If you follow Ayurveda, you already might be using a lot of DIY ayurvedic products that contain turmeric or saffron. Turmeric and saffron are said to have a lot of skin, hair and health benefits and are great to be used both internally and externally. Here is a comparison between these two important and widely used Ayurveda ingredients- turmeric and saffron:
AVAILABILITY
Turmeric is usually used in almost all Indian homes and is easily available in a lot of stores. Finding turmeric is not tough but getting an authentic and pure (unadulterated) saffron is! Pure saffron is available only in Kashmir and nearby places to it and some good/certified brands too offer pure saffron; finding these brands locally is a task! Never ever purchase locally-sold saffron as they are often adulterated and coloured and can have many toxic effects when used in long run. More: Best beauty tips using turmeric >>
Winner: Turmeric
EFFECTS/BENEFITS
Turmeric and saffron both have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effects that help with a lot of skin, hair and health problems. Turmeric is great for healing wounds while saffron is great in improving the texture of skin. Turmeric and saffron both help brighten up complexion and also even out skin tone by reducing tan. Both these ingredients have some similar effects while other effects too are positive for health and are similar in some or the other way. Saffron contains several plant-derived chemical compounds that are known to have been antioxidant, disease preventing, and health promoting properties. Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant. It not only has been found to support joint and respiratory health, but also plays a unique and important role in digestion by helping you achieve optimal gall bladder function.
Winner: Tie
USAGE EASE
Using turmeric is an easy job as compared to using saffron. Turmeric can be added in a lot of DIY face masks directly, alone with water as a scrub/face mask, can be mixed in water t use as hair rinse, in bath water to cure skin infections, in milk as a bedtime drink etc. Saffron cannot be used that way, you need to make saffron water first (boiling lots of saffron in water) or use saffron extract (which is very expensive) to use it regularly.
Winner: Turmeric
COST DIFFERENCES
Turmeric is very cheaply available and for few bucks you can actually get it in bulk. Saffron on the other hand is quite expensive and you get 1 gram for approx. INR 500! To use these ingredients regularly for beauty and health you definitely need them in large quantities which can be a costlier in case of saffron. More: Benefits of saffron >>
Winner: Turmeric
COOKING
Turmeric is widely used in cooking and adds a nice earthy flavour to your dishes. Saffron is used mainly for garnishing for aroma and in a lot of dessert/sweet foods. Both the ingredients are very flavourful and can be positively used in a lot of dishes. The only difference here is that you need very less of saffron as compared to turmeric (while saffron is expensive and turmeric is cheaper which balances it). Benefits of Turmeric Milk- A miracle health drink
Winner: Tie
Conclusion:
It appears that both the ingredients are effective and have good effects on health, skin and hair. The only problem with saffron is that it is expensive and not easily available.