If a healthy glowing skin has always been your aim, it is advisable to ditch the drugstore products that work on the surface level for Ayurvedic ones that banish toxins from the skin and cleanse it from the inside. The secret of Ayurvedic science and philosophy is the use of fresh and seasonal ingredients, picked when they are at their most potent. Mixed meticulously and scientifically together, these ingredients have properties that rejuvenate, replenish and refresh the skin. Besides physical and cosmetic, the benefits of Ayurvedic skin care beauty treatments are also mental and spiritual, balancing the three doshas (bio-rhythms) of the human body- vata, pitta and kapha.
Formulations
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Most Ayurvedic skin care beauty treatments use authentic, time-tested formulations created with pure ingredients. There are no artificial ingredients and everything is plant-based. In most cases, the plants and herbs come directly from the natural habitat, collected meticulously by indigenous people. The packaging is also recycled and while fresh ingredients are the essence, they necessitate a certain amount of preservative to be added for storage for longer durations. This is because the ingredients are cumbersome to use and it isn’t always possible to prepare fresh formulations to be used immediately.
In Ayurvedic beauty treatments, the ingredients are either dried or stored when they are at the height of their potency, keeping their inherent properties intact. When they are sundried and then, rehydrated with a liquid, they are just as effective as a fresh extract. Oil and ghee based formulations can actually mature with age and get better when stored properly. Some formulations like cream and lotion will not have a shelf life without a preservative. It is advisable to buy over-the-counter natural products than attempt making them at home as these products are hundred per cent natural, made as per actual Ayurvedic recipes and involve a mindboggling number of ingredients. This takes a labor intensive process that can easily go wrong. Take an Ayurvedic oil for instance. It requires about 20 to 75 herbs and could take anywhere between 2 to 12 days. These Ayurvedic beauty treatment centers are ensuring that this complex science of Ayurveda is made more accessible, so people can be beautiful, from the inside out.
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Of course, the products are a little heavy on the pocket, restricting the consumer base but most Ayurvedic companies wouldn’t be able to put fresh ingredients into them if not for the price. The highly informed consumer knows that no company can use cream, honey and saffron and price the product at Rs. 20 or even Rs. 40. Here are a few Ayurvedic beauty treatments one can opt for:
Mukhalepam
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This simple facial uses fresh ingredients, ground together according to Ayurvedic principles and your skin type, and massaged onto your face for about 40 minutes. The literal translation of mukham is face, and lepa is the application of a paste. Ideally, this facial can do one or more of the following: improve elasticity and combat skin ageing, help even your skin tone and avoid pigmentation, cause micro-circulation, purify blood, dislodge deep-rooted toxins, reinforce the strength of the cells and improve resilience of the skin. The facial leaves your skin radiant and glowing.
Abhayangam
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Abhayangam, a complete body massage, is recommended in Ayurveda for general health and well being. Besides balancing your doshas, it can help rejuvenate tired muscles and relieve fatigue, boost stamina levels, help insomniacs, enhance the quality of skin and increase blood circulation and immunity. Abhayangam literally means oil application, so choose Ayurvedic oils that suit your dosha and requirements, and ideally get the massage done in the morning before eating breakfast and taking a bath. It will remove toxins accumulated during the night.
Shirodhara
Shiro in Sanskrit means head and dhara means flow. Aptly named, this very popular head massage involves a series of liquids being poured over the forehead where the third eye is located. Although warm Ayurvedic oils are used most frequently, the dhara could be one of milk, buttermilk, coconut water or even plain water, depending on the purpose of the massage. Although it is recommended in medispas across the world for hair issues (it helps sort out the problem from the root), eye trouble, sinusitis, neurological disorders, insomnia and vertigo, non-medispas also offer shirodhara for relaxation.
Patience pays…
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Ayurveda isn’t a one-dimensional practice. It addresses physical, mental and spiritual well being. Although the process is slow, the benefits are long-term. If you use a bleaching agent or chemical peel, you instantly become two shades fairer and blemish free. But you also end up stripping and damaging the skin. Ayurvedic beauty treatments, on the other hand, can cure everything from acne to dry skin and sun spots to pimple marks. What one requires is a tonne of patience- simply because Ayurveda focuses on curing your problems at the root.
…as does caution
When used over a period of time, Ayurvedic concoctions improve the quality of your skin, health and mental well-being. Ayurveda’s emphasis is on prevention rather than cure. Natural products hardly have any drastic side-effects, but people need to be very careful when considering the skin type and dosha while opting for a specific product. It is always better to consult an Ayurvedic doctor to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. While using these products, starting a diet based on Ayurvedic principles can go a long way in attaining faster, more effective results.
If you wish to pretty up the natural way, you should seriously consider the Ayurveda way! The results are PRETTY amazing!
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