What is Kon (कों)?

Written by Aji’s Intern Shrabada Gurung with input from Aji’s Maker Anita Joshi.

Kon (कों) is a traditional face and body scrub made of natural and edible ingredients which are easily available in any Nepalese kitchen. Kon has been around for a long time as an alternative for soap in Newari culture. The main ingredients that make up this traditional scrub are orange peel, barley, rice, lentils, chickpea, beaten rice which are dried up and beaten to fine powder. In the past, Kon was used by women who used to cook with firewood to cleanse their faces that would turn dark due to soot and smoke from the fire. Kon gently exfoliates, moisturizes and cleanses, bringing back the natural glow of the skin.

This great organic face and body scrub holds great cultural value especially in the Newari community. When a Newari girl reaches puberty, her family performs the elaborate 12-day ritual called ‘Bahra,’ (also called ‘Gufa’). During this ritual, she is forbidden from using soap, instead she uses Kon to cleanse herself.

The Kon Organic Scrub that you can purchase from Aji’s is handmade by 62 years old Anita Joshi who was featured on Nepal Television for her work. During her Bahra ritual several decades ago, she made her own Kon! She has continued making it for family and friends to this day and thoroughly enjoys the process. She believes Kon is a great alternative to widely available chemical-laden cosmetic products.