Gairika (Red Ochre) is an alumina silicate and iron oxide. After cleansing, it is known as Geru in Ayurveda and is utilised for medicinal purposes. It has the properties of being sweet, astringent, anti-phlegmatic, anti-bilious, and cooling. It is effective in skin illnesses, piles, bleeding disorders, ulcers, boils, urticaria, vomiting, hiccups, and other conditions.

It is not utilised as a standalone medicine, but rather as a constituent in several compound preparations comprising a variety of mineral pharmaceuticals. Gairika is a natural hematite mineral that occurs as an accessory mineral with other iron-titanium oxide minerals in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Magnetite is connected with Gairika. It may contain trace amounts of titanium and magnesium. Gairika occurs as an alteration product of other iron minerals or as weathered residual concentrations of highly ferruginous rocks. It is commonly found in mixtures with clay and other contaminants.

There are two varieties of ochres found in the country based on hue. Anhydrous iron oxide is the chemical formula for red ochre. It has a higher iron content and is utilised in medicine. Yellow ochre is made up of hydrated iron oxide. Gairika deposits are mostly found in Gujarat (Rajpur, Banaskantha, Jamnagar, and Kuchchh), Karnataka (Bellary and Bidar), Madhya Pradesh (Gwalior, Jabalpur, Satna, Kailashpur, Madhogarh, and Mandla), and Rajasthan (Udaipur, Alwar, Bikaner, Chittorgarh, and Sawai Madhopur). Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have also reported sightings.

Gairika's Advantages

It has a cooling and anti-bilious effect.

It inhibits bleeding.

It alleviates hiccups.

Its topical treatment alleviates burns, ulcers, boils, and pustular eruptions.