The
Ayurvedic Approach to Beauty
A
Holistic Approach to Hair Care
Your
crowning glory needs regular attention to stay that way. Ayurvedic
healers recommend a holistic approach to hair care to maintain
its health, strength, color and vitality for the long term.
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Ayurvedic Skin Rasayanas
One
of the main reasons for ayurvedic skin care products and protocols
taking the spa and beauty worlds by storm is the availability
of numerous potent skin rasayanas in the ayurvedic herbal treasury.
Skin rasayanas (rasa--essence, ayana--enter) are so called because
of their ability to deliver penetrating holistic benefits to the
skin without side effects or the damage caused by a fragmented
approach to skin health. Whatever your skin
type or needs for balance, there are ayurvedic skin rasayanas
that can help. Further, when used in combination, as is the ayurvedic
tradition, you derive the added benefit of synergy, with the combined
formulation being exponentially more beneficial than any single
herb in the formulation.
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Ten
Winter Skin Savers
Winter
brings with it drier, rougher skin, flakiness and itchiness and
chapped sore lips. Combat winter skin woes with these tips from
the ancient healing tradition of ayurveda:
1.
Drink lots of water. Internal hydration keeps skin cells plump
and healthy. Water also helps transport nutrients to skin cells,
keeping them nourished. According to ayurvedic healers, water
should be at room temperature or slightly warm to avoid hampering
digestion. Water-rich vegetables like leafy greens and green-skinned
squashes are great for internal hydration as well as skin nourishment.
Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks, which are dehydrating.
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Facial
Cleansing the Ayurvedic Way
Did
you know that you have a great deal of control over the texture,
clarity, suppleness and long-term health of facial skin just based
on how and how often you cleanse? Whether you're young or old,
man or woman, you can do your skin a big favor by cleansing correctly.
Cleansing
is arguably the most important part of your basic skincare routine.
Proper cleansing gets rid of old surface skin cells, dirt and
dust, grime, make-up and bacteria, and keeps skin pores free of
clogs and able to breathe freely. Cleansing also aids circulation
and prepares the skin to receive topically applied nutrients and
lipids.
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The
Ayurvedic Skincare Routine: Facial Skin
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.
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The
Ayurvedic Self-Massage
Wonderfully
relaxing and energizing at the same time, a daily self-massage
with warm oil is easy to do and takes only about 30 minutes. You
can do it at home each morning, and reap the benefits of this
luxurious therapy all day long.
Ayurvedic
texts list a wide range of benefits from regular performance of
the warm oil full-body massage:
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Hair
and Scalp Massage: The Ayurvedic Secret for Gorgeous Hair
According
to ayurveda, a healthy beautiful head of hair requires an ongoing
care routine that starts with nourishment. Why wait until you
experience hair problems? As with your skin, start taking care
of it now, and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.
Massaging
the scalp and hair with warm oil, preferably infused with hair-friendly
herbs, is the best way to nourish the scalp and hair topically.
Not only does the massage work wonders for your hair, but it
also relaxes the mind and nervous system.
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Ayurvedic
Tips for Summer Skin Care
Summer
is almost here, and you can't wait to plunge into the pool or
head for the beach. But before you rush out to sample the joys
of summertime, make sure you are following a diet and routine
that will help keep Pitta dosha in balance.
According
to ayurveda, every individual is a unique combination of the three
doshas or psycho-physiological principles Vata,
Pitta and Kapha.
Vata is mainly air and space, Pitta fire and water and Kapha water
and earth. These doshas also govern the seasons of the year, with
Pitta, the fire element, ruling the hot summer months. During
the summer, even if you do not have a lot of Pitta in your make-up,
you may find that you need to take steps to placate Pitta to stay
healthy and balanced. This goes not only for your overall health
but skin and hair health as well.
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Ayurvedic
Tips for Spring Skin Care
In
the spring, Kapha dosha tends to
escalate in most people's physiologies, giving rise to Kapha-related
skin problems such as excessive oiliness, breakouts and a lack of
clarity. Cleansing and rejuvenation are the ayurvedic keywords for
spring. Spring skin care, in keeping with this overall theme, focuses
on deep-cleansing, exfoliation and gentle nourishment to prepare
the skin for the hotter months to follow.
Here
are some ayurvedic skin-care tips to avoid Kapha-related skin
problems and to keep your skin looking radiantly fresh, clear
and alive:
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Healing
Aromas
Essential
oils are used in ayurvedic therapeutic formulations for their
yogavahi value-their ability to help transport the healing wisdom
of herbs and herbal oils to the cells and tissues of the body.
They play the same important role in transdermal formulations
and skin care that spices do in cooked preparations and compound
herbal formulations that we eat.
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Treat
Your Feet to Some TLC with Ayurveda
Our feet are often the least pampered parts of our bodies. Here
are some suggestions from ayurveda for taking care of your feet
on a regular basis:
1.
During your pre-bath ayurvedic massage (abhyanga), pay special
attention to your feet. Massage the feet, each toe, the ankles,
the heels and the soles in turn with the warm oil, gently stretching
the feet and toes as you massage them and using circular motions
around your ankles and heels.
Let
Nature Nurture Your Skin and Hair!
Want
healthy beautiful skin? Think farmers' markets brimming with Nature's
bountiful produce, not sterile labs and "dead" chemicals
with polysyllabic names.
"According
to the ayurvedic texts, fresh vegetables and fruits, grains, nuts,
honey, milk, coconut milk and cream are excellent sources of nutrients
for your skin and hair," says renowned ayurvedic dermatologist
Rama Kant Mishra.
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Understanding
the Five Ayurvedic Skin Types
According
to ayurveda the human physiology, and the human skin, are composed
of the same five great elements (panchamahabhutas) that constitute
the fundamental building-blocks of the universe.
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Ayurvedic
Skin Care for Space Predominant Skin
The
fundamental element Space reflects the impact of the environment
on your skin.
Do
you have very thin skin that is easily scratched or bruised? Space
is the element most predominant in your skin.
Space
predominant skin is thinner than other skin types, not as bright
in luster, and prone to flaking, bruising and getting scratched.
The pores are also very small. As this type of skin ages, it becomes
even thinner than skin of its ethnic background. This type of
skin receives great benefit from soft massage and soft touch.
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Ayurvedic
Skin Care for Air Predominant Skin
The
fundamental element Air imparts lightness and delicacy to the
skin.
Does
your skin feel dry and taut most of the time? Air is the element
most predominant in your skin.
Air
predominant skin tends to be on the dry side and is almost always
very dry during the winter months. This skin type tends to also
be dry during the summertime. The pores are a little larger than
those of the space predominant skin type.
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Ayurvedic
Skin Care for Fire Predominant Skin
The
fundamental element Fire blesses the skin with natural glow and
luminosity.
If
fire is the predominant element in your skin, it will tend to
have a pinkish tone and be warm to the touch.
This
type of skin has medium pores.
Fire
predominant skin is susceptible to the impact of emotional trauma.
Also, persons with this skin type tend to have almost zero tolerance
to the sun and hot foods such as long hot red peppers and cayenne
pepper. Sometimes even black pepper can be problematic.
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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.
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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.
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Eat
Your Way to Hair Health
Like
your skin, your hair needs nutrition from the inside out. If your
diet is deficient in hair-friendly foods, or your digestion is
not efficient, all the expensive shampoos and hair treatments
in the world won’t be effective at maintaining the color
and longevity of your hair. So if you want a healthy, shining
crown of hair, start by taking a hard look at what you eat, when
you eat and how you eat.
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A
Holistic Approach to Winter Skin Care
Winter
is the season when Vata rides
higher than usual in most people's physiologies. Increased Vata
can result in dry flaky skin, chapped lips and dry, brittle
hair. Here are some ways to keep Vata dosha in balance and prevent
Vata-associated skin problems.
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