through fruit jams.

Even before she introduced her jam face treatments, she was a strong advocate of using natural products in her skin and hair treatments. Several including bananas, pomegranates, avocadoes, oranges, plums, apricots and strawberries have been on her beauty menu for the last 12 years. For the last two years she has been researching the effects of fruit products – pulp, purees, seeds, fresh slices and jams on the skin.

This led her to safely and effectively incorporate apricot jam facials and plum jam facials in her intensive face treatments that have resulted in softer, smoother and more taut skin. "No machines, no chemicals, no side effects. The peaceful procedure makes the skin smile," she says.

The fruit extracts, infused with rare herbs and extracts of different dry fruits, result in safe treatments that nourish and feed the skin. "Our research is so trusted by my loyal clientele that they voluntarily opted for the extended jam face treatments. They know that there will not be any side effects.

"Anyone familiar with how jams are made would understand it requires honey, sugar, fruit juices and pure fruit pulp. All these ingredients are natural and even if we do not add chemical preservatives for shelf life and use honey as a preservative instead, the product remains completely natural. For preparing 'face jams', what we do is extract the juices of the fruit while cooking the pulp. At the same time herbs like margosa, saffron and extracts of different dry fruits are prepared as an infusion. This infusion is stored for at least 10 days and then added to the jam. The product then has to reach a certain correct consistency before being stored in airtight containers for single use applications.

"Initially, when we started experimenting with apricot jam, we discovered that not only did the skin turn more supple, it also became firmer. Which meant the product contained anti-ageing properties. Apricot also contains vitamins which help revitalise, regenerate and renew skin cells.

"In the state of Himachal Pradesh or Kumaon, you will find that apricot jam is sold in abundance as a body and facial massage product. There are also apricot oils, which when massaged on the body even skin tone and erase lines and wrinkles. But this is only a household phenomenon; there are no big research companies taking this concept to the next level to find out what natural products can be used for different types of skin.

"So, when we started experimenting, we learnt a lot of new things. For example, by using plum jam, the skin became tighter and less oily. This is because plums are acidic
in nature and help control sebum.

"What we also discovered was that a single application showed results. And that is how my jam sessions began!

"I soon plan to start a whole range of jam products for the skin. The products on the top of my list would be a skin marmalade and orange jam.

I would also be experimenting with apple jam, since it has cleansing properties and its results are bound to give the skin an absolutely refreshing look."

Trikha recommends 'jam sessions' for people in their early thirties at least once a month. During the forties, twice
a month, with additional and regular skincare treatments. In the fifties and sixties, along with a back-up programme, daily use at home is recommended.

She says, "My journey towards natural products started at an early age when I was schooling in England and spent my vacations at the Gurukul Kangri, Haridwar in Uttaranchal, where my grandfather was the vice chancellor of the university. I was surrounded by the most amazing diversity of flora, herbs and fruit and vegetables because the region is so fertile and lush.

"Influenced by naturopathy and Ayurveda, I grew up fascinated with their remarkable results and therapeutic values. I had never imagined then that my entire future would revolve around nature's bounty and its various amazing rejuvenating properties."

"Most people," says Trikha, "are ignorant of the fact that simple, pure and natural ingredients can have the most powerful effect on skin, provided you know how, what and when to use them."

Trikha is aware that it is not possible for everyone to go to her centre for the jam sessions. But much can be done in simple effective ways with fruit and herbs even at home.

"Come to think of it, I have not done anything new. I am just reconnecting with what people have been using for years as beauty aids. One has to just think different, that's all."

Consult a dermatologist before starting your own skincare routine.

Natural Properties of Fruits

Apples: Acidic in nature and wonderful for combination and oily skin. Grated apple helps lighten skin and is like a wake-up call for dull, lifeless skin. Apples have toning and astringent properties and are very effective for fair and sensitive skins. Mashed and mixed with honey, apple puree can be used as a face mask.

Avocadoes: Contain vitamin A, E and D. The minerals potassium and sulphur found in this fruit make it very useful as an ingredient in face packs. This hydrating fruit provides fabulous nourishment for dry and damaged skin. Use its pulp with a tablespoon of honey and massage into skin.

Bananas: A sure softener. Even the most sun-damaged skin heals if it is treated to a mask of mashed banana and fresh cream. Regular applications produce very effective results. An excellent skin nourisher in the form of a face mask, banana also helps tighten skin. It also cleanses the pores and invigorates, leaving skin looking all aglow.

Grapes: Slightly acidic in nature, they have a cleansing and bleaching effect on the skin. Mashed grapes can be used as skin-tightening packs.

Orange: Citrus like lemon. Acidic in nature, it is a natural de-tanner. With high contents of Vitamin C, it can be used as a mask. Massaging the skin with orange slices helps lighten skin tone and tighten the pores. Fresh orange peel can be rubbed on the skin to soften it or you can boil the peel in water and use this 'orange water' as a skin cleanser. Keep the contents refrigerated.

Papaya: One of the most versatile fruits, it has cleansing enzymes that help reduce blemishes. Mixed with pineapple juice, papaya also helps soften troublesome cuticles. Papaya is a skin softener and people suffering from age spots or blemished skin should regularly massage skin with fresh papaya pieces or use a mask of mashed ripe papaya.

Pomegranates: Excellent for oily skin. Pomegranates have astringent properties and help keep the skin young and supple.

Strawberry: Excellent for reducing oiliness and toning the skin. It has high medicinal value and makes an excellent astringent face wash. Particularly helpful for oily skin as it has a tightening effect on it. Mash and apply to the face for a marvellous home pack.

Watermelon: This moisture-rich fruit helps hydrate skin. Puree the fruit and freeze in an ice tray. Rub on skin whenever you come in from a hot day. Very refreshing and cooling.

– Nilima Pathak is a New Delhi-based writer.