Are you a glamour and cosmetic buff? Do you buy your skincare stash from a supermarket? Are you cautious of the effectiveness and safety of beauty merchandise? Then you must know that chemically-charged beauty items cannot bring natural radiance. Instead of relying on cosmetic products, heed to your overall wellness. Of course, it cannot be achieved overnight. One of the most important things for a healthy skin is good gut health. As Ayurveda believes ‘You are what you eat’ and lays emphasis on the skincare practice, which is far more enhanced with natural and fresh ingredients in comparison to other beauty treatments, it underscores applying oils over lotions or creams.
The secret to best skincare at home can be found in the fruits and vegetables that we consume on daily basis. It’s important to keep in mind that you only apply those things that you can consume. Skin is the mirror of your internal organs. If your inner health is good it will reflect on your skin.
Assess your Ayurvedic skin type
According to Ayurveda, every individual is a combination of three life energies known as doshas: Vata (wind and air), Pitta (fire and water) and Kapha (earth and water) that manage the physical and emotional health. Each person is born with his own ratio of these doshas. Those with dominant Vata dosha tend to have dry skin texture; acne and sunburn are the traits of persons with Pitta dosha and an oily skin and excessive perspiration relates to Kapha dosha.
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The prevailing doshas majorly affect the individual’s health, mood and psychophysical features. In order to settle for the right skincare routine in keeping with your skin type, it is necessary to ascertain the dominant doshas in your body. Ayurveda highlights the lifestyle regimen that brings ease and equilibrium to your doshas, which reflect on your vibrant and healthy skin.
Beware of fancy brands
Don’t run behind renowned brands and fancy names. Ayurvedic ingredients like eco-friendly, cruelty-free neem and turmeric bath bar, kumkumadi thailam (saffron), coconut oil, organic soya butter, help you to glow naturally. “Also check for warning signs because labels might contain important information to avoid any skin reactions. Everything labelled as Ayurvedic and herbal may not be safe. One must not trust them blindly, but do their own research before using them. Also check the manufacturing and expiry date of the product,” says dietician Shweta Shah.
Shift in consumer behaviour
Skincare products with exotic names and synthetic chemicals may appear alluring but will prove to be detrimental in the long run. Today, well-travelled consumers are highly conscious about environmental protection and social responsibility and they demand “truly greener” products, requiring a holistic approach and are choosier about the ingredients used in their skincare products. Few bigger brands still get away with the sourcing of their ingredients, but soon the shift to more eco-conscious brands who stress more on the quality and authenticity of the elements is on the block.
Are labels honest?
“Both in India and across the world, not all brands are disclosing their ingredients in a 100% ethical and honest manner. What is highly important in a cosmetic/beauty product is the base of the product formulation and many companies still just write a “base Q.S” and provide other natural ingredients on the label, which is quite disappointing, and can often mislead a consumer’s buying decision!” answers Caroleen Gomez, Founder, Rêvées Clive which combines biotechnology and Ayurveda to curate skincare products.
The need of being eco-friendly and using products, which are environment friendly yet effective is still at a nascent stage but it is increasing with time. “Consumer response in case of personal care or cosmetics, is not only based on sensory properties of the product and its physical status, but it is also associated with other factors like previous knowledge, previous experience, as well as, consumer attitudes and beliefs. In the present globalized scenario, the consumers today are much more demanding in terms of quality and safety, product labeling, determination of producers to implement certain quality standards,” affirm Aditi Vyas and Mansi Vyas, Founders of Azafran Organics.
Tips to keep skin healthy the Ayurvedic way
1. Include lots of fruits, vegetables and lentils in your diet. Eat diversified range of food in required quantities. Include fermented food in your diet. Add spices, limit artificial sweeteners.
2. Multani mitti, natural herbs like turmeric, sandalwood, tulsi, aloe vera are certain home-based solutions that have the power to make your skin grow naturally and make your hair thicker and stronger.
3. Mix equal amount of ground tulsi leaves with milk. Apply this mixture on face and scrub it off after 20 minutes. This mask is best for skin lightening effect.
4. Mix together 1 tsp aloe vera gel (fresh from plant) and 1tsp turmeric. Apply it on skin and leave it for 20 minutes. Wash off with water. It helps in moisturizing, fights aging, reduces acne, lightens blemishes, brightens dark circles. — By Shweta Shah
