Build Your Own Skincare Routine with Ayurveda

Perfect skin only seems to be true in the advertisements for skincare products. When it comes to skin problems, the list is never-ending with dark circles, acne breakouts, pigmentation, dry skin, inflammation, etc becoming a constant visitor, especially if there is any function to attend to. The skin, although the largest organ in the human body, needs the adequate care and attention required to stay healthy. Many factors play an important role in maintaining healthy skin like the diet, lifestyle practices, and a regular skincare routine that best suits your skin type. Besides, internal imbalances can also affect the maintenance of the skin’s health. Unlike western skincare products, only natural ingredients are used to build your own skincare routine with Ayurveda.

How To Take Care Of Skin In The Right Way

1. Find Your Ayurvedic Skin Type 

Based on your skin type,

• A person with dominant Vata dosha can have sensitive skin which is more prone to dry or rough skin texture, wrinkles, etc.
• A person with dominant Pitta dosha can have skin that is more prone to acne, sunburns, freckles, etc.
• A person with dominant Kapha dosha usually has greasy skin textures that are naturally oily and produce excessive sweat.

 2.  Develop A Regular Skin Care Ritual 

Ayurvedic beauty therapy recommends following a regimen that includes  toning, cleansing, and moisturizing twice a day, preferably in the morning and before going to sleep with the right herbal products for your skin type

• Skin Exfoliation & Cleaning: Accumulated dirt, pollutants, and dead cells will be removed from your skin with regular cleansing. Use gentle exfoliants and herbal DIY face cleansers daily as per your elevated doshas.
• Toning: The cleansing process opens the pores which will be closed during Toning. Toning also eradicates the remaining pollutants that might have remained on your skin after cleansing.
• Moisturizing: Lack of moisturizing is the cause of most skin problems and it can be avoided if you moisturize regularly with products containing ingredients that are suited for your skin type. Keeping your skin hydrated relieves your skin from irritation, breakouts, and acne while maintaining healthy skin cells. 

3. Follow Seasonal Rhythms

Ayurveda recommends following certain rituals based on seasonal rhythms to keep your doshas in balance and thus maintain your skin’s health.

• Summers: Keep your skin cool by using herbs such as aloe vera, Karpoora, Chandana, vetiver, etc. Make sure to protect your skin from harmful UV rays during the day.
• Spring: Detoxify your skin with professional Abhyanga and Panchakarma practices.
• Fall and Winter: This is the time to focus more on your skin’s nourishment with organic herbal oils and moisturize the deeper layers of your skin too

4. Use Essential Oils

Include nourishing essential oils such as lavender, tea tree, chamomile, rosemary, etc. in your daily skincare routines. Adding 4-5 drops of any of these essential oils to your moisturizer or body wash can make a huge difference in your skin’s health. Diluting these essential oils in carrier oils such as coconut oil or sesame oil can be used for self-massage or Abhyanga.

5. Maintain The Right Food In Your Diet

• Lower the usage of salt and sugar as they damage the collagen in your skin and eventually cause signs of early ageing and uneven skin tones.
• Consume freshly prepared meals and avoid preprocessed or junk foods as much as possible.
• Focus and chew your meals mindfully in a cosy corner and avoid indulging in mobile or watching TV while you eat your food.
• Drink water half an hour before and after your meals and not while you eat.

Learn Self-Massage Techniques

For skin Nourishment, do Self-Massage (Abhyanga) easily at the comfort of your own home. At least half an hour before bathing during sunrise, you should perform Ayurvedic abhyanga or oil massage therapy. To pacify your elevated doshas, this procedure involves massaging your whole body with warm Ayurvedic oils and this also nourishes your skin tissues greatly because of improved blood circulation.

While Pitta dominant people can use coconut oil, Vata people can use sesame oil. Kapha people can choose sunflower oil to do Abhyanga for effective Abhyanga.

Best Ayurvedic Ingredients For Cleansing

Staying away from chemical-laden products and taking the natural route is one of the best ways to kick your skincare routine into high gear. Face washes are the most basic and imminent variety of products that form a part of a woman's beauty regime. Ayurvedic face washes and cleansers contain skin benefiting properties of numerous healing herbs, from removing impurities to nourishing and moisturising your skin, to looking after your inversive skin needs. Famous cleansing agents in Ayurved are as follows:

• Neem
• Multani Mitti
• Turmeric
• Bitter orange
• Calendula
• Chandan
• Triphala
• Aloe vera

In conclusion, it is easy and economical to build your own skincare routine with Ayurveda.

If you really care about your skin and beauty, it would really help to indulge more in the ancient secrets of skincare. The online massage course from the School of Ayurveda and Panchakarma can help you to achieve this goal.