The
Ayurvedic Approach to Beauty
The
Ayurvedic Face Care Routine
Clear,
healthy, lustrous skin can be yours at any age if you spend just
a few minutes taking care of it everyday. A skincare routine should
ideally start in the pre-teen years and be followed regularly
for the best results. Also, a healthy balanced diet and an efficient
digest-absorb-assimilate cycle inside your body are crucial for
vital, healthy skin.
Three
simple twice-a-day steps
Ten
minutes is all it takes each morning and evening to care for facial
skin.
Cleansing:
Cleansing not only removes surface grime, make-up and impurities,
it also stimulates your skin and preps it for topical nourishment.
For the face and neck, it's a must-do each morning and night.
Choose a non-soap cleanser appropriate for your skin type, or
a tridoshic formulation balanced to work on all skin types. If
you have dry Vata skin (space
or air predominant skin), choose a rich, nourishing cleanser
that won't strip the natural oils from the skin, with ingredients
like oatmeal, almond meal and cream. If you have sensitive fire
predominant skin, choose a gentle herbal cleanser that will purify
without irritating the skin. Sandalwood in fine oatmeal with a
little cooling milk and rose water makes a gentle Pitta-pacifying
cleanser. For oily earth or water predominant skin, a stimulating
product that contains oil-balancing herbs such as lavender, lemon,
neem and tulsi helps cleanse and clarify.
Prepare
your cleanser if you are starting with a dry mix. Then splash
your face with lukewarm water to open the pores. Never use hot
water on your skin; it will cause your skin to literally wilt.
Using your fingertips or a soft washcloth, gently apply the cleanser
to your face and neck in smooth upward strokes. The skin surface
should get stimulated without being pulled or stretched. Rinse
off with warm water, and finish with a final splash of cool water.
If you wear make-up, two cleansings of the face at night may be
appropriate to make sure all of it is cleansed off.
Toning:
Toning is an important step in the daily skincare routine because
it removes any lingering impurities or greasy residue and helps
balance the pH of the skin. It closes the pores and stimulates
circulation, helping to prepare the skin to absorb nutrition from
the moisturizer that follows. Choose a toner appropriate for your
skin type, and look for toners without alcohol, colors or artificial
fragrance. Rose, sandalwood and cucumber would be good choices
for Vata, Pitta and Kapha
skin respectively.
If
your toner is a spritzer, close your eyes and gently mist on face
and neck. Dab any excess gently with a ball of cotton. Alternatively,
apply the toner to the face and neck with a ball of cotton, using
smooth, gentle upward strokes.
Moisturizing:
All types of skin need a moisturizer. Moisturizers seal in surface
moisture and help keep skin soft and supple. If enriched with
skin-friendly herbs and essential oils, moisturizers also nourish
the skin and enhance skin immunity. Natural ayurvedic moisturizers
contain herbal extracts and essential oils in an oil base-richer
oils for dry skin and light oils for oily skin. Gotu kola, Shatavari,
Turmeric, Sandalwood, Brahmi, Amalaki, Tulsi and Neem are examples
of nourishing, ojas-building herbs that are considered skin rasayanas
in ayurveda.
Apply
moisturizer immediately after the toner, while your skin is still
slightly damp. If using a facial oil, all you need are 3-4 drops.
Gently massage the moisturizer into facial skin with smooth upward
strokes. For extra-dry areas, use a little additional moisturizer.
Additional care, once or twice a week
Exfoliation
once a week for Kapha skin and once every other week for Vata
and Pitta skin adds that extra glow.
Facial
Mask: All types of skin benefit from periodic deep-down exfoliating
treatment; if you have really oily skin, you may want to exfoliate
at least once a week. At its most basic, a facial mask is a little
oatmeal or chickpea flour mixed with water and a touch of honey.
You can add almond meal, rosewater and a couple of drops of wheat
germ oil for dry skin, almond meal and pure aloe vera juice for
sensitive skin and Bentonite clay, lemon peel and tulsi
or neem powder for oily skin. You can also enrich the mask with
pure essential oils suitable for your skin type. Exfoliation removes
dead skin cells, embedded dirt and toxins, and stimulates the
skin, making it receptive to the nutrient-rich facial moisturizer
that should follow.
Wash
your face with lukewarm water. Apply the mask with smooth upward
strokes with your fingertips or a ball of cotton. Wait a few minutes
in a relaxed position while the mask dries. Rinse off with plenty
of warm water and follow with a moisturizer appropriate for your
skin type.
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