Tharu Skincare Secrets: How to Keep Your Skin Hydrated While Surviving the Terai Heat

If you have ever stepped out onto the dusty, parched plains of the Terai in Nepal and experienced the bone-dry heat followed by the sticky clamminess, one certainly ponders how women manage to keep their skin so fresh and radiant in such conditions. But then, you find the Tharu people – these are people who live in harmony with the environment. Daily combating the heat and humidity does not make them look any less healthy or dry their skins and hair.
How do they do it? The answer can be found in the anti-wrinkle treatments which are not coming from the European five-star luxury hotel Cong, but from the Oriental women’s belief, herbs, and creativity. So, let’s jump and open the book about Tharu skin care and find out how it is possible to beat the heat, moisturize, and take something from the magic, of course.

 

 

Why Terai is a Difficult Country to Navigate if You Are Skin

Before we reveal the Tharu secrets, let’s paint a picture of the Terai region’s climate:
Scorching Summers: Summer is very hot, with temperatures exceeding forty degrees Celsius on most days.
High Humidity: It’s like getting a free session of steaming at the gym every day.
Dry Winters: Skin gets affected by a shortage of Vitamin A, low humidity, and strong winds affect skin.
And believe it or not, hydrating is not only about consuming water in such places, though it is importantly about the skin.

 

 

Tharu Skincare Rituals: On the Magic of Simplicity as well as ‘Naturastudii’: Studies of Nature

The Tharu people still practice this mode of skincare to perfection since they combine functionality, natural elements, and cultural practices. Here’s how they achieve this and get to maintain their skin cool, moist, and shielded at all times when out there in that hot sun.

⦁    Mustard Oil Massages: The MVP of Hydration
But if there is one thing Tharu people would die for, then it is mustard oil. Yes, they use it from head to toe, and also they use it for cooking. A source of fatty acids, vitamins E, and antioxidants, mustard oil maintains skin moisture and prevents its loss due to the sun.
How It Works:
Mustard oil is more like a skin softener since it seals the water on the skin while at the same time acting as a shield against the climate.
Being anti-inflammatory, it helps to reduce the effects of sunburn and irritation that are rampant in the Terai region.
Pro Tip: Pat the oil slightly before massaging it onto your skin so that it does not go cool and stiff on your body. Not only does it feel very comfortable, but it soaks up better than the older one and keeps your face smooth.
Funny Truth: For a few hours, you’ll possibly smell like one of those salad dressings, but at least your skin will be moisturized.

⦁    Natural Cooling Masks: The Tharu Spa Experience
Incessant heat, when it hinders normal functioning, the Tharu people apply natural cooling masks with turmeric, neem, cucumber, and sandalwood paste. These masks do not only nourish but also soothe the spoilt skin.
How It Works:
Turmeric: A substance used to bring back brightness to the face by lessening inflammation.
Neem: Holds skin bacteria at bay and prevents acne breakouts after sweating.
Cucumber: Kind of makes your skin wet and fresh at the same time.
Funny But True: It’s like pranking yourself by freezing your face completely, but the ending is definitely satisfying.

⦁    Baths With Herbs and Flowers for Hydration
Many times, Tharu people wash their body with water in which there are fresh local herbs such as basil, neem leaves, or rose petals. These natural additives can calm the skin, moisturize, and give a scent which may not be overwhelming.
Why It Works:
Herbal baths actually wash without even removing the skin’s sebum.
They keep part of your body cool and help prevent heat rash.
Pro Tip: Rose water bathing can be incorporated today by simply sprinkling the water in the bath water.
Bonus Effect: Your bathroom will smell like a garden; who wouldn’t want it that way?

⦁    Hyalinizing Rice Water for Healthy Summer Glowing Skin
You might expect rice water to be the newest skincare trend, but it is actually part of the Tharu people’s heritage. They give their skin a toner made from water and rice, which is rich in both antioxidants, vitamins, and amino acids.
How It Works:
Because of its tonic effect, the skin becomes hydrated and fresh within minutes.
Helps make the skin surface dizzy and cool the sunburn area.
How to Use It:
Do the following steps: Rinse a fistful of rice with water for 30 minutes.
Pour out the water and filter it to put in a spray bottle.
Shower your face with it whenever you feel your skin is dry.
Funny Reality: You may fancy having a snack or some food when applying it, but avoid that and don’t eat your toner.

⦁    This Remedy is Good for Full Body Scrubbing with Gram Flour
The Tharu people apply gram flour (besan) face pack thoroughly with yogurt or milk. It works as a natural scrub. This is achieved in order to effectively wash off the dead skin cells, sweat, and dirt without causing the skin to dry up completely.
Why It’s Genius:
Besan is one more natural cleanser for the skin, which nourishes it and makes it soft and moist.
Yogurt brings in moisture and at the same time provides a little quantity of lactic acid important for gentle exfoliating of the skin.
Fun Thought: It is as if it gives the skin that desired feel of sweets but does not come with the sugar's known side effects.

⦁    Hydration from the Inside Out
The Tharu people know that diet follows skin deep, and then there are the eyes too on the face. They take a lot of foods and drinks to increase their ability to combat unfavorable Terai reactions.
Key Ingredients in the Tharu Diet:
Cucumber and Watermelon: Filled with water; have antioxidant properties.
Buttermilk: A good beverage, which has a number of beneficial effects on the body and face, making skin healthy and smooth.
Herbal Teas: One cannot do without preparing Tulsi, also known as holy basil tea for its effects of offering the body a cooling effect as well as detoxification.
Pro Tip: Pour chia seeds in your water or drinks. They enlarge and then dispense moisture to your body system.
Funny But True: Drinking for skin is like getting a glass of water, none of that embarrassing chit-chatting.

⦁    Avoiding Harsh Soaps
The Tharu people use clays for washing their bodies instead of using formal soaps or other powdery and herby products. These mild soaps continue to help wash their skin without removing sebum within the skin.
Why It Works:
Preserves skin’s water reservoir for hydraulic layer to the body.
Guards against over-drying; drying clothes in the Terai region Sun can easily cause dehydration.
Pro Tip: Replace your normal soap with Multani mite (fuller's earth) and rose water.
Funny Reality: Your bathroom shelf might transform into a mini pantry, but believe me, your skin will be thanking you for this.

⦁    Nighttime Skincare: Let Your Skin Recover
The Tharu people don’t neglect the art of performing activities at night. Most of them apply replenishing oils – coconut or almond oil – before bedtime for the skin to heal during the night.
Why It’s Essential:
Your skin is exposed to loss of moisture at night, particularly in cases when the room is warm and dry.
Oils moisturize deeply and help the skin regain the loss of its barrier function.
Pro Tip: Before going to bed, massage a few drops of almond oil into your face and hands to wake up to roughness-free skin.
Bonus: You will wake up smelling like this.

 

 

Some of the Key Learnings of Modern Skincare from Tharu Fingertips

The Tharu skincare rituals are in fact a lesson that can be learned from, which is that sometimes, the best way to protect your skin in harsh, unforgiving climes is to keep things at their barest minimum and go natural. Here’s how to adapt their wisdom for a modern routine:

⦁    Invest in Oils: For smooth, healthy skin, try cold-pressed mustard, coconut, or almond oil.
⦁    Use Natural Masks: Try using products with turmeric, sandalwood, and neem.
⦁    Stay Hydrated: Take water, foods with high water content, and rinse your face with rice water.
⦁    Protect Your Skin: Lightweight and breathable fabrics should be used where possible, and hard-surface cleansers which remove the skin’s protective oils should not be used.
⦁    Be Consistent: Skin maintenance provides hydrated and young-looking skin