There's a whole library of great natural ingredients from Indonesia (and beyond), and Turmeric has been hot in the news (finally!) In addition though, I wanted to focus on a special combination we mix in Indonesia, and how to use them to boost your own health and beauty - both inside and out! The beauty of Jamu, our natural herbal health tradition, is that we focus not on one ingredient, but how several can be blended together to have special benefits as a whole blend than the parts if taken separately.

Turmeric: Used widely in curries around the world and a staple of Indonesian health tonics, turmeric is a root with powerful antioxidant properties. Turmeric is known to be a liver and blood detoxifier, has strong antibacterial and internally cleansing powers, and can be used to treat illnesses from cancer to Alzheimer's. The effect of turmeric is also said to be improved when mixed with black pepper (or pineapple works too.) In Indonesia, it’s one of the key ingredients not only in health tonics, but also used in a poultice for topical application for healing wounds, and in spa treatments to purify and give skin a beautiful glow.

Tamarind: Tamarind can be both eaten and used topically with many benefits. It has topical anti-inflammatory antioxidant properties. When eaten, it can help with digestive problems, can help lower cholesterol, and can be a mild laxative. It contains fiber, potassium, magnesium and other vitamins. It’s shaped like a giant pea pod with a hard shell and has a soft, sticky, chewy fruit inside with hard seeds. When applied to the skin, the seeds have strong hydrating properties, while the fruit has antiseptic and astringent properties. It tastes tangy and sweet, is commonly made into a candy, or used in soups and other savory dishes that one can easily forget all its additional health benefits.

Drink it!

Kunyit Asem: Drunk as one of many popular daily health tonics (called Jamu) in Indonesia, it’s a solid, go-to beverage for women to improve overall well being and energy levels. Made of a combination of Turmeric, tamarind, flavored with sugar (or honey) with a pinch of salt, it should be drunk fresh. Pour over ice, and it’s really refreshing. There are prepackaged versions you can buy at the store, some add the betel leaf, commonly included in Indonesian beauty products and beverages to refresh the breath and improve overall body odor. I have made some from scratch, read the article of Jamu I made in Bali on Well & Good NYC here.

So let’s do the same for your skin!

JUARA’s Turmeric and Tamarind Skin Boosting Duo. Use this to to supercharge your skin. After cleansing, use the Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask twice a week. Its antioxidant powers strengthen and detoxify the skin; plus it has a brightening power that will give you an instant, radiant glow. The turmeric is infused in a non-drying mud mask that also purifies skin and refines pores. It’s a great skin recharger – like hitting reset on your face’s health button.

Follow up with the Tamarind Tea Hydrating Toner (which should be used daily, even if not using the mask.) This cottonball-free toner-serum is a skin quenching step that takes just a few seconds. Tamarind and hyaluronic acid work together to deeply hydrate skin, replenishing lost moisture to give skin an instantly soft and supple feel, while antioxidants from tea and redness reducing powers from rice bran extract add extra skin-calming benefits. Follow with your favorite moisturizer, (or we recommend the Kombucha infused Sweet Black Tea & Rice Moisturizer), and see the difference!

You can see the JUARA products here.