Arrowroot powder is all the rage with gluten-free cooking and baking, but it also has some impressive beauty uses.

Much like talcum powder, this starch (obtained from the rootstock of tropical plants/tubers) activates the skin’s ability to absorb moisture. If you have oily skin in particular, arrowroot powder can do wonders for you – try mixing a little in with your loose powder to help manage oily skin during the day.

The absorbent quality of arrowroot powder also leaves your skin feeling silky and smooth, and has natural deodorizing properties.

More importantly, however, arrowroot powder is a kickass alternative to talcum powder, which has been shown in recent research to be linked to ovarian cancer.

INCI Name: Maranta Arundinacea Root Powder

Sources:

Jyothi, A. N., J. T. Sheriff, and M. S. Sajeev. “Physical and functional properties of arrowroot starch extrudates.” Journal of food science 74.2 (2009): E97-E104.

Prospective Study of Talc Use and Ovarian Cancer, Dorota M. Gertig, David J. Hunter, Daniel W. Cramer, Graham A. Colditz, Frank E. Speizer,Walter C. Willett and Susan E. Hankinson, 1999