As always with any new product or DIY experiment, do a patch test before slathering on; just because you can consume the spice doesn’t mean your skin will tolerate it the same way. Sometimes people can have unexpected reactions to the topical treatment, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Finally, we’d be remiss not to discuss traditional turmeric’s bright orange hue, which makes for a beautiful mask, sure, but turmeric is also notorious for staining (your clothes and your skin, it turns out). To avoid tinging your face orange, using just a small amount of the spice in your DIY adventures. Or, you can find the aforementioned kasturi turmeric and avoid this problem altogether.
And the worst case scenario: The staining only temporary. So don’t freak! “Curcumin, the main component of turmeric, is oil-soluble,” says Plescia. So a gentle oil cleanser should be able to remove the pigment, even if it does take a couple of times for it to totally clear. Even if you leave the stain alone completely, the sebum in your skin will lift off the pigment eventually.
As for ingesting the spice, if you take too much curcumin, it can cause bleeding and bruising, says Yufang Lin, M.D., an integrative medicine specialist at Cleveland Clinic. So stick to the typical dosing, which is usually around 500 milligrams max per day. “Allergic reaction and intolerance—such as stomach upset, diarrhea, and reflux—are possible,” Lin adds, but this is extremely rare.