To many, Ayurveda is still nothing but an Indian word that’s hard to pronounce, while for others, it’s a way of life. This branch of medicine has got a 5000 years practice, and is based on balancing five elements of the nature within ourselves to obtain best possible health. As such, Ayurveda is a science of life, rooted in the principles that the mind and the body are intrinsically entwined and that nothing can heal the body as much as the mind can. These principles are then applied to any and every part of our physical existence, our skin included.
Seeing that skin is our biggest organ that protects us from external influences, it is incredibly important to take good care of it. When you’ve got healthy skin, chances are that the rest of your metabolism is in good balance too, and the fact that you look radiant is just a wonderful plus. That is why we’ll share some of the best Ayurvedic tips we came across to have and maintain amazing skin.
Find Out Your Dosha
The very first thing you need to do if you want Ayurveda to help you with your skin is to find out your dosha aka your skin type. There are three categories – Vata, Pitta and Kapha and it is fairly easy to find out into which group you fall. Vata skin is fair and delicate, usually dry, even flaky when it’s not balances and people with this skin type get wrinkles early in life. Pitta skin has a pink shade to it, it is usually quite soft and warm, though prone to rosacea and all kinds of breakouts when dealing with stress. Kapha skin can be spotted by the fact that it is quite oily, very smooth and usually has enlarged pores, which often lead to zits, blackheads and even acne. Once you recognize what exactly your skin type is, you can move on to how to take better care of it.
Herbs and Veggies Are Your Friends
Having a diet that is rich in the fruits of the earth helps your entire metabolism function better, your skin included. You’ve probably seen how the skin reacts to too much processed food, sugars and lack of nutrients – it gets irritated, prone to pimples and it gets that unhealthy rosy-red glow that isn’t easy to get rid of. Opting out for vegetables that have a lot of water in them lets your body soak in all the goodies and nutrients it needs, and the results always reflect on your skin. Incorporate celery, lettuce, cucumber, asparagus and carrots into your healthy meals and just look how well your skin reacts to them. What’s more, this focus on veggies and herbs will influent positively all skin types, so you can’t really go wrong.
Moisturize Vs. Absorb
Vata and Kapha are on the opposite sides of the skin specter, which means that they need quite different treatments to make them healthy and beautiful. If you’ve got Vata skin, then you’ll need all the help with moisturizing that you can get, and there’s truly no better way to go around it than use organic coconut oil. Millions of people swear by coconut oil and for all the good reasons, seeing that its lightness and benefits are amazing, but you can always go for ghee or castor oil if you want to try something a bit different, that will still do wonders for your complexion. If however, you’re dealing with skin that is far too oily, then you’ll need something to help you get rid of that oily excess, and a great solution for this is using chickpea flour to make masks for your face and your body. It also helps to tap your face with warm milk for five minutes every night before you go to sleep and of course, steer clear from greasy and oily food, as that won’t be of any help.
You Need to Sleep Well
This advice goes well with everything, especially when it comes to your health. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body won’t be able to replenish itself and get the energy for the day ahead, and sooner or later, your skin will show the aftermath. Be it premature aging process, dark circles under your eyes, rashes or stubborn skin conditions, your skin will mirror the lack of balance that comes from within. So be sure to get enough sleep regularly and give your skin and your whole metabolism a chance to work properly.
Use Sugar to Exfoliate
Salt is the one that is considered best for all-natural exfoliation process, but the truth is that it can be quite rough for Vata skin. What’s more, salt has heating properties, which can be quite problematic if you’re living in warmer climates or want to exfoliate over the summer. That is why sugar is the next best thing, not just because of its cooling properties, but also because it does wonders for retaining moisture and leaving your skin glowing. If at all possible, mix sugar with some aromatic herbs and flower petals to get a completely natural scrub and have your skin smell divine.
Ayurveda helps you bring yourself to the state of wellbeing and your skin needs to be included as well. These tips are little secrets that you can incorporate into your everyday routine to test out their results, and once you’ve seen how effective they are, you’ll never look back.