Sandalwood, turmeric, saffron, coconuts … in India, skin care has traditionally come straight from farms and forests, foraged by women to create pastes, powders, and oils for everything from lustrous hair to glowing skin.
It was not an easy process: Gathering the ingredients, then laboring over a hot fire or a heavy mortar and pestle to make the concoctions, and finally the messiness of strands coated in greasy coconut oil or skin slathered with gloopy turmeric paste.
Fast-forward to today, where you can’t get through a beauty aisle without finding at least 20 best-selling products based on this subcontinent’s 5,000-year-old heritage.
What happened?
It’s…
