Kumkumadi Tailam Face Oil – 21 Ayurvedic Herbs with Real Saffron for Glow & Pigmentation

What this is

Kumkumadi tailam is one of the oldest face oils in Ayurveda. The name tells you what it is built around. Kumkuma is saffron. Tailam is oil.

Ours is a blend of 21 Ayurvedic herbs infused into a sesame oil base and prepared with goat milk in the classical taila method, led by real saffron rather than a colouring. It comes in 20ml, which is twice what this category normally sells, because the 5ml and 10ml bottles everyone else offers run out in about three weeks.

Every ingredient, named

Twenty-one herbs in a sesame oil base, prepared with goat milk. These are the principal ones, with Sanskrit name, common name, botanical name, and what each is there for.

Bael and Indian trumpet flower are both dashamool herbs, which is why this formula follows the Bhavaprakasha line rather than the shorter sixteen-herb version you will see quoted elsewhere. Because it is prepared with goat milk, this is not a vegan product.

What it actually does

It is a night oil. The three things people use it for, in order, are uneven skin tone, pigmentation and dark spots, and early fine lines. It also works as a simple moisturiser on dry skin, and because sesame oil is high in linoleic acid it does not sit heavy on oilier skin the way a thicker oil does.

Give it six to eight weeks. Saffron and manjistha work gradually. Anything that changes your skin in three days is doing something other than what is on the label.

How to use it

1. Wash your face and pat it almost dry. A little damp is better than bone dry.
2. Warm three or four drops in your palm. Two is enough if your skin is oily.
3. Press it in rather than rubbing, then work upwards and outwards. Include the neck.
4. Leave it on overnight. Four or five nights a week is the right rhythm.

If you use an acid or a retinoid, use them on alternate nights, not layered together.

What is not in it

No mineral oil, no synthetic fragrance, no added colour. The reddish tone comes from the saffron, lac and madder, which are all natural dyes. The smell is sesame and saffron, so it is nutty rather than perfumed. That is what the oil smells like when nothing has been added to cover it.

The bottle

Amber glass with a glass dropper, 36mm across and 79mm tall. Amber because light degrades saffron, and glass because oils pick up a smell from plastic over time. The dropper matters more than it sounds: three drops is the dose, and you cannot measure three drops out of a flip cap.

A note on the size

Most kumkumadi oil in India sells in 5ml and 10ml bottles at the top end, or in 100ml bottles at a price that cannot contain real saffron. We went with 20ml because it is enough for a full eight-week stretch of four nights a week, which is the length of time the formula needs before you can fairly judge it.

Questions people ask about kumkumadi tailam

What is kumkumadi tailam used for?

Kumkumadi tailam is a classical Ayurvedic night face oil used mainly for uneven skin tone, pigmentation and dark spots, and early fine lines. It doubles as a moisturiser on dry skin. The formula is built around saffron, which is what kumkuma means.

What are the ingredients in kumkumadi tailam?

Ours is a blend of 21 herbs in a sesame oil base, prepared with goat milk. The principal ones are saffron, sandalwood, lac, Indian madder (manjistha), sappan wood, lotus pollen, licorice root, wild Himalayan cherry, banyan leaf, vetiver root, Indian barberry, blue lotus, mahua, bael and Indian trumpet flower. The full table with Sanskrit and botanical names is on this page. It contains goat milk, so it is not vegan.

Does it contain real saffron?

Yes. Saffron is the lead herb, not a colouring. The reddish tone of the oil comes from the saffron along with lac and madder, which are both natural dyes. This is also why genuine kumkumadi oil cannot be sold very cheaply in large bottles.

Is kumkumadi oil suitable for oily or acne-prone skin?

Yes, in small amounts. Use two drops rather than four. The sesame oil base is high in linoleic acid, which sits lighter than heavier oils, and Indian barberry in the formula is the classical choice for oiliness. If you have active breakouts, patch test on your jaw for a few nights first.

Is it suitable for dry or sensitive skin?

It suits dry skin well, and it is one of the gentler Ayurvedic oils on reactive skin because of the vetiver, blue lotus and sandalwood, which are all cooling. Patch test anyway if your skin reacts easily.

How long does kumkumadi tailam take to show results?

Give it six to eight weeks of use four or five nights a week. Saffron and manjistha work gradually on pigmentation. Most people notice the skin feeling softer within the first week, but tone and spots take the full stretch.

Can I use kumkumadi oil during the day?

You can, but it is better at night. It is a facial oil, so it leaves a slight sheen, and skin does its repair work overnight. If you do use it in the day, use two drops and follow with sunscreen.

Can I use it with retinol, vitamin C or acids?

Use them on alternate nights rather than layering them. Kumkumadi tailam is already an active formula, and stacking it with a retinoid or an acid on the same night is the usual reason people get irritation from it.

What is the difference between kumkumadi tailam and nalpamaradi thailam?

They are different oils for different jobs. Kumkumadi is saffron-led and aimed at tone, pigmentation and ageing. Nalpamaradi is built on the four ficus barks and turmeric, and is used mainly for tan removal and evening out the body. People often confuse the two because both are Kerala facial oils.

Can men use kumkumadi oil?

Yes. Nothing in the formula is specific to one skin type by gender. It is used for pigmentation, tone and dryness, which is the same for everyone.

Are there any side effects?

It is a plant oil formula, so the usual caution applies: patch test, and stop if you see redness or small bumps, which usually means the oil is too rich for your skin rather than that anything is wrong with it. Avoid it on broken skin, and keep it away from the eyes.

How should I store it?

Keep it capped, out of direct sun, at room temperature. Sesame oil is stable, but light and heat shorten the life of saffron. The amber bottle is for the same reason.