Ever wondered what miracle potion in a jar Adere women use on their skin to get that buttery smooth texture? Well, look no further for an answer...
The women of Harar and Dire dawa are just gorgeous by nature. To maintain what nature has blessed them with, they look back into mother nature herself. In my few months stay at Alemaya, I was lucky enough to discover one of the many little secrets they call 'Kesil (ቀስል)'. The very first time I saw a couple of girls walking around with a green stuff smeared on their faces, I literally freaked out.... big time. I later went out on a hunt after a friend explained to me what it was. Tried it few times eager to get that same clean smooth face as my Harari and Dire girls. I was amazed at how clean my face felt the first time I tried it. Sadly, I left the country soon after and my journey to get the perfect skin was cut short.
I have always contemplated having it shipped to me from back home. That was until I took a little trip to a local Indian mart and stumbled upon a small Indian beauty secret packaged in a yellow and green box.
The label read Hesh 'Neem' powder and the description at the back of the box raves about all the wonders it does to a skin and its anti-bacterial properties. A 100g cost only $2.99 plus tax so I decided to give it a try. As soon as I opened the package, I was welcomed by a very familiar smell ...a strong herbal scent... something from way past when... that was my 'Kesil'. We have been inseparable ever since.
I have a very sensitive combination skin type...meaning, it is oily at my forehead , a little dry around my cheekbone and normal the rest of my face. I often keep my face moisturized to give it that uniform tone. And I have been strictly using all natural products for quite sometime now.
There are several ways you can prepare your mask according to your skin type. You can just mix it with a clean water and directly apply it to your face. or
1. Neem + Egg white Mask
Take one egg and crack it open so you can separate the white from yolk. Beat the Egg white until it liquefies. In a separate small bowl, take about 2 or 3 table spoon of the Neem powder and slowly mix it with water till you get that thick paste (Do not make it too thin as it will be dripping all over your chest when you apply it to your face).
Add the egg-white onto the Neem and mix them together well. Apply to your entire face except the eyes and let it dry.
- I often try to peel the mask off as much as I could before I rinse my face with water. The egg white helps removing the white and dark spots on your face while the Neem cures all skin ailments.
Side Note - When you are preparing a mask, you will realize that you don't need that much powder. You can decide how much Neem you need to cover your face once you try it for the first time.
2. Neem + unrefined coconut oil
Not your typical recipe from Harrar but this is something I had experimented with and works for me.
Mix the Neem with a little water to a thick paste. Melt your coconut oil (just place the jar in a hot water) and add 3 to 4 table spoons of Coconut oil. (I sometimes go crazy with this and add a mixture of Jojoba, olive and Castor oil- so again, there is no rule to what you can do to it). Mix it and apply to your entire face. Let it dry.
Cleaning your face is so much easier once the Neem fully dried. Since the mixture contains oil, you just give the mask one strong rub off of your face. It will smoothly peels off of your face. I rinse my face with lukewarm water afterwards.
This helps to moisturize a dry skin.
Neem actually has so many great benefits not only for your skin but also for your hair. It will fight off dandruff and help scalp maintain its natural oil balance.
Have you ever tried 'Kesil' before? What is your recipe? Share!
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