While we are in the tail end of Winter, we’re feeling the accumulated effects of months of dryness.
This brings up a few important questions: How does your skin feels now? Are you experiencing any dryness, burning, itching, or localized rashes? Have you tried to moisturize your skin, but still feel that whatever moisturized you used just didn’t do much?
Why do we experience this? Why do we have chapped lips, cracked hands, and an entire body that is just screaming for moisture? According to Ayurveda, this is the result of the dryness of vata, which corresponds to the Fall and early Winter, the times of the dry, cold environment around us. For those of us in California, we’ve had a particularly dry Winter season. In the presence of cold, windy weather, the microcirculatory channels shrink, so the skin receives less nourishment from water as well as lipids. When this happens, our skin becomes dehydrated, craving lubricants and screaming for help.
Besides the dryness in the environment that affects our skin directly, we also experience dryness related to diet, lack of good fats in the diet, late-night sleep patterns, or the effects of high altitude. Dryness is simply one of many discomforts we might be experiencing. Breakouts or unsightly appearance are also on our list of possible skin disorders or discomforts that can happen as a result of excess dryness.
Therefore, it becomes even more crucial to approach our skin care regimen with greater degrees of attention and knowledge. The outer skin is the barrier between our environment and our body. It is our largest organ of detoxification as well as a significant site for healthy bacteria. There is a direct correlation between congestion of the skin and toxicity of the body, which can in turn leads to premature aging, wrinkles, or sagging skin. Enhancing the ability of the skin to evacuate toxins supports the healthy functioning of these essential organ. You don’t want to clog your pores or shrink the channels of elimination in the skin….maintaining a youthful appearance from the inside out is a partially a function of how we support the ability of the skin to allow toxins to move.
The science and art of the healing tradition of Ayurveda has always taken a special interest in skin health. For thousands of years, certain oils have been valued for their ability to nourish the skin. Some of these oils remain the best choice for supporting healthy and radiant skin. I know, you might say that the molecules of many vegetable are too large to be properly absorbed through the phospolipid layer of the skin. Many of you might dread oils because of the stereotype that oils clog the pores. Well, Ayurveda provides specific instructions for how to choose and apply oils to the skin.
According to Dr. John Douillard and Vaidya R.K. Mishra, two leading experts in Ayurvedic skin care, we must feed the friendly bacteria that thrive on the surface of our skin, and we do this by topically applying plant oils. The outer skin produces also its own oil called sebum that prevents the skin from drying out and aging prematurely. The new immune-boosting fatty acids are produced from the good bacteria that feed on sebum. Vegetables oils applied to the surface of the body as well as fatty acids provide many benefits to the skin. They create the skin’s protective barrier, and they also moisturize and nourish the skin. But, the too-large molecules of vegetable oils cannot penetrate the phosfolipid layer of the skin, right? Well, they are not meant to penetrate the skin at all. They serve as food for the microbes, so they can be converted into fatty acids in the same way as sebum.
Adding essential oils into the base vegetable oils produces different results. Pure essential oils are naturally hydrating and rich in nutrients, and also fine enough to penetrate the skin completely to rejuvenate the cells. Gently massaged into the skin, these oil combinations improve circulation and strengthen the connective tissue, thereby reducing wrinkles. Their aromas also help to balance the doshas, and the essence itself provides protection from infections. For those of you with overactive sebaceous glands, the idea of using oils to remedy skin may seem contradictory, if not plain crazy. However, I urge you to give it a try. Essential oils penetrate all seven layers of the skin within a few minutes to supply nutrients and restore the body’s subtle intelligence. Fatty acid converted from vegetable oils soften, lubricate, and protect the skin. Remember, that over-bathing strips the protective layer from the skin and kills the good bugs whose job it is to break down the plant oils into extremely effective fatty acids supporting the skin’s healthy radiance and youthfulness. Beware of over-washing your face and use soap sparingly on the body.
Nourishing face oils (essential oils diluted in a base of a vegetable oil or ghee) should be applied on a wet skin or mixed with rose water just before the application or you can use them with liposomes for mature or scarred skin. Liposomes are penetrating agents that have the ability to carry other materials through the cellular membrane and deposit them in the cell itself. In other words, they facilitate the absorption of the essential oils or herbs into the skin. Liposomes carry additional moisture into the cells, which helps with the rejuvenation process.
Another wonderful and powerful skin method for nurturing the skin is employing plant-based oils as carriers for nourishing herbs. The process of infusing herbs into the oil is usually through a slow cooking, but once these herbs are impregnated into the oil, they dramatically enhance the specific properties of the herbs, making them more powerful. These active herbals (like essential oils) cross the lipid barrier as they are smaller in size.
When moisturizing the skin according to Ayurveda, use only the purest quality ingredients. Yes, skin eats, and whatever you feed it, you feed to yourself. In fact, unlike the food we chew and swallow, which is broken down in the stomach before it is absorbed, creams and lotions applied to the skin bypass the digestive process and go full strength directly into the bloodstream. Like all ingested substances, they become raw materials for building new body tissues or they become potent toxic waste. For this reason, think of your beauty products not as cosmetics, but as food.
Here are some simple Ayurvedic recipes that I have been using for years with great results.
Royal Milk Bath
1. Mix large quantity of 70 percent rolled oats, 10 percent marshmallow root, 10 percent Indian sarsparilla and 10 percent rose petals.
2. Place two tablespoons of this mixture in the cheesecloth and tie it with a string.
3. Dip the cloth into warm milk (diary or nut, rice, coconut, or oat milk) and pat the entire body with the herbal sachet to deeply moisturize your skin.
4. Make enough of the dry mixture for one or two months and store in an airtight container.
Vata (dry) skin type moisturizer
Mix equal parts of raw milk and raw honey into a paste. Apply formula on to the face for three to five minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Pitta (sensitive) skin type moisturizer
Blend equal parts of raw milk, banana, and papaya into a paste. Apply to a face for a couple of minutes, and then rinse thoroughly.
Kapha (oily) skin type moisturizer
Mix equal parts of raw honey and lemon juice into a paste. Apply to a face for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
Vata (dry) skin type nourishing oil
1. Mix 1 ounce sesame, avocado, or borage oil plus 10 drops geranium essential oil plus 5 drops each neroli and lotus (or ylang-ylang) essential oils. Store in a dark glass with a dropper.
2. In a palm of your hand mix three drops of nourishing oil (above) to four drops of water or liposomes.
3. While your skin is still wet, gently massage the mixture all over face and neck for about one minute, or until your skin absorbs it.
Pitta (sensitive) skin type nourishing oil
1. Mix one ounce almond or jojoba oil plus 10 drops each rose and sandalwood (or chamomile) oil. Store in a dark glass with a dropper.
2. Mix three drops of this oil with four drops of water or liposome and massage into a face.
Kapha (oily) skin type nourishing oil
1. Mix one ounce of sunflower oil plus 10 drops lavender essential oil and five drops each bergamot and clary sage (or rosemary) essential oils. Store in a dark glass with a dropper.
2. Mix three drops of this oil with four drops of water or liposome and apply it to your face, massaging for one minute.
No matter what your age or season, you can keep your skin looking vibrant and healthy by paying attention to four pillars of youthful skin:
1. Nourish your skin all year round, from the inside and from the outside.
2. Rehydrate your skin internally and externally; maintaining moisture balance is very crucial for skin health and appearance.
3. Detoxify both from the inside and outside to prevent the build-up of toxins and help keep skin clear and radiant.
4. Practice stress management; stress is the number one enemy of youthful skin.
Addressing all four aspects of your skin from inside and out will deliver a natural luster and glow to your skin. Although eating the right foods and maintaining healthy habits are important for slowing aging, it is your overall diet and lifestyle that will make the biggest difference. I encourage you to choose wisely and follow the healthy habits to support the health of your skin and your overall well-being.
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