| Ayurvedic Skincare
Routine for Facial Skin
by Shreelata Suresh
The Ayurvedic Skincare Routine: Facial
Skin
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.
Keywords: ayurveda ayurvedic skin care skincare
beauty
About the Author
Shreelata Suresh,
info@ayurbalance.com
http://www.ayurbalance.com
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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