What is Ushnan (Ghasul)?

Ushnan, also called Ghasul, is the ash of a salt-loving desert bush (Seidlitzia rosmarinus), known in English as saltwort or soapwort ash. It is a single drug in the Persian and Unani tradition, where it is used mainly on the outside of the body as a washing and cleansing agent for skin and scalp.

The ash is strongly alkaline (the opposite of acid, like washing soda). Mixed with water it foams and lifts grease, which is why it was used as soap long before bar soap was common. Traditional healers also applied it to itchy, scaly or greasy skin complaints.

Honest verdict on the evidence: Ushnan has a long and well-documented place in Persian and Unani practice, but we could not find published human trials testing it for any health condition. A long history of use tells you people valued something; it does not prove the thing works, and that distinction applies to everything on this page.

How does Ushnan (Ghasul) work?

Ushnan works the way soap works, not the way a medicine works. Its alkaline salts break up oil and grease so dirt, scale and flakes rinse away from skin and hair.

Unani texts describe it as hot and dry in quality, and classify it as a jali (cleansing) and muhallil (dispersing) drug said to clear thick matter from the skin. That is a description in the language of traditional theory, not a tested mechanism.

Any benefit for greasy skin or flaky scalp is most likely simple degreasing. There is no good evidence that anything in the ash is absorbed to act inside the body, and no reason to expect it would help internal illness.

What forms does Ushnan (Ghasul) come in?

Ushnan is sold and used in a small number of simple forms.

Grey or off-white raw ash, sold loose by weight in traditional markets.

Sieved powder, sometimes blended with clay, chickpea flour or dried herbs for use as a body or scalp wash.

Hard cakes or lumps pressed from the ash, dissolved in water before use.

Traditional soaps in which the ash supplies the alkali, cooked with olive or other plant oil.

It is not a capsule, tea or tincture, and it should not be treated as one. Any product asking you to swallow raw Ushnan ash is asking you to swallow a caustic (burning) alkali.

Where it comes from:

Ushnan has been used across the deserts of Iran, Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula and Central Asia for well over a thousand years, both as household soap and as a medicinal wash. The Arabic name Ghasul simply means the washing thing.

Medieval Persian and Arabic writers on medicine list it among cleansing drugs for the skin, and the ash trade supplied soap and glass makers for centuries. It remains familiar in traditional markets today, mainly as a hair and body wash.

What does Ushnan (Ghasul) help with?

• Greasy skin and greasy hair: This is the use with the clearest reasoning behind it. The alkaline ash strips oil, so skin and hair feel less greasy right after washing. No trial has compared it with ordinary soap or shampoo, and stripping oil too hard can leave skin dry and sore.
• Flaking or scaly scalp (dandruff): A common traditional use in Persian and Unani practice, on the idea that it removes scale and grease from the scalp. We found no human trials in dandruff. If flaking is persistent, an ordinary medicated shampoo has far better evidence behind it.
• General skin and hand cleansing: Ushnan is a working soap and cleans hands and body much as other soaps do. That is a practical property, not a health claim. For infection control, plain soap and water or an alcohol hand rub are the tested options.
• Itchy, scaly skin patches (traditional use): Classical texts describe it applied to thick, scaly or itchy skin. There is no trial evidence for eczema, psoriasis or any named skin disease. Strong alkali can worsen broken or inflamed skin, so this use carries real risk of stinging and further damage.
• Scabies and other skin parasites (traditional use): Recorded in traditional practice, sometimes mixed with sulphur. No human study supports it. Scabies needs a proven treatment such as permethrin or ivermectin from a doctor, because untreated scabies keeps spreading to other people.
• Cleaning dirt from minor grazes (traditional use): Traditionally used to wash grime from wounds. We would not recommend it for this. Alkaline ash is irritating to raw tissue and is not sterile, so clean running water is the safer choice.

What are the side effects of Ushnan (Ghasul)?

• Dry, tight or flaky skin after washing
• Stinging or burning, especially on broken skin
• Redness and irritation with repeated use
• Dry, brittle or dull hair, and colour-treated hair fading
• Painful eye irritation if it splashes into the eyes
• Allergic rash in a small number of people
• Chemical burns to the mouth, throat and stomach if swallowed
• Possible heavy metal content, including lead, in ash from unknown sources

Good to know:

Mild drying and irritation are the common problems, and they get worse the more often you use it. Alkaline ash removes the skin's protective oil layer, and skin that is already sore, cracked or inflamed reacts badly.

The serious harms come from misuse, not normal washing. Swallowing the ash can burn the mouth, throat and stomach, and splashes can injure the eye. Treat it like a household cleaning product: outside use only, rinse spills, keep it well away from children.

How much Ushnan (Ghasul) should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no established or tested dose, because Ushnan is a wash rather than a medicine you take. For external use, traditional practice is a small amount of the powder, roughly a teaspoon, mixed into a cup of warm water to make a thin paste or wash. Apply to skin or scalp, work in briefly, then rinse well with plain water. There is no safe internal dose. Do not swallow it, and do not use it as a mouth rinse or gargle.
• Best time of day: Any time you would normally bath or wash your hair. Many people prefer the evening, because skin can feel tight and dry for a while afterwards.
• With or without food: Not relevant. Ushnan is applied to the skin and is not taken with food or drink.
• Time to effect: Skin and hair feel less greasy immediately after rinsing. Any effect on flaking builds over days to a couple of weeks, if it comes at all.
• How long to take it: Use it as an occasional wash rather than a daily habit. Once or twice a week is enough for most people, and even that can dry the skin. Stop at once if you get redness, stinging, burning or peeling. If a skin or scalp problem has not improved after about two weeks, see a doctor rather than washing harder.