Skincare With Ayurveda

Ayurveda – The Science of Life

Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India. Although suppressed during years of foreign occupation, Ayurveda has been enjoying a major resurgence in both its native land and throughout the world. Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine both have their roots in Ayurveda. Early Greek medicine also embraced many concepts originally described in the classical ayurvedic medical texts dating back thousands of years.

More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life,Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.

Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure. Known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth), these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes our nature. If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing. Although each of us has all three forces, most people have one or two elements that predominate.

For each element, there is a balanced and imbalance expression. When Vata is balanced, a person is lively and creative, but when there is too much movement in the system, a person tends to experience anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation, and difficulty focusing. When Pitta is functioning in a balanced manner, a person is warm, friendly, disciplined, a good leader, and a good speaker. When Pitta is out of balance, a person tends to be compulsive and irritable and may suffer from indigestion or an inflammatory condition. When Kapha is balanced, a person is sweet, supportive, and stable but when Kapha is out of balance, a person may experience sluggishness, weight gain, and sinus congestion.

An important goal of Ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance, determine where they are out of balance, and offer interventions using diet, herbs, aromatherapy, massage treatments, music, and meditation to reestablish balance.

ALL ABOUT AYURVEDA

What it means—and why it’s essential to your beauty routine

The history of natural healing is often be traced back to Ancient China and Tibet. From meditation to yoga and massage, these countries are credited for developing the medicine and therapies we look to relieve everything from insomnia to chronic back pain.

But believe it or not, their approach is rooted in one that started five-thousand years ago in neighboring India. It’s called Ayurveda (pronounced eye-your-VAY-da), which translates to “the science of life”. And as it, Ayurveda “is designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.”

Ayurveda isn’t only to better our mind and body—it’s an up-and-coming beauty trend, too. Why? Research published in the Journal of Ayurvedic and Integrative Medicine finds that Ayurvedic cosmetics can smooth and hydrate a person’s skin, restoring the radiant and healthy look.

Ancient Indians believed there were three elements—or doshas—that governed the body: Wind, fire and earth. Or, in Sanskrit, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The proportion of each element varies from person to person but, says the Chopra Center, “if Vata is dominant, [those people] tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If it’s Pitta, [those people] tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented, while Kapha [results in a person being more] easy-going, methodical, and nurturing.”

Our bodies thrive, in every respect, when each of these elements is balanced. But when there is an imbalance, it can cause distress, leading to conditions such as dry skin, anxiety, sluggishness and even weight gain. (Don’t know your dosha?

According to Ayurveda, each of us inherits a unique mix of three mind/body principles which creates our specific mental and physical characteristics. These three principles are called doshas.

Most of us have one or two doshas which are most lively in our nature, with the remaining one(s) less significant. The three doshas are known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

The three doshas are known as Vata, Pitta, & Kapha

If we are predominantly Vata, we tend to be thin, light and quick in our thoughts and actions. Change is a constant part of our lives. When Vata is balanced, we are creative, enthusiastic and lively. But if Vata becomes excessive, we may develop anxiety, insomnia or irregular digestion.

If the Pitta dosha is most lively in our nature, we tend to be muscular, smart and determined. If balanced, we are warm, intelligent and a good leader. If out of balance, Pitta can make us critical, irritable and aggressive.

If we have mostly Kapha in our nature, we tend to have a heavier frame, think and move more leisurely and are stable. When balanced, it creates calmness, sweetness and loyalty. When excessive, Kapha can cause weight gain, congestion and resistance to healthy change.

Using the principles of Ayurveda, we can identify our mind/body nature and use this understanding to make the most nourishing choices in our lives. It is common for people to have a blend of characteristics and usually one will tend to be dominate

Just as our dosha can determine the type of person we are, it can also determine what kind of skin we have.  the Vata dosha is typically associated with dry skin; Pitta with sensitive; and Kapha with oily or combination skin.

While science hasn’t confirmed a dosha-driven beauty routine can definitely reverse aging, there’s evidence that Ayurvedic ingredients, such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, pepper and grape seed extract, can reduce wrinkles and damage from harmful UV rays.

However, Ayurvedic ingredients aren’t just limited to your spice cabinet. In that same study from the Journal of Ayurvedic and Integrative Medicine, researchers point to several herbs that solve skin problems.

For example, there’s Vayasthapana—an herb that balances all three doshas while nourishing the skin to “maintain youthfulness.” Another group of herbs known as Varnya (think sandalwood and Indian sarsaparilla) can restore a healthy glow, brightening your complexion. Supplement these herbs with natural sources of Vitamins A, C and E. can enhance their benefits. “Feeding the skin properly is very important to prevent it aging,” says researchers.

Since, again, doshas are different in every person, it’s best to mull your options over with a specialist. Just because 500 mg of an herb renders anti-aging results in one person doesn’t mean it’ll work similarly in someone else; in which case, check out The Ayurvedic Institute.

Yes, there are herbs and topical treatments that can help prevent aging. But what makes Ayurveda so successful is the fundamental idea that you need to be healthy on the inside in order to be healthy on the outside.

And according to neurologist and Ayurveda experts this includes food. They suggests a Vata dosha focus on eating whole grains and vegetables for better digestion and metabolism, which impacts skin hydration. A Pitta dosha wants anti-inflammatory fruits, like melons and pears, and a Kapha dosha should spice it up—literally. “The spicy food helps to stimulate their digestion and since Kapha individuals have the slowest metabolism, they need all the extra heat their food has to offer,” she tells Dr. Oz.

As for beauty products, says the Journal of Ayurvedic and Integrative Medicine, Vata doshas want to “nourish and rehydrate the skin with warm oil-self massage and all natural moisturizers; Pitta doshas want to invest in good sunscreen and a daily facial oil; while Kapha doshas want a daily warm oil massage and to gently exfoliate.” As if you needed an excuse to pamper yourself.

That said, don’t limit massage or exfoliating to just your face. In an interview with Yoga Journal, Ayurvedic counselor Melanie Sachs, the author ofAyurvedic Beauty Care, says “foot massage can relieve eye strain, relaxing and opening the face and allowing our beauty to shine through easily.” she says.

Oh, and of course, exercise and get plenty of rest. “We work very hard these days and this makes us stressed, depressed and exhausted,” says Red Mountain Resort’s fitness manager Kim Watters. “Our bodies are supposed to achieve balance again each night as we sleep.  Unfortunately few people get enough quality sleep to bring their body back in to balanced, ready to go again state.”

What’s the bottom line?

Those who practiced Ayurveda thousands of years ago knew how important it was to balance both mind and body. And incorporating an approach like this into your life will not just boost your skin—it will boost your overall well-being.