Before I knew about serums and toners, I knew about seven soaked almonds. Skincare, as my Nani (my maternal grandmother) taught me, wasn’t luxury - it was instinct. Long before beauty rituals were bottled into products they were practiced in her kitchen, grounded in ingredients that were nourishing, simple and always purposeful.

Egg yolk for dry skin, onion juice for hair loss, chickpea flour to exfoliate and Indian Clay for everything in between - there was no elaborate ten-step routine. 

Over time I’ve realised that the most effective beauty rituals are often the simplest. Nani was right: it's about trusting nature and using ingredients that are timeless and effective. The rituals she passed down through generations still guide the way I care for my skin today:

 

For Within – Seven Soaked Almonds

Seven almonds, soaked in water overnight, peeled in the morning. No one explained why, I just ate them every morning. As it turns out, almonds are packed with Vitamin E and antioxidants. Great for skin, for memory, and for regulating blood-sugar. 

In Ayurveda, foods are categorised as “hot” or “cool” based on their properties, not temperature. Almonds run hot, so soaking them balances their potency and makes them easier to digest.

 

For Brighter Skin – Turmeric & Yoghurt
Turmeric for brightness and yoghurt for hydration. A messy paste applied without precision but always effective. Leave on for ten minutes for brighter skin.

Turmeric is central to so many rituals in Indian culture, not just as a culinary staple but as a healing root. Stirred into daal, blended with black pepper for digestion, smoothed over a bride’s skin before her wedding - it heals, protects, and connects. It’s the panacea that tackles both internal and external issues from a cold to a breakout.

 

For Healthier Hair – Onion Juice
Here’s where trust really comes into play. Onion juice, rich in sulfur, stimulates the scalp and can promote hair growth. Massaging it in before a wash nourishes the hair hair right from the root.

To make the juice: blend 2-3 large red onions, strain, and store in an airtight jar. Apply to your scalp with your hands, a spray bottle, or cotton balls. As with all great South Asian rituals, patience is key, take 30 minutes for gentle movement, letting the treatment absorb. Rinse thoroughly and follow up with a deep conditioner.

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Wellness doesn’t have to be complicated. The most effective practices are often the simplest. It’s easy to get distracted by endless ingredients and routines, but when we trust our intuition and honour what’s stood the test of time, we feel and see the results. These are the lessons from Nani’s kitchen.

My skincare brand Junglo was born from this knowing - that skincare isn’t just about what you apply to your skin, it’s about how you live, how you care for yourself, and reconnecting with the wisdom already inside you.

From Nani, I learned that beauty isn’t something you rush. It’s a recipe of patience, care, and wisdom, simmered slowly in the kitchen.

NANI’S MORNING RITUAL:

SOAKED ALMONDS, BLACK PEPPERCORNS, GROUND GINGER & BLACK PEPPER, GROUND TURMERIC, TULSI LEAVES 

                  Written By Diya Shahaney / Founder of Jungo