Unlock Healthy Skin With AYURVEDA

Stress:

Stress causes varied emotions and releases stress hormones, triggers autoimmune system that impairs digestion. Studies show that 30% of all skin problems the patients have underlying psychological problems. During development of fetus brain and skin are made of same cells hence when a person handle stress in life the skin gets compromised.

Lack Of Sleep: 

Causes Dark Circles, Early Ageing, Reduced Immunity hence getting sufficient sleep protects our mental & physical health and improves quality of life. During sleep the skin repairs itself that is why there remains freshness in the skin after waking up.

Climatic Changes:

Excessive Exposure to Sun- Scorching sunlight damages skin, it causes tanning, destroys skin moisture & smoothness, softness and radiance. Ultraviolet Radiation {A} damages the skin in the presence of sensitizers, UV{B} damages through sun burns & UV{C} damages at mountain places.

High Humidity- causes Prickly Heat or sweat rash due to blocked sweat glands and ducts. Tropical Acne, Skin Rash, Blisters over the skin.

Cold Season- reduces naturally occurring oil “SEBUM” which acts as a protective layer and traps moisture within skin resulting dryness, cracking & flaking of skin.

Pollution- Industrial Pollution, Dust, Smoke, excessive use of chemical synthetics may cause eczema, pigmentation, eruptions, itching,  allergic problems & also fungal infections.

Ayurveda deals with all physical ailments including skin related problems in its own method: Aahar & Vihar are two factors by which any health challenge may be addressed properly-

Healing Through Appropriate Intake Of Food (Aahar):

Incompatible Food Intake ( Virudh Aahar):

The food which is antagonist or not compatible to body tissues are considered as virudh Aahar. Some examples of virudh aahar may be explained as:

 

• • Habitat Incompatible–  like consuming spicy, hot food substance by inhabitants of dry land or eating oily or cold food by marshy land people.

• • Time Incompatible– example may be having hot & pungent food in summer & cold food in winters.

• • Digestion Power Incompatible– means intake of heavy food when digestion power is mild or intake of light food when digestion power is sharp.

• • Quantity Incompatible– using clarified butter & honey in equal quantity.

• • Habit Incompatible– Intake of sweet & cold food by a person who is habituated to hot & spicy food.

• • Bodily Humors Incompatible– When constituent tri-doshas Vaat, Pitt, Kaf are not in harmony and a person intakes such food which aggravates this imbalance of tri-doshas.

• • Processing Incompatibility– like heating of honey.

• • Potency Incompatible– like consuming fish of hot potency with milk of cold potency.

• • Incompatible with digestion system status– like administering strong purgative to a person having weak bowel system.

• • Incompatible with state of health– like intake of vaata dosh enhancing food after any kind of exhaustion.

• • Order Incompatible– means taking food when there is no hunger or not having food when there is severe hunger.

• • Contradiction Incompatibility– like consuming cold water after consuming oily, fatty food.

• • Prescription Incompatible– like not taking hot water after consuming oily or fatty food.

• • Cooking Incompatibility– like preparing food in unhealthy cooking oil or food is over cooked or under cooked.

• • Combination Incompatibility– like use of salt with milk, intake of milk with water melon or musk melon.

• • Palatability Incompatibility– Food which is not pleasant to consume.

• • Food Quality Incompatibility– food item which is stale, rotten, over matured etc.

• • Rules Incompatibility– like too much chattering while having food, not washing hands before meals etc.

If such virudh aahar is consumed frequently it will lead to development of various disorders including skin disorders caused by primary disturbance of common biochemical mechanism or may be secondary to general metabolic alterations.

Healing Through following appropriate way of living (VIHAR) :-

It means and includes various factors like- avoiding excessive exposure to sun especially after heavy meals, avoiding excessive exposure to breeze, excessive exertion, excessive exercise, day sleep, bathing with cold water or consuming cold water immediately after being exposed to sunlight or being exposed to fear or after physical exertion, suppression of natural urge like urination, faeces, vomiting, undergoing wrong methods of Panchakarma Chikitsa etc.

Do’s and Don’ts for Healthy Skin:- 

Skin specially face is a billboard of the state of your mind and body if you are healthy from within you will have radiant face and lustrous skin. The beauty of skin will be retained only on its regular and compulsive care. Fundamental rules for getting healthy skin are as follows:-

 

• • Avoiding Causative Factors:- One has to be refrain from aetiological factors causing skin ailments. It includes each and every factor affecting skin health e.g. food, allergy causing factors, stress, medication etc.

• • Daily Healthy Routine:- like practicing yoga, praanayam, Dhyana, balanced food intake, Good Sleep, Oil massage, herbal powder massage, various herbal face packs, instillation of herbal oils through nose, gargling oil/decoction in mouth etc. will help in getting healthy skin.

• • Leading moral life:- A person with happy, satisfied, relaxed and forgiving nature will enjoy healthy body, mind and good skin tone. Feeling like anger, jealous, worry, ego etc. destroys the complexion and tone of skin.

• • Seasonal Regimen:- Following food intake and behavioral code of conduct  according to  o6 seasons as mentioned in ayurved classics is a mandate for getting great health. Seasonal regimen also includes purificatory (Panch Karma therapies), Palliative therapies followed by rejuvenation therapies based upon particular season. It will enhance good health reflecting over glowing and healthy skin.

Various Procedures Recommended For Skin Care:

Massage:

Message is the best & superior technique in keeping the skin healthy & lustrous. It is good to skin & strengthens the barrier activity of skin ( skin barrier is a vital part of human life that protects the body from external threats and helps maintain homeostasis.), massage relieves strain, pain and makes the body to look young, gives good sleep & enhances vision .

Facial massage is a kind of feel good therapy which gives our face a very good glow and even tone; it gives a relaxing feeling, relieves tension and promotes good circulation of the blood to the face. There should be gentle strokes of massage to the face and all movements of the fingers should be in upward and outside motion. Massage synthesizes serotonin & melatonin which makes the body and mind relaxed. Massage is anti aging treatment because it restricts sagging of skin by strengthening the facial muscles. The massage stimulates the production of collagen in the skin that prevents the formation of wrinkles & also normalizes the moisture balance of the skin and helps in reducing impurities and toxins.

For facial massage there is a provision of medicated ghee prepared from the combination of varios herbs like  Laccifer Lacca, Turmeric, Berberis Aristata, Symplocos racemosa, Saussurea Lappa, Callophylum Inophyllum etc. Massage of this medicated ghee helps in various skin troubles like melasma,eruptions,pimples,acne, reduces wrinkles and the face looks young,pleasant & beautiful.

For body there are various Oils (medicated Tailam) for massage. According to category of skin and the challenge various oils have been prepared for example for dry skin & for curing itching problem Nimbadi, Durvadi, Vajrak tailam have been prepared. Where there is burning sensation and redness or dark discoloration is predominant- Eladi, Manjishthadi, Chandanadi, Kumkumadi Tailam are recommended. If with itching there are cystic growths or eruptions, Brihan-Marichadi & Kshar Tail are used.

For Glowing Complexion Kumkumadi, Yashtimadhu, Mahamanjishthadi, Panchvalkaladi Tail are used. Besides abovementioned special oils some Tailas are commomly used now a days e.g. Olive Oil, Lavender Oil, Almond Oil etc.

Utsadan:

In Hindi it is UBTAN, it is relaxing soft massage using medicinal powder with small quantity of oil or cream. This will strengthen skin tone, provide anti-aging effect & moisturize the skin preventing daily wear & tear.

Dry Powder Massage Therapy:

It removes excessive oiliness and clears clogged pores. It strengthens the muscles by toning them & exfoliates the dead cells in the skin. Improves blood circulation, helps in achieving a good rate of metabolism at the level of skin.

There are various combinations for dry powder massage: Siddarthaka Choorna, Sarshapadi udvarthana, Dhatriphaladi udvartan, Guggulaadi Churna, Eladi Churna, Neem-haridra churn etc. There are various single herb/component powders which are used for “UDWARTANA”  generally e.g. Haritaki, Mudga(Green Gram), Chandana, Yashti, Manjishthaa, Panch-Valkal( Ficus group trees bark), Shastika Shali (a type of rice), Oats Powder.

Face Packs:

A thin layer of medicated powder blended with liquids like rose powder, honey etc. are applied over face in UPWARD DIRECTION and left for half an hour and then washed off with lukewarm water.

Face packs are recommended for wrinkles over the face, hyper pigmentation of skin, blurring of vision, discoloration of skin over cheeks etc.

There are Do’s & Don’ts in this respect- After applying Face Pack, one should not- Day Sleep, keep face near fire,  do excessive talking, expose to sun, cry, do anger, laugh. Face Pack should not be applied while certain medical conditions like- Rhinitis, indigestion, lock jaw, Anorexia, sleeplessness etc. Besides above precautions the Lepa should not be applied at night, One should not get it too dry, First cleanse the earlier lepa then apply next one, applied lepa when becomes dry it should be removed only after making it wet else it will harm your skin.

Ingredients of face packs vary according to the season-

During Winters( Mid January to Mid March) the ingredients of face packs may be like Solanum Indica, Sesamum Indicum, Berberis Artistata, Hordeum Vulgare.

During Spring Season (Mid March to Mid May) face packs may be prepared from  Cinnamomum Camphora, Vetiveria Zizanoides, Albizia Lebbeck, Oryza Sattiva, Embelia Ribes etc.

During Summer Season (Mid May to Mid July) Face packs should be prepared from- Cynodon Dactylon, Nymphaea Alba,  Santalum Album, Maduka Longifolia etc.

During Rains (Mid July to Mid September) Face Packs shall be prepared from-Sesamum Indicum, Valeriana Zizanoids, Nardostachys, Vetiveria Zizanoids, Aquilaria Agallocha etc.

During Autumn Season ( Mid September to Mid November) Face Packs ingredient(s) may be Saccharum Spontaneum, Aquillaria Agallocha, Valeriana Wallichii, Glycyrrhiza Glabra.

During Pre-Winter (Mid November to Mid January) Adhatoda Vasica, Brassica Juncera, Kola Nitida, Symplocos Racemosa will be ingredient(s) of face mask.

Face Wash & Body Wash:

After Udvertan or Lepa a medicated water can be used for wash. A decoction is prepared by boiling of about two fist of pieces of bark or leaves of any of the following- Acacia Catechu, Azadiracta Indica, Mangifera Indica leaves, Pongamia Pinnata, leaves & flowers of Cassia Auriculata in Two Liters of water.

These are some valuable gems from the treasure of Ayurved to protect your skin from various factors causing degeneration.