Udvartana and Other Powder and Herbal Massages

What udvartana is

Udvartana is an Ayurvedic massage done with dry herbal powder, called "dry powder massage" in English-language papers. [1] It is related to abhyanga, which uses oil; see abhyanga in detail. Powders and pastes for the skin also appear in households and spas, for example ubtan, described as a traditional herbal skin care formulation from India. [2]

This page is information only. It does not name powders or give recipes, because we found no readable source that supports a safe preparation or technique.

How it is traditionally explained

Ayurvedic authors describe udvartana as a drying (rukshana) measure that, in their framework, reduces Kapha and Meda (a term for fatty tissue). [1] These are traditional ideas. Kapha is one of the three doshas, a traditional framework and not a lab measurement. We did not find a source that tests these explanations.

Where it appears in practice

In the clinical literature udvartana is usually one component of a package. Reports we read:

• A 42-year-old woman with high cholesterol had buttermilk-based gruel plus udvartana for 30 days. Total cholesterol fell from 223 to 147 mg/dl and LDL from 153 to 91 mg/dl, and weight from 88 to 82 kg. [1]
• A 38-year-old woman with overweight received an Ayurvedic guggul preparation, udvartana with a named powder, and a sweating procedure (peti sweda) for 30 days. Weight, body mass index and lipids improved. [3]
• Eight patients with spastic cerebral palsy, a childhood disability, had udvartana, abhyanga, a sweating therapy and an enema course, plus a medicated ghee, repeated three times. The authors reported better growth and less spasticity. [4]

What research shows

1. Does udvartana help cholesterol or weight?

   Insufficient evidence

   Only single-patient reports where it was combined with diet or herbal medicine; no control group. [1] [3]

2. Does it help children with cerebral palsy?

   Insufficient evidence

   A small uncontrolled series with several treatments at once. [4]

3. Does ubtan have skin-care properties?

   Preclinical

   A laboratory study of in-house formulations (turmeric, chickpea and sandalwood powders) found antioxidant activity, sun-protection and tyrosinase-inhibiting activity in test tubes. The best formulation had microbes and metals within a pharmacopeial standard. [2]

Proper evidence not found for trials in people comparing udvartana with a sham or no treatment. We searched PubMed for udvartana, udvartan, udwartana, powder massage and ubtan and found the case reports above and the laboratory study. A single patient who changes diet, takes herbs and has a massage cannot tell us which part worked. Lab results on one in-house formula do not apply to commercial products.

Claims that powder massage "melts fat", reduces cellulite or removes toxins are marketing claims here. For weight and lipids, see Ayurveda for diabetes and weight.

Related powder, herbal-bolus and steam therapies

Herbal boluses (kizhi) and warm oil streams (pizhichil) are covered in pizhichil, kizhi and herbal bolus therapies. Steam and sweating are covered in swedana and steam therapies; heat carries its own risks and limits that depend on the person.

Practitioners

No US state requires a license for Ayurvedic practitioners. [8] See how to check an Ayurvedic practitioner. We do not list providers.