The Ayurvedic Approach to Beauty

Ayurvedic Skin Care for Water Predominant Skin

The fundamental element Water blesses the skin with suppleness and a dewy look.

If you have pale, relatively thick skin that feels cool to the touch, water is the element most predominant in your skin.

Skin of this type has a tendency to be a little dull, overly hydrated and is semi-thick. Pores are semi-dilated and can become clogged easily. The skin tends to hold ama (toxins). This type of skin is prone to breakouts and more serious problems such as eczema.

Water predominant skin is more resistant to photo-sensitivity and any negative vibrational impact from the environment in comparison to space, air and fire predominant skin.

How to care for water predominant skin

Diet

If you have water predominant skin, follow a gentle Kapha pacifying diet but favor foods that keep Vata dosha in balance as well. Thus, the foods of choice should be light, warm, and a little sharp. Here are some suggestions for foods to include in your diet:

  • Fresh ground black pepper and some long hot green peppers are beneficial.
  • Mung dhal is good but stay away from larger beans such as garbanzos, pinto and navy.
  • Favor spring water with a pH of 7.5 for balanced hydration.
  • Use only ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil, in very small quantities, for cooking.
  • Rice and whole grains such as barley are nourishing.
  • White daikon radish helps flush out toxins from the skin's pores.
  • Sweet juicy fruits of the season are nourishing for the skin and make excellent snacks.
  • Squashes such as lauki (loki or opo squash) and zucchini, and tender leafy greens such as kale and spinach are recommended vegetables. Add a small quantity of the spice mix for your skin type to your veggies (see box top right).
  • Cilantro chutney adds flavor to rice, dhal and veggies and has a cleansing effect for your skin type.
  • Every day, drink a few cups of water to which 1/4 teaspoon lime juice and one teaspoon of honey have been added, to further unclog the pores.
  • Supplement your diet with skin rasayanas--Triphala Rasayana is an ayurvedic herb combination that helps nourish, cleanse and balance the skin from within.

Protection

If you have water predominant skin, your main skin care problem is dealing with the accumulation of toxins in the skin. For this reason, it is important for you to follow a program that supports the skin's detoxification:

  • Herbal steam baths can be done at home to draw impurities out of the skin.
  • A dry massage can stimulate circulation as well as help exfoliation of the skin.
  • Deep tissue massage is recommended. This type of massage therapy concentrates on specific areas of the body, releasing toxins and soothing muscle tissues. Deep tissue massage releases long-standing patterns of body tension through slow strokes and deep finger pressure.

Lifestyle

Toxins in the skin are aggravated by the sedentary lifestyle persons with water predominant skin tend to follow. Persons with this type of skin need to remind themselves to stay active and engaged with life to keep their internal cleansing systems active:

  • A brisk 30-minute walk each morning will help enhance circulation.
  • Aerobics or other forms of stimulating exercise, done regularly, can help the body's own cleansing mechanisms stay active.
  • Practice deep breathing so that you draw in plenty of oxygen into the lungs to revitalize the respiratory system.
  • Do not sleep in--wake up before six a.m. every morning to prepare for the activity of the day.
  • Do not nap during the day.

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Nightshades and Skin Toxins

Ayurvedic dermatologist Rama Kant Mishra advises everyone, but particularly persons with water predominant skin, to stay away from vegetables of the nightshade family, including bell peppers, eggplant and potatoes.

These vegetables tend to clog the microchannels of the body and create a toxic digestive residue called ama. Ama stays in the pores of the skin and causes problems such as breakouts.


Dry Garshana Massage

The Garshana massage is done without oil. Instead, a raw silk or pure cotton glove is used to briskly rub down the body, with up-and-down strokes on limbs and circular strokes over other parts of the body.

Done everyday, a dry massage can help boost circulation. The friction created by the brisk action of the massage refreshes and stimulates the skin, helping to slough off dead cells and break down cellulite over time.

 

 

 

 






The Ayurvedic Spa

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.

"I've used the products for just one week and the first day I used the exfoliant I felt as though my skin was about the age of 12 again. And over the last week I have noticed that my blackheads are cleaning themselves out…the oils are coming to the surface and coming out and my pores are shrinking. Oh my Gosh!!!"
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Water Predominant Skin Spice Mix

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

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

To use: Spices can be sautéed in ghee (clarified butter) and added to dishes or added to foods such as lentils during the cooking process.

 

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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Bitter is Better

When it comes to your skin, bitter is better. In our daily diet, most of us tend to avoid the bitter tastes and favor the sweet. As a result, our skin tends to suffer from the impact of sweet-induced ama (internal toxic matter created by imperfect digestion), which clogs the pores of the skin.

Cooking with fenugreek and a little turmeric or eating leafy greens or well-cooked bitter gourd can help keep the skin's channels free of ama.

However, ayurveda recommends moderation in everything, so be careful not to overdo the bitter.

 
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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.