The Ayurvedic Skincare Routine for Facial
Skin
by Shreelata Suresh
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.
Three simple twice-a-day steps for facial skin:
Ten minutes is all it takes each morning and evening to care for facial skin.
Cleansing: Cleansing not only removes surface grime, make-up and impurities, it
also stimulates your skin and preps it for topical nourishment. For the face and
neck, it's a must-do each morning and night. Choose a non-soap cleanser
appropriate for your skin type, or a tridoshic formulation balanced to work on
all skin types. If you have dry Vata skin (space or air predominant skin),
choose a rich, nourishing cleanser that won't strip the natural oils from the
skin, with ingredients like oatmeal, almond meal and cream.
If you have
sensitive fire predominant skin, choose a gentle herbal cleanser that will
purify without irritating the skin. Sandalwood in fine oatmeal with a little
cooling milk and rose water makes a gentle Pitta-pacifying cleanser. For oily
earth or water predominant skin, a stimulating product that contains
oil-balancing herbs such as lavender, lemon, neem and tulsi helps cleanse and
clarify.
Prepare your cleanser if you are starting with a dry mix. Then splash your face
with lukewarm water to open the pores. Never use hot water on your skin; it will
cause your skin to literally wilt. Using your fingertips or a soft washcloth,
gently apply the cleanser to your face and neck in smooth upward strokes. The
skin surface should get stimulated without being pulled or stretched. Rinse off
with warm water, and finish with a final splash of cool water. If you wear
make-up, two cleansings of the face at night may be appropriate to make sure all
of it is cleansed off.
Toning: Toning is an important step in the daily skincare routine because it
removes any lingering impurities or greasy residue and helps balance the pH of
the skin. It closes the pores and stimulates circulation, helping to prepare the
skin to absorb nutrition from the moisturizer that follows. Choose a toner
appropriate for your skin type, and look for toners without alcohol, colors or
artificial fragrance. Rose, sandalwood and cucumber would be good choices for Vata, Pitta and Kapha skin respectively.
If your toner is a spritzer, close your eyes and gently mist on face and neck.
Dab any excess gently with a ball of cotton. Alternatively, apply the toner to
the face and neck with a ball of cotton, using smooth, gentle upward strokes.
Moisturizing: All types of skin need a moisturizer. Moisturizers seal in surface
moisture and help keep skin soft and supple. If enriched with skin-friendly
herbs and essential oils, moisturizers also nourish the skin and enhance skin
immunity. Natural ayurvedic moisturizers contain herbal extracts and essential
oils in an oil base—richer oils for dry skin and light oils for oily skin. Gotu
kola, Shatavari, Turmeric, Sandalwood, Brahmi, Amalaki, Tulsi and Neem are
examples of nourishing, ojas-building herbs that are considered skin rasayanas
in ayurveda.
Apply moisturizer immediately after the toner, while your skin is still slightly
damp. If using a facial oil, all you need are 3-4 drops. Gently massage the
moisturizer into facial skin with smooth upward strokes. For extra-dry areas,
use a little additional moisturizer. Additional care, once or twice a week
Exfoliation once a week for Kapha skin and once every other week for Vata and
Pitta skin adds that extra glow.
Facial Mask: All types of skin benefit from periodic deep-down exfoliating
treatment; if you have really oily skin, you may want to exfoliate at least once
a week. At its most basic, a facial mask is a little oatmeal or chickpea flour
mixed with water and a touch of honey. You can add almond meal and a couple of
drops of wheat germ oil for dry skin, almond meal and pure aloe vera juice for
sensitive skin and Bentonite clay for oily skin. You can also enrich the mask
with pure essential oils suitable for your skin type. Exfoliation removes dead
skin cells, embedded dirt and toxins, and stimulates the skin, making it
receptive to the nutrient-rich facial mask that should follow.
Wash your face with lukewarm water. Apply the mask with smooth upward strokes
with your fingertips or a ball of cotton. Wait a few minutes in a relaxed
position while the mask dries. Rinse off with plenty of warm water and follow
with a moisturizer appropriate for your skin type.
Note: This information is educational and is not intended to replace standard
medical care or advice.
About the
author:
Shreelata Suresh is a yoga instructor who lives in the Bay Area. She writes for
various publications on yoga, ayurveda and Indian culture. For more articles on
ayurveda and premier ayurvedic products, please visit
http://www.ayurbalance.com.
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