Sunni Pindi is an aromatic herbal bath powder that is prepared and used extensively in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, as a scrub and a bath powder to cleanse and exfoliate the skin and make it softer. Bathing with Sunni Pindi is an age old tradition and it is used till date in many families in Andhra Pradesh in place of soap.
What is Sunni Pindi made of?
The base of this powder is green gram powder that is mixed with chickpea powder and rice flour. In order to make it aromatic and more beneficial to health, many powdered herbs and ingredients are added to this powder- Turmeric, multani mitti, gooseberries, fenugreek leaves, almond meal, basil leaves, rose petals and neem leaves.
How to make Sunni Pindi?
Ingredients needed:
- 100 gms Green Gram
- 100 gms chickpeas
- 50 gms of rice
- 50 gms of multani mitti
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp neem leaves
- 2 tsp rose petals
- 1 tsp of dried gooseberries or amla
- 2 tsp methi or fenugreek leaves
- 2 tsp basil leaves
- Orange rind or lemon rind
- 10 almonds
Method to make the herbal aromatic bath powder
Sun dry all the ingredients that are needed to make the powder. If using dried herbs, then you would only have to sundry the green gram, rice and chickpeas. For a better aroma, the grains can also be roasted in a tbsp of ghee. Ensure that all the ingredients are completely dry to help increase the shelf life of the sunni pindi. Now grind all the ingredients to make a coarse powder. Store this powder in a bottle and use everyday for the bath.
How to use Sunni Pindi?
The powder can be mixed with water or with milk to form a paste. Apply this paste all over wet skin. Scrub the skin well with this paste. Leave it on the skin for about ten minutes so that your skin can soak up all the nutrients and the aroma from the paste. Wash it off well with warm water. On days when you are hurried, you do not have to leave it on the skin as a pack. Just scrub your whole body with the powder and wash off.
How is Sunni Pindi helpful?
- The gram flour, chickpea and rice flour helps in exfoliating the skin and helping it get rid of all the dead skin.
- The turmeric in the herbal bath powder helps deter hair growth on the skin.
- The neem leaves, turmeric and basil are all anti-microbial. They help you fight acne and skin infections.
- Fenugreek leaves in the powder helps in making the skin soft.
- Almond meal in the bath powder helps in scrubbing the skin and also nourishes the skin with its oils.
- The rose petals make the powder fragrant and the bathing experience wonderful.
- The citrus fruit rind and the milk in the paste helps in removing the tan from the body and lightening the skin tone.
- The multani mitti and the chickpea flour help in removing the excessive oiliness of the skin.
With so many skin benefits of this powder, why would you not use it as a bath powder? It is completely natural, you know of all the ingredients that are present in it and the benefit of each of them. More importantly, it is homemade and full of goodness! So go ahead and make yourself a batch of Sunni Pindi or herbal bath powder and your skin will thank you for it.
