Herbal Powders

The shelf where the form tells you least

Triphala Churna is taken by mouth. Kolakulathadi is bound into a cloth bolus, warmed, and pressed against the body — the technique called kizhi — and it is neither rubbed in dry nor swallowed. Udwarthanam is a dry powder worked upward over the skin. Kairbal is a body wash. Four powders; four unrelated instructions.

Each product page states the route plainly, and on this shelf that is the line to read first. The poultice preparations in particular are worth understanding before ordering, since they are not products you simply apply and leave.

The three routes here

1. Taken by mouth — Triphala and its kind, mixed with warm water as directed. The most straightforward group on the shelf.
2. Warm poultice (kizhi) — Bound in cloth, heated, and pressed on. Traditionally a therapy-room procedure; ask a practitioner before attempting it at home.
3. Dry massage and washing — Udwarthanam is worked over the skin in upward strokes; the bath powders stand in for soap. Neither is taken internally.

See also Joint & Muscle, Bath, Body & Hair. Kairali has made Ayurvedic formulations in Kerala since 1908.

Always read the label and directions on the pack you receive, and speak with your physician before starting anything new — particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, managing a health condition or taking prescription medicine.