Feb 20 2008
The Ayurvedic Method For Beauty - 10 Winter Skin Rejuvenators
In Winter our skin becomes drier, rougher and tends to become flaky often becoming itchy. Our hands and lips can become chapped and sore. Combat winter skin problems with these Ayurvedic beauty remedies used for thousands of years.
1. Drink plenty of water in winter. Ayurveda recommends drinking tepid or warm water as cold water prevents proper digestion. Taking plenty of water hydrates the internal systems of the body; they in turn carry important nutrients to the skin cells, keeping them nourished, radiant and healthy.
2. During winter artificial heat can cause havoc on our skin. We travel to heated places of work in heated cars and then return at night to heated homes. Try turning the heat down to the lowest level that you are comfortable with, especially at night when you are sleeping. Counteract the deficiency of moisture in the air with a room humidifier. Moisture balance in your environment will also prevent dry nasal passages and eyes.
3. Eat leafy green vegetables, pumpkins and squashes. These hold a lot of water and nutrients and are excellent for internal hydration and skin nourishment. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks, which are dehydrating.
4. Including some healthy fats in your daily diet can pacify the rough, dry nature of the Vata dosha, winter’s dominant energy. In Ayurveda, ghee (clarified butter) is recommended to cook with. Olive oil is another excellent choice. Along with blanched, soaked almonds as they offer nutritional and structural support to our cells.
5. What is more appealing than a long, steamy, hot bath after a cold miserable winters day. This will make you feel warmer, but over-exposure to hot water can dry skin out your skin even more. Add a few drops of bath oil to the water and try not to stay soaking in the bath for hours.
6. Change that bar of soap to a milder gentler cleanser and shower gel for all over skin hydration. Soap can irritate dry skin conditions. In Ayurveda we use ground oatmeal or chickpea flour mixed with a little milk as a cleanser. In winter you can add a few drops of aloe vera or sesame oil.
7. A good moisturizer is absolutely necessary in winter. Don’t save money by buying a cheap moisturizer. Find yourself a good one; suitable for your skin type. For best results, apply the moisturizer immediately after cleansing onto damp skin. This helps lock in surface moisture. Remember to moisturize the entire body, paying special attention to elbows, knees, hands and feet. Skin here can crack and become very sore. A light application of moisturizer before bed can help. If your skin is very dry, soak feet in warm water for 10 minutes, then apply shea butter to heels and soles and wear socks before you go to bed.
8. During the winter it is especially important to exfoliate, removing dead skin cells and helping the skin to look vibrant and rejuvenated. If done once a week it will prevent the skin from looking dull. Do not scrub too hard and buy a gentle exfoliating product. Follow this with a hydrating mask. Use a dry brush for the body about once a week and a salt rub before you shower or bath, with essential oils is wonderful for dry, dull skin.
9. The cold winter weather and short days make us want to wrap up warm and become couch potatoes. This lack of exercise can cause the body’s systems to stagnate. Join a yoga class, so on your way back from work you can stop in and become recharged and get that energy flowing. Eating warm cooked foods, drinking warm water or herb/spice teas like ginger or cinnamon can help improve circulation, digestion and elimination, keeping skin healthy and clear.
10. In Ayurveda, herbs
Jennifer Beckman (Yogamaya) is a director of the Vedic Cultural Fellowship and Pecos Valley Yoga and Ayurveda Center. She was born in North Africa, and raised in the UK where at a very young age was introduced to yoga asana and pranayama by her aunt. During the 1990’s she studied homeopathy, massage, reflexology, nutrition and became a certified instructor by the British Wheel of Yoga. Inevitably, with her knowledge of yoga, she was drawn to the sister science of Ayurveda and has studied under Dr. Vasant Lad and Dr. David Frawley. In 1998 she returned to the US with her husband Howard Beckman, to establish the Vedic Cultural Fellowship and in 1999 they moved to their present location, New Rishikesh, in Pecos, New Mexico. In 2003, she was certified as a Planetary Gem Advisor, by the Planetary Gemologist Association in Bangkok Thailand due to her advanced working knowledge of using gemstones in accordance with Vedic astrological principles. Today she and her husband, together with Dr. David Frawley, are developing the VCF’s New Rishikesh as a major teaching and retreat center.
Tags: ayurveda, dosha, homeopathy, kapha, MASSAGE, pitta, reflexology, science, vata, vedic culture, yoga
Related Posts
No responses yet