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The Ayurvedic Approach to Beauty: Seven Things You Can Do to Keep Your Skin from Aging
Each year, Americans spend billions of dollars on beauty products to
prevent their skin from aging. Yet the best ways to keep your skin
healthy and youthful cost very little.
1. Get adequate sunlight. Over-protecting from sun is not a good
idea because some gentle sun is nourishing to the skin. The challenge
is to maximize the benefit from sun and at the same time protect it
from damage. Short periods of exposure to the early morning sun allow
even very sensitive Caucasian skin to absorb necessary Vitamin D.
Avoid long exposure to the sun whenever you are angry, hungry or
emotionally upset, as these factors increase heat in the body and
make the skin more sensitive to sun damage. At these times it's
important to protect yourself by wearing a hat and sunglasses. People
with more Pitta (fire element) in their body should always take care
to protect themselves from the midday sun. If your skin is easily
damaged by the sun, try reducing the sensitivity from the inside.
Eating green, leafy vegetables and fruits such as raisins, pears,
apples, and pomegranates, for instance, will help cool, nourish and
restore balance to sensitive skin. Cook your food with a skin-
friendly spice mixture: equal parts turmeric, coriander, fennel and
cumin sautéed in ghee (clarified butter). Avoid eating too much
ginger, garlic, asafetida, hot red peppers or any types of hot
peppers even in winter if you are sensitive to the sun.
2. Avoid Chemicals. Harsh chemicals in your shampoo, skin
products, or soaps irritate the skin and cause it to become
overworked and overheated. A strong preservative or antibacterial
agent in skin-care products, for instance, kills harmful bacteria but
at the same time destroys enzymes that trigger absorption and
lubrication. The result might be permanent dry patches, oversensitive
skin, or susceptibility to sun damage. Instead, use skin care
products that contain all-natural ingredients and are designed to
balance and nourish all seven layers of the skin. It's also essential
to avoid eating chemicals and preservatives in your food by buying
organic foods whenever possible.
3. Eat for your skin type. Different skin types require
different foods. Vata skin is dry, thin, small-pored, delicate, and
cool to the touch. Vata skin may age faster, and tends to be dry,
rough and flaky when out of balance. Or your skin may be more Pitta --
fair, sensitive, soft, warm, and of medium thickness. When out of
balance, Pitta skin can flare up in rashes, rosacea, acne, or sun
spots. Kapha skin tends to age slower and form less wrinkles than the
other two types. It is thick, oily, pale, soft and cool. Kapha skin
types may struggle with dull complexion, enlarged pores, excessive
oil, blackheads, pimples, moist types of eczema and water retention.
Once you determine your skin-type, you can follow the Vata, Pitta, or
Kapha pacifying dietary guidelines to keep your skin balanced,
healthy and youthful. Vata skin types, for instance, will want to eat
more warm, unctuous foods and favor the sweet, sour and salty tastes
to balance the dry, rough, moving Vata dosha. If you have a Pitta
skin type you will thrive on sweet, bitter and astringent tastes, as
found in sweet, juicy fruits, rose petal preserve, and cooked greens.
Avoid hot, spicy foods. The oiliness of Kapha type skin calls for a
diet that is warmer, lighter, less oily, and free of heavy, hard to
digest foods. Eating more bitter, astringent and pungent tastes help
stimulate digestion and balance Kapha skin. For a more detailed
explanation of dietary suggestions and skin types, please visit
http://www.mapi.com.
4. Soothe Away Stress There are three types of stress, and all
three impact the skin in different ways. Mental stress starts a chain
reaction that ends in a drying out the moisture in the skin.
Thinning, dryness and the shrinking of the srotas (microchannels)
that carry nutritive fluid to the skin result in wrinkles and stress
lines. Emotional stress also affects the skin-just notice how anger
or embarrassment can turn your face red. This shows the connection
between emotions and the skin. If emotional stress becomes chronic,
the result is acne, sun sensitivity, and other Pitta-based problems.
Physical stress is caused by exercising too much, working too much,
or straining the body over a period of time. Like mental stress, this
causes the drying out of skin moisture and rough, aged skin. To
counteract mental stress, maintain a Vata-pacifying diet and daily
routine. To bring emotional stress into balance, follow a Pitta-
pacifying diet and routine. For physical stress, try to limit
exercise or work to fifty percent of your physical stamina. For
lifestyle and diet tips for Vata, Pitta and Kapha, please visit
http://www.mapi.com.
5. Cleanse and gently exfoliate. Every skin type needs
cleansing, but Kapha skin needs it the most. This is because people
with Kapha skin often have low agni. Consequently ama collects in the
body, clogs the channels of the skin and causes excessive oil on the
surface. Many people with Kapha skin try to counteract oiliness with
products that are too drying. Instead, try cleansing the pores so the
skin can be nourished from the inside. The Kapha person should be
careful not to clog their pores by using greasy creams, exposing
their skin to freezing weather, or by eating heavy, sweet, oily
foods. Take warm baths, cleanse with a gentle herbal cleanser, and
exfoliate with an herbal clay twice a week to gently cleanse the
pores, remove impurities and open the channels. Vata skin types
should avoid any products that are too drying. Pitta types should
avoid products that are too abrasive or heating.
6. Rehydrate from the inside and outside. It's important to
moisturize your skin from the inside to keep the inner layers of the
skin from drying out and to provide necessary nutrients to the
surface. Drink lots of water, and in cold weather, drink hot water to
open the channels and help clear away toxins. If you have sensitive
skin, stick to room-temperature water. Include plenty of vegetables
and sweet, juicy fruits in your diet to moisturize the skin. Be sure
to eat healthy oils, such as ghee and olive oil to provide essential
lubrication. Massaging your body skin on a daily basis is also
essential to keep the skin young and healthy.
7. Nourish your skin. Besides following the diet for your skin
type, these foods are terrific skin-enhancers: leafy green
vegetables; easily digested proteins such as paneer, milk, tofu,
sunflower seeds; foods high in zinc such as quinoa; and beta-carotene-
rich foods such as carrots and sweet cherries. Almonds and walnuts
support the skin with their protein and lubricating fat content. Some
skin-friendly spices include turmeric to nourish the first four
layers of the skin; cumin to rid the body of ama; black pepper to
cleanse the channels, and fennel to balance the transformational
ability of the skin. All antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, such
as pomegranate, apple, pear, and bitter, green leafy vegetables are
also excellent for the skin. Eat only intelligent foods, which means
fresh, whole and organic foods. Stay away from packaged, canned,
frozen, processed, and packaged foods. Leftovers are also a no-no.
Winter Skin Tips:
1. Drink plenty of water, and avoid hot water if your skin is
photosensitive. Many people don't drink enough water in winter. You
actually need more water in winter to moisturize your skin properly
and protect it from the sun.
2. Take a warm bath before and after skiing or exposing your
skin to freezing temperatures for a long period of time. Any time
it's freezing outside, the pores of the skin freeze shut and heat is
retained in the deeper layers. This heat dries out the skin and
lowers its resistance to the sun. That is why many people get worse
sunburns after skiing than at the beach, and it's also why some
people's skin breaks out after a skiing trip. A warm bath before and
after tackling the slopes helps dilate frozen channels and supports
the skin to release heat trapped in the deeper layers.
Note -- This ayurvedic information is educational, and is not
intended to replace standard medical care or advice.
Copyright -- MAPI, Inc., 2002
For more in-depth information on the ayurvedic approach to beauty and
skin care and for a complete line of dermatologist-formulated
ayurvedic skin care, please visit http://www.mspa.com.
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