Skin Care in Ayurveda
Skin is the seat of a
sense organ. The senses of touch, pain, temperature, pressure are felt by it.
It is a Matruj Avyava i.e. derived from mother or having maternal origin.It
gives external covering to the whole body.
The
seven layers of skin get their nutrition from Mansa Dhatu {muscle tissue}. It
is known as an UpDhatu (secondary tissue product) of the Raktadhatu (blood)
because it only mimics the Dhatu's in beholding the body. It does not do Poshan
Karma i.e. do not give nutrition to the other Dhatus.
As skin is an Upadhatu of the Raktadhatu , it is a mirror that reflects the
qualities of the Raktadhatu (blood) and the Rasadhatu (body's plasma
tissue).Hence it is a common saying that 'glowing skin is the result of good
quality Rasa and Rakta'.
No
amount of bleaching and facial massage or application of make-up through
dexterity of a skilled beautician can hide the shallow look if the skin is
unhealthy. Conversely, a healthy skin will always look attractive even when devoid
of make-up.
Know Your Ayurveda Skin Type
The first step in the holistic Ayurveda approach to skin care is finding
out your Ayurveda skin type.
Vata skin is in generally dry, thin, delicate and cool to the
touch, easily gets dehydrated, and is very vulnerable to the influence of dry
windy weather. Vata skin may age faster, and tends to be dry, rough and flaky
when out of balance.
Pitta skin type tends to be fair, sensitive, soft, warm, and of
medium thickness. Less tolerance to hot food, less tolerance to fieriness in
temperament. Pitta skin types tend to be more prone to freckles and moles than
the other skin types. When out of balance, Pitta skin can flare up in rashes,
rosacea, acne, or sunspots.
Kapha skin tends to have all the qualities of water ( Jal) and
earth( Pruthwi) Mahabhutas -- it can be
oily, thick, pale, soft, cool and more tolerant of the sun. Kapha skin tends to
age slower and form less wrinkles than the other two types. Kapha skin types
may struggle with dull complexion, enlarged pores, excessive oil, blackheads,
and pimples, moist types of eczema and water retention.
Combination-skin can be Vata-Pitta, skin that is both dry and sensitive,
Kapha-Pitta-skin is oily and sensitive, and Vata-Kapha- skin that is generally
dry with some oily zones.
The Ayurveda approach to caring for combination skin takes into account environmental and seasonal factors.
For example, a person with Vata-Pitta skin would follow the recommendations for
Pitta skin in summer and Vata skin in winter. The Kapha-Pitta type would follow
Pitta recommendations in summer and Kapha recommendations in winter. The
Vata-Kapha type would be best served by generally following Vata guidelines,
with extra cleansing of the oily zones.
Characteristics of a person with ideal skin(Twak Sar /Ras Sar)
·
People with ideal skin have soft, oily, thin,
smooth and lustrous skin.
·
They have soft, thin, scanty, oily, black and
deep-rooted hair.
·
Eye - brows and eyelashes are black and
smooth.
·
They have good eye - sight.
·
In their eyes, pupils, cornea and sclera are
very well differentiated.
·
Mouth, Lips, Palate and Tongue are unctuous
and oily.
·
These persons do not suffer from skin
diseases and their wounds heal quickly.
·
They are intelligent and learned and have the
necessary means and wealth to beget worldly pleasures.
·
They like music.
·
They love their family, nation, estate, and
property.
·
They enjoy a long, healthy and happy life.
Caring
for Vata Skin
For
Vata skin to stay youthful, skin care products used should be very nurturing.
They must include some essential oils or herbs in combination which can nourish
the skin and rehydrate it, otherwise it may be susceptible to wrinkles and
premature aging.
A
Vata-pacifying lifestyle -- like going to bed on time, eating three regular
meals, and following a regular daily routine -- are essential components of a
holistic approach to Vata skin care, as are eating foods that help balance Vata
and nourish the Vata skin.
Here
are some suggestions for caring for Vata skin:
·
Provide
added nourishment to your skin by including organic milk, whole grains and
green leafy vegetables in your diet.
·
Drink
lots of lukewarm water every day for internal hydration.
·
Eat
plenty of sweet juicy fruits; they help cleanse the body from within and
provide hydration as well.
·
Include
a little healthy fat such as ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil in your diet
for added lubrication.
·
Warm
oil self-massage with rich massages oil such as the Youthful Skin Massage Oil
is excellent for keeping skin lubricated.
·
Use
a gentle, all-natural moisturizer such as the Youthful Skin Cream to keep
facial skin hydrated. Provide added deep lipid support with Youthful Skin
Facial Oil.
·
Get
plenty of rest so your mind as well as your body has the opportunity to
recharge.
·
Use
a gentle, moisture-balancing cleanser such as the Youthful Skin Cleansing
Gel and splash your face with water several times when you cleanse.
Caring
for Pitta Skin The
Pitta skin type needs both cooling and nurturing. Use skin care products that
help enhance resistance to the sun. Avoid tanning treatments and therapies that
expose your delicate, sensitive skin to steam for extended periods of time.
The
ayurvedic herb Flame of Forest can help protect Pitta skin from
photo-sensitivity. But like other ayurvedic herbs, it needs to be used in
combination with other herbs for a balanced effect on the skin.
To
care for Pitta skin, follow these guidelines:
·
Stay
away from harsh, synthetic cosmetics; they can damage your sensitive skin and
cause break-outs.
·
Avoid
hot spicy foods and an excess of deep-fried foods; they add heat to an already
fiery constitution.
·
Eat
lots of sweet juicy fruits and have some Organic Rose Petal Spread in cool milk
every day. The rose is considered cooling for mind, body and emotions.
·
Use
a cooling oil, such as the Cool Sensation Massage Oil, for the daily massage.
·
Cook
with cooling spices such as fennel and licorice.
·
Take
extra care to protect your skin when you go out in the sun.
·
Use
gentle, natural skin care products for cleansing and moisturizing. The
Maharishi Ayurveda Day Cream for Sensitive Skin is especially gentle, yet
nourishing.
Kapha Skin Care
Kapha
skin, because of its thickness and oiliness, is more prone to accumulate Ama -- toxins under the skin.
People with Kapha skin need to do detoxification on a regular basis, both
internal detoxification and external detoxification to flush toxins from the
skin.
Scrubbing
the skin with gentle exfoliating clay such as Coarse Mixture of Musta (Cyperus rotundus) and Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia) can help external cleansing.
Some
suggestions for caring for Kapha skin:
·
Avoid
too many sweet foods or deep-fried foods, they add to the oiliness in the skin.
·
Exercise
everyday to improve circulation.
·
A
daily warm oil massage can also help circulation.
·
Eat
plenty of organic vegetables and fruits to help cleanse the body from within.
·
Cleanse
your skin twice everyday; exfoliate with a mud-mask at least once a week.
Cook with warming
spices such as ginger (Zingiber officinale) and black
pepper (Piper nigrum) to stoke the
digestive fire and inhibit the accumulation of Ama inside the body.
Effect of stress on skin:
There are
three types of stress, and all three impacts the skin in different ways:
Mental stress starts a chain reaction that ends in a
drying out the moisture in the skin. Thinning, dryness and the shrinking of the
'Strotas' (microchannels) that carry nutritive fluid to the skin result in
wrinkles and stress lines.
Physical stress Exercising too much, working too much,
or straining the body over a period of time causes physical stress. This causes
the drying out of skin moisture and rough, aged skin.
To counteract mental stress, maintain a
Vata-pacifying diet and daily routine. To bring emotional stress into balance,
follow a Pitta-pacifying diet and routine. For physical stress, try to limit
exercise or work to fifty percent of your physical stamina.
Dr. Sushant Patil
9860431004
9158949110