Ghee for skin: what Shata Dhauta Ghrita is and how to use it

Shata Dhauta Ghrita is ghee that has been washed 100 times in a copper bowl with cold water. The washing turns golden, grainy ghee into a soft white cream that spreads easily and feels much less greasy than ghee from the kitchen jar. In Ayurveda it is a traditional base for face and body creams, and it is the heart of our Gheesutrā collection.

This guide covers what the name means, how the washing is done, what one lab study measured and how to use washed ghee on your skin. Shankara sells Shata Dhauta Ghrita products, and we say so where they come up.

What does Shata Dhauta Ghrita mean?

The name is three Sanskrit words. Shata means one hundred, dhauta means washed, and ghrita means ghee. So the phrase is a plain description of the recipe: ghee, washed a hundred times.

Ghee itself is butter that has been simmered until the water cooks off and the milk solids are strained away. Ayurveda has used it in food and on the skin for a very long time, and it is described in the tradition as cooling and nourishing. If you want the food side of the story, our post on clarified butter covers it.

Why wash ghee at all?

Plain ghee is a heavy, oily fat. On the face it can sit on top of the skin and feel greasy for a long time. Washing changes its texture. Each round of rubbing with cold water works tiny droplets of water into the fat and breaks it into a finer, whiter, fluffier cream. After a hundred rounds, what started as a firm golden fat feels closer to a light moisturizer.

Tradition also calls for a copper vessel. Copper was the standard material for many Ayurvedic preparations, and some copper does pass into the ghee during washing, as the study below found.

How is Shata Dhauta Ghrita made?

The method is simple to describe and slow to do:

1. Put a measure of ghee in a wide copper bowl.
2. Add cold water and rub the ghee against the bowl with your palm or a copper tool for several minutes.
3. Pour the water off.
4. Add fresh cold water and repeat until you have done it 100 times.

Done properly, this takes many hours of work. At Shankara, organic ghee made from A2 cow's milk is washed 100 times in a copper vessel with water. Our Gheesutrā products are handcrafted over about two weeks in small batches.

What did researchers find when they measured washed ghee?

There is very little research on Shata Dhauta Ghrita, and none of it is a large skin trial. The most detailed paper we know of is a lab study by Deshpande and colleagues, "Shata-dhauta-ghrita: a case study," published in the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge in July 2009 (volume 8, issue 3, pages 387 to 391).

The team took 2.5 kg of cow ghee in a copper vessel and added 1.5 litres of distilled water per wash. They rubbed it with a copper stirrer for five to eight minutes each time and repeated this 100 times. Then they compared the ghee before and after:

• Colour went from golden yellow to white, and texture from granular and oily to smooth and non-oily. The washed ghee had no smell.
• Average particle size fell from about 179 microns to about 60 microns.
• Water content rose from 0.27% to 0.8%. The pH moved from 4.6 to 5.9, and the acid value fell from 0.84 to 0.11.
• Copper content rose from 0.13 to 1.2 parts per million, so a small amount of copper did pass from the bowl into the ghee.

The authors suggest the washing may shift the ghee from a water-in-oil mix toward an oil-in-water cream, which would explain why it feels lighter. Keep in mind what kind of study this is. It measured the physical and chemical properties of washed ghee in a lab. It did not test it on anyone's skin, and it tested the ingredient, not Shankara's products.

How do you use washed ghee on your skin?

As a face moisturizer, use it the way you would any rich cream. Apply after cleansing, on slightly damp skin, and massage until it sinks in. A small amount covers the face and neck, so start with less than you think you need.

On the body, it is a classic for areas that dry out fast: hands, heels, elbows and the edges of the lips. Apply it at the end of the day so it has time to absorb.

Here is how the three Gheesutrā products fit in:

• Gheesutrā Face Emulsion (30 ml) is our face moisturizer. It pairs 100-times-washed A2 ghee with hibiscus, blue pea flower, tamarind seed, bamboo, vitamin C and sandalwood heartwood oil, with jasmine and rose for scent. Apply daily, morning and night, after cleansing. If you use a serum, put it on first.
• Gheesutrā Nourishing Exfoliator (50 ml) is a gel with small granules. It combines washed ghee with silica, sodium hyaluronate, aspen bark, sweet almond, licorice and cucumber. Use it once or twice a week on damp skin, massage gently and rinse with cold water.
• Gheesutrā Hand and Foot Cream (60 ml) adds moringa, aloe and a mix of kokum, shea, cocoa and mango butters. Apply after washing your hands or before bed on your feet.

Can you make Shata Dhauta Ghrita at home?

Yes, people do, and it is a nice slow ritual. A few things to know before you try:

• Start with a small amount, around two or three tablespoons. A large batch takes far longer to wash.
• Use a clean copper or stainless-steel bowl and very cold water. Warm water melts the ghee and it won't whip.
• Homemade washed ghee has no preservative and contains water, so it can spoil. Keep it in a clean, covered jar in the fridge and make a fresh batch every week or two. Throw it out if it smells sour or changes colour.
• Patch test on your inner arm for a day before using it on your face.

A shop-bought cream made with washed ghee is a different product. It has been formulated with other ingredients and preserved so it stays stable at room temperature.

Who is washed ghee good for?

In Ayurvedic terms, ghee is traditionally favoured for Vata and Pitta: skin that runs dry, thin or warm and easily flushed. Shankara formulates the Gheesutrā Face Emulsion as tri-dosha, meaning it is meant for all three skin types. If you are not sure which type you are, our guide to the Ayurvedic doshas explains them.

If your skin is very oily, try a small amount at night first and see how it feels. Anyone with a dairy allergy should check with a doctor before putting a dairy fat on their skin.

This is not medical advice. See a dermatologist or doctor for skin conditions.

How is washed ghee different from Kumkumadi oil?

Both come from classical Ayurveda and both use dairy, but they work differently on the skin. Washed ghee is a cream: a fat that has been whipped with water until it is light. Kumkumadi oil is an herbal oil, made by cooking saffron and other herbs into sesame oil with milk. Our Timeless Kumkumadi face oil is made this way over about seven days. Many people use both, with a few drops of oil first and the ghee cream on top. Our Kumkumadi oil guide explains that one in detail, and our guide to choosing an Ayurvedic face oil helps if you want an oil to pair with it.

Quick questions

Does washed ghee smell like ghee?

Much less. The 2009 study described the washed ghee as odourless. Our Gheesutrā products are scented with jasmine and rose.

Can I use kitchen ghee on my face?

You can, but most people find it heavy and greasy. Washing is what makes it feel light.

Is Gheesutrā vegan?

No. Ghee is made from milk, so any product with Shata Dhauta Ghrita contains dairy.

Shankara has made Ayurvedic skincare since 2001, and 100% of our net profits go to charitable causes.

How we made this

This guide was drafted with AI assistance from Shankara's product records and the 2009 study cited above, then checked against those sources. Kumar is the name of the assistant that writes for our blog. The study is cited in text because its online PDF was not reachable when we wrote this. Traditional uses are described as tradition.

— Kumar, Shankara Naturals