Three powders sit at the heart of the beauty range, and they are easy to confuse. They are not interchangeable, and the differences are in the material and in what it is used for.
Nila — the indigo powder
Moroccan Nila powder is made from Indigofera tinctoria (Nila) leaf powder with Multani Mitti (Fuller's earth).
To mix it: half a teaspoon of powder to two tablespoons of full-cream yogurt, stirred into a smooth, lump-free paste. Apply a thin layer to the face, hands, underarms or feet. Leave it ten to fifteen minutes, rinse gently and follow with a light moisturiser.
Sidr — the hair-and-skin powder
Moroccan Sidr powder is Ziziphus (Sidr, or lotus tree) leaf powder, and it is used two different ways.
For hair: mix the powder with warm water into a spreadable paste, apply to damp hair with the focus on the scalp and the roots, leave it twenty to thirty minutes, and rinse thoroughly before shampooing.
For skin: mix with water or honey into a paste, apply to clean skin, leave it five to ten minutes, and rinse.
Ubtan — the gram-flour one
There are two ubtan products. Ubtan soap is made from gram flour (besan), wild turmeric, sandalwood, Multani Mitti, rose petals, neem, tulsi, saffron, shea butter and saponified oils — it is a daily face and body bar. Shahi ubtan is the powder form: gram flour, saffron, sandalwood, rose petals, almond oil, turmeric and milk solids.
As a paste: mix with milk or rose water into a smooth paste, apply to clean skin, leave ten to fifteen minutes and rinse gently. If you are starting from the soap, grate a small amount and mix it with milk or rose water, apply it, leave it for five minutes and rinse.
One thing worth clearing up
The beauty brochure prints "Nila Mask" and "Sidr Mask" beside "Nila Powder" and "Sidr Powder", which reads like four separate products. They are two. A mask is a preparation — the powder mixed into a paste and applied — not a separate item on the shelf. Nila powder and Sidr powder are what you buy; the mask is what you mix.
Which one to start with
If you want to try the tradition before you commit to a jar, the saffron gel is a ready-made option that needs no mixing at all. And the beauty range lists every product with its composition, its sizes and its full how-to on the page.