Ayurvedic Approach - Keep Your Skin from Aging

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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.

 

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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.