The Ayurvedic Approach to Beauty

Ayurvedic Skin Care for Earth Predominant Skin

The fundamental element Earth imparts firmness and thickness to the skin, giving it form and structure.

If your skin accumulates toxins easily and is typically greasy, earth is the predominant element in your skin.

Skin of this type can look rather dull if not meticulously cleansed and exfoliated regularly. This is the thickest of all skin types, with large pores. But if kept properly cleansed, earth predominant skin doesn't show the usual signs of aging, such as wrinkles or sags. Nature has indeed blessed you with the best skin type. If you take care of your skin, you can look youthful and radiant all your life.

Earth predominant skin tends to retain toxins more than any other skin type. Because of its inherent oiliness, without proper cleansing, there is a tendency to develop more serious skin problems.

How to care for earth predominant skin

Diet

If you have earth predominant skin, choose lighter, warm foods. Avoid foods that are too heavy, too cold or too sweet. Here are some suggestions for foods and beverages to include in your diet:

  • Barley, quinoa and amaranth are the best grains for your skin type.
  • Favor leafy greens such as kale, Swiss chard and spinach. Cabbage and Brussels sprouts are also excellent. Chop greens or vegetables and steam until tender or cook with just a little water to tenderize the vegetables. Toss in a little of the spice mix for your skin type when the vegetables are tender (see box).
  • Bitter gourd (Latin Momordica charantia) is also recommended for its ability to detoxify the liver and thereby create a beautifully clear complexion.
  • Drink lassi at lunch to enhance digestion. To prepare digestion-enhancing lassi, blend one part fresh yogurt with three parts pure cool water and a pinch each of black pepper and dry roasted cumin. Use spring water with a pH of 7.5 for best results.
  • Drink lots of warm water through the day to aid internal purification. Favor spring water with a pH of 7.5 for balanced hydration.
  • Sweet juicy fruits are beneficial for the skin--favor citrus fruits.
  • Mung dhal and red lentils are good lentil choices; stay away from the larger beans.
  • Supplement your diet with skin rasayanas. Triphala Rasayana is an ayurvedic herb combination designed to nourish, cleanse and balance your skin from within.

Protection

If your skin is earth predominant, it will attract toxins like a magnet and retain them unless you follow a strict cleansing regimen. However, your skin needs less protection from the elements than other types of skin because it is moisture-retentive and thicker than other skin types. Here are some tips for cleansing:

  • For whole body massage, favor a dry massage prior to bathing. Dry massage with silk gloves will open the skin's channels for circulation and accelerate removal of toxins.
  • Bathe twice a day during the hot summer months.
  • Swedana is highly recommended for earth predominant skin. Swedana is a steaming treatment often recommended during panchakarma, a set of ayurvedic rejuvenation therapies. Panchakarma is best done under the supervision of an ayurvedic health professional.
  • Herbal steam treatments can be done everyday at home to cleanse and purify the skin.

Lifestyle

Persons with earth predominant skin tend to be naturally stable and serene. However, they need to follow a physically active lifestyle to help the body, and the skin, shed toxins regularly:

  • Make a brisk 30-minute walk a part of your daily schedule.
  • Add some vigorous exercise several times a week--singles tennis, aerobics and volleyball are good choices.
  • Do not sleep during the day or late into the morning--waking up before 6 a.m. is best.
  • Practice deep breathing so that your body and your skin receive proper oxygenation.

 

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Ayurveda and the Six Tastes


According to ayurveda, a balanced diet needs to incorporate the six tastes--sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and pungent. The tastes to be emphasized depend on your skin type.

While a small amount of bitter, astringent and pungent tasting foods are good for everyone, people with earth predominant skin in particular need to include some of these foods into their daily diet.

Spices such as ginger and black pepper are pungent foods. Greens and vegetables such as the bitter gourd are examples of foods that contribute the bitter taste. Cruciferous vegetables and beans are foods that contribute the astringent taste. Turmeric, the golden spice of ayurveda, contributes all three of these tastes.

 

 

 

 






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Potent ayurvedic skin rasayanas, pure essential oils and restorative nutrients come together in a premier line of healing, nurturing skin care that will keep your skin looking clear, radiant and youthful with daily use. Formulations are designed by skin type or balanced to benefit all skin types. Cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize with pure, potent, plant-derived formulations.

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Earth Predominant Skin Spice Mix

  • Turmeric - 6 parts
  • Cumin - 3 parts
  • Fennel - 6 parts
  • Black Pepper - 1 part
  • Ginger - 1 part
  • Fenugreek - 1 part

Lightly toast whole seeds in a frying pan and grind to a powder. Add powdered turmeric root and mix well. Store in an airtight jar and use as needed.

Suggested use: Spices are sautéed in a little ghee (clarified butter) to release the lipid soluble therapeutic components and poured over prepared dishes, or cooked in water with foods such as lentils to draw out the water soluble components.

 

Ayurvedic Skin Care Recipes

Our ayurvedic skin care recipes have been customized for each of the five types of skin.

Each set of recipes includes a cleansing mix, a steaming herbs mix and an internal cleansing tea recipe. Ingredients are all-natural, and the mixes can be made at home and stored for daily use. Recipe sheets include directions on making, storage and use; and give brief explanations of the healing values of each ingredient. The recipes can be mailed out as hard copies or e-mailed as Microsoft Word document attachments, whichever you prefer.

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The statements on this web site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. None of the information or products on this web site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For medical concerns, please consult your physician. Before making changes to your diet or lifestyle, please consult your physician.