Beauty, complexion & personality are reflected through the skin of a person. Skin is the largest sense organ in the body. It has 7 layers that show the deep internals connections with the body.
Ayurveda describes skin, Twak as a reflection of an individual's health. In Ayurveda, the skin is of maternal origin & it indicates the doshic constitution of an individual.
Doshas in your skin- Analyze your skin type?
Vata dosha predominant skin will be dry, rough, aging will be faster& cold to touch. Pitta skin is warm, fair in complexion, soft, prone to acne or blisters &radiant too. Kapha dosa skin is cool, age slowly, oily & soft. Skin is considered as the Raktha’s (blood tissue) upadhathu. Any toxins in the blood can be reflected through your skin. It comprises the qualities of rakta & rasa (plasma). There are also skin types that contain mixed dosha qualities.
What damages your skin? Your favorite fries? Smoking? Heavy makeups?
Definitely, like any other disease skin diseases have a dietary & lifestyle origin. We all know the oily, greasy food & spicy foods are all-time enemies of our skin. In spite of being knowledgeable, the incidence of skin diseases is very high. Does that mean we are taking very fewer precautions for protecting our skin?
To an extent, it is a sad truth.
Alcohol
Smoking
Heavy cosmetics
Winter dryness & cracks
Suntan, sun burns& pollution causes the dust to lodge in skin pores.
Anxiety, depression, stress, etc.
Top skin ailments
In Ayurveda Skin diseases are classified as Twak vikaras. Common encountering skin diseases are
Psoriasis, eczema, cracked foot, acne, atopic dermatitis, skin cancer, etc.
Psoriasis- About 7.5 million US population is diagnosed with this disease. It occurs as patches with raised reddishness in the skin with scales of silvery-white color. In Ayurveda, it is classified under kushta.
Eczema – skin rashes with inflammation &oozing/non-oozing.
Acne – it is common among 30- 40 age groups, start during puberty.
Cracked foot or heels can occur due to psoriasis, thyroid or eczema.
How a skin disease manifests?
Skin disease occurs due to the derangement of Agni or metabolic fire. This, in turn, vitiates the rakta &deeper dhathus or tissues. The tridoshas undergo vitiation later & also affect or vitiate the lymph, blood, skin, etc.
Ayurvedic management with panchakarma
In Ayurveda, for the extreme vitiation of tridoshas samsodhana (panchakarma) therapies followed by samsamana (palliative) therapies are done. Avoiding the cause is very vital in the treatment, which means carefully ruling out the food & lifestyle that causes the doshas to vitiate.
According to dosha predominance therapies like Vamana, emesis therapy- Kapha dominant, purgation therapy virechana- for pitta, vasthi -Vata dominance, Nasya therapy for Vata-Kapha, bloodletting therapy for rakta dhathu vitiation are done respectively.
Samana therapy includes internal medications in the form of kashaya, medicated powders as well as tablets. Rasayana or rejuvenating therapies are also done. Changes in diet &lifestyle are done to avoid further progression of the disease
Super Herbs for your skin
Bitter taste herbs or tikta rasa medicines are recommended. Turmeric-Haridra, Neem- Nimba, Chandana- sandalwood, Kumari-Aloe Vera, Manjishta- Rubia cordifolia, Amrita- Tinospora cordifolia, Tulsi- holy basil, etc. are the best ones.
Beauty enhancing tips in Ayurveda
Stay hydrated- A wonder remedy for acne-prone skin. Drink adequate amount of fluids. This
improves the circulation in the skin thereby increases the glow, complexion & clarity
Sound sleep- At least sleep for 8 hours. This removes discolorations or pigmentations in the skin
Practice yoga& meditation for a stress-free life- Shavasana & pranayama are highly recommended
Facial exercise to remove wrinkles or age-related sagging.
Undoubtedly Ayurveda is the one-stop remedy for all skin problems. If you love your body, follow Ayurveda.