This golden yellow oily liquid sitting in a jar on the kitchen shelf is a storehouse of health benefits, for your hair, skin, body and internal organs, especially digestion apart from the nice heady smell that wafts through the kitchen when you uncork the jar. It is near perfect remedy for those with vitiated Vata and Pitta apart from being one of the most commonly used detoxifying agent in Ayurvedic purges. Do you have an irregular bowel or a problem of dryness of hair and skin? Or do you worry for your bone health and immunity? Clarified butter or Ghee is a healthy fat you cannot afford to ignore if you are serious about your overall well being and here’s why!

According to one of Ayurveda’s most ancient classical text, Charaka Samhita, clarified butter is recommended for good eye sight, physical strength, diseases caused by vitiated Pitta and Vata (including diseases of the joints and bones), for longevity and nourishment, bright skin, tenderness, luster and Ojas or life force, optimum health of the sense organs, healing injuries and digestion. For these qualities and more, it is considered as a Sattvik or pure food

Can we make it at home?

High quality clarified butter or Ghee is available in select stores in the market. But of course you can make it at home too! And here’s how you do it. Do note that cow’s A2 milk is the best source for making clarified butter at home. You can experience the difference in the quality of the clarified butter on using A2 milk versus the other types.

• Collect the cream of the milk in a jar for about a week and keep it refrigerated. (For thicker cream, boil the milk and refrigerate it overnight, and then collect the cream next morning)
• You will see over time, the water settles in the bottom while the cream is afloat.
• Pour the content of the jar in a food processor and churn it on high speed for a minute to five minutes.
• You will find that the butter would come apart from the whey.
• Transfer the butter to a non stick pan
• Heat the pan on medium setting
• You will see the butter beginning to melt and bubbles coming up.
• Lower the heat and let it simmer
• You will see the milk solids burn up slightly
• Now switch off the heat.
• Take a strainer and place it over the jar.
• Pour the contents of the pain over the strainer and Voila! Your clarified ghee is ready!

1. Aids Digestion

Clarified butter has a high smoking point which makes it ideal for cooking. It is also easily digestible. For this reason, when someone reportedly has been having a bout of indigestion or loose bowels in India, they are given a diet of plain pulses and rice along with a dollop of clarified butter. Clarified butter aids digestion and helps in purging the body of toxins or Ama, which is responsible for slowing down of your metabolism, brings about lethargy and illness. It is an important source of good cholesterol and a soluble fatty acid. So having ghee in small amounts will do you no harm. It is also a must in your closet to deal with winter dryness.

A lot of people have started using clarified butter in their meals every day after learning about the immense nutritional and skin benefits of this healthy fat.

2) Easy to absorb and digestible

Ghee is an excellent agent for absorbing fat soluble vitamins like A, D,E and K.

3) Beat skin problems

Most of the skin problems and dullness of the skin occur due to a poor digestive system and accumulation of toxins. Clarified butter is highly recommended in detoxifying diets in Ayurveda as it clears up toxins in the body while improving one’s digestion.

4) Rich in Omega 3 fatty acids

Also the presence of omega 3 fatty acids in clarified butter helps fight skin dryness.

5) Hydrating agent

Ghee provides hydrating to your skin, keeping it soft and supple.  It is rich in anti-oxidants and has anti-bacterial properties.

Face pack using clarified butter

You can use clarified butter with raw milk and gram floour and make a paste. Apply it to your skin and let it stay on the skin for 15 minutes. Then wash it off for a naturally moisturized, glowing and clear skin.

Ghee for good hair

6) Hydrating agent for hair

If you struggle with dull and dry hair that falls off easy, it is most likely due to lack of moisture. Ghee helps moisturize the scalp and follicles while providing it the much needed hydration. This problem gets particularly pronounced during winter and so, clarified butter in your bathroom shelf is a must..

7) Texture

Ghee can help improve the texture of your hair, making it smooth and shiny.

8) Good conditioner

Ghee is also a great agent for deep conditioning. Heat the ghee to melt it slightly. Apply it to your scalp and hair overnight. Wash it off with a shampoo next morning.

9) Ideal for massages

Ayurvedic hair massages use formulations that contain clarified butter since it is a good conditioning agent and stimulates blood circulation, calming the Pitta and Vata imbalance. This promotes hair growth too.

10) Hair mask using Ghee

• Mix ghee or clarified butter (2 tbsp) with coconut oil(1 tbsp)
• Warm the contents for 15 seconds, so they melt up.
• You can add few drops of essential oil and mix it
• Apply to your hair
• Massage your hair in circular motion
• Put on a shower cap and let it sit for half an hour
• Rinse it off with a shampoo