Bay leaf or Tejpatta not only gives aromatic flavor in Indian culinary, but it also have great properties for beauty and health. Not just the leaves, but the whole plant have powerful medicated properties with rich antioxidants, essential oils, tannins and flavonoids. Bay leaves have excellent anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and anti-fungal properties. The essential oil from Bay leaves contains mostly cineol, eugenol, acetyl eugenol, methyl eugenol, α and ß-pinene, phellandrene, linalool, geraniol and terpineol which makes it most powerful in therapeutic uses for skin, hair and overall health.
Below are a few wonders of bay leaf for skin, hair, health, weight loss:
Beautiful Skin:
- Acne control and skin lightening: Crush 10 dry or raw bay leaves. Boil 1 liter of water in a pan and add the crushed bay leaves to it. Let the water boil for 10 minutes on a low flame and remove from flame. Let it cool to room temperature. Strain and collect the water in a jar. Use this water to splash on clean face several times a day, start from early morning to just before you go to bed. Repeat daily for acne free, smooth and fair skin.
- Body care: Powder some bay leaves and store in a small jar. Pour 1-2 tbsp of powder into a muslin bag or cloth and pack with tight knots. Place this bag into warm bath water and allow some time for the water to soak and dissolve the bay leaf extracts into it and then enjoy your bath. Repeat twice a week to make the skin odor free, soft, healthy and glowing.
- Bay leaf face mask for gorgeous skin: Add 1 tbsp bay leaf powder into 1/2 cup of boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes. Take 2-4 tbsp of clay in a small bowl and add the bay leaf boiled water to it just enough to make a smooth paste. Apply this paste over clean and dry skin. Leave for 20 minutes or until dry and rinse well. This mask cures acne, reduces pore size, heals acne scars, removes dead cells and bacteria. This face mask is highly effective in providing you with youthful glowing skin.
Remedy for dandruff and hair loss:
Powder some bay leaves by running in a mixer. Sieve this to get the smoothest powder. Mix 3-4 tbsp of bay leaf powder with curd to make a smooth paste. Apply this paste over the entire scalp and hair. Leave for 15-20 minutes and wash with mild shampoo. Alternatively, use bay leaf essential oil to give your scalp a good hot oil massage at least once a week.
Sparkling teeth:
Rub a little bay leaf powder on your teeth twice a week to whiten the teeth naturally.
Health benefits:
- Bay leaf tea has relaxing and calming properties and is good in treating insomnia
- Bay leaf tea is very effective in treating common cold and throat infections.
- Adding bay leaves boiled water to your bathing water can relieve muscular pains.
- Bay leaf essential oil massage is very good in treating sprains and joint pains.
- Drink water boiled with bay leaves, to get relief from nose bleeds.
- Adding bay leaves to your recipes during pregnancy can prevent child birth defects by providing adequate quantities of folic acid.
- Bay leaves provide immunity against different types of cancer.
- Bay leaves have powerful phytonutrients which provide protection against cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.
Weight loss:
Adding bay leaves to recipes or drinking bay leaf concoction is very effective in enhancing fat metabolism, reducing sugar levels and bad cholesterol. Bay leaves reduces food cravings naturally and hence very effective in reducing over weight or obesity.