Ayurvedic Beauty
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The universe: it’s big. Like, 46 billion light years big. The thought of it terrifies and fascinates. But in the midst of all that vastness lies a 5,000-year-old healing system whose philosophy is rooted in humanizing all those galaxies. According to ayurveda (pronounced eye-yur-vay-dah), our connection to the cosmos reveals a lot about our inner health—and our skin, the body’s largest organ, is its ultimate mirror.
“We’re embodied beings made up of water, earth, fire, space, and air, just like the universe,” says Dr. Amrit Devgun, naturopathic doctor and applied ayurvedic practitioner at Northwestern Health Sciences University. “When I’m examining a patient, I strive to understand the interplay between the energies of these elements and their proportions in that person.”
Ayurvedic wisdom says that everyone is made up of all five of those universal elements, but in proportions that are unique to every person, where one element may be more dominant than another. These combinations form 3 functioning principles: vata, pitta, and kapha doshas. We are born with our dominant dosha—known as the constitutional dosha—which is the metabolic current that drives our body and mind in the face of external changes. Each dosha has its own set of unique characteristics that influence your physiology. Adversely affected by cold and dry weather? You may have vata dosha. Got a sluggish metabolism? Could be the kapha. Experience heartburn or acid reflux frequently? It’s likely you’re a pitta.
With everyday stressors, our dosha may go out of balance. When a patient isn’t well, it’s Devgun’s job to 1) identify what the patient’s dosha is, and 2) determine the aggravated state(s) in order to bring the body back in balance. (If you want to learn more about your dosha, Devgun recommends filling out this questionnaire.)
When I have a patient coming to me to discuss skin issues, I might ask about their bowel movements, how the body digests food, or their breathing pattern, to get to the root of the problem,” she says. “Vatas, for example, are represented by air and space, so they’re more susceptible to aggravations in the fall when there is more light, cool, and dry air. When the leaves start falling off trees, things get drier overall, and that may manifest in their skin.
Getting a galactic glow is all in finding and caring for your ayurvedic skin type, topically applying items you may have stowed in your kitchen cupboard (or available at your nearest health foods store), and getting familiar with the foods that keep symptoms at bay.
Finding + Caring for Your Ayurvedic Skin Type
Vata Dosha // Normal to Dry
- Characteristics: Thin, visible blood vessels, cool to the touch, and small-pored. When imbalanced, you’re prone to dryness, flakiness, fine lines, and wrinkles.
- Your Food RX: Cooked, warm foods, healthy fats, whole grains, sweet juicy fruits
- Key Skincare Ingredient: Sesame oil. “It has a warming nature, and the heaviness helps to counteract all that trapped air and space.”
Pitta Dosha // Combination
- Characteristics: Sensitive, clear, and easily inflamed. When imbalanced, you’re prone to rosacea, blemishes, and broken capillaries. May have excess oil, especially in the T-zone.
- Your Food RX: Cooling foods (like watermelon, cucumber, and pears), peppermint tea, sweet fruits
- Key Skincare Ingredient: Coconut oil. “These people have a tendency to freckle and sunburn easily because of all the fire in their system. The very nature of coconut is cooling and anti-inflammatory.”
Kapha Dosha // Normal to Oily
- Characteristics: Soft, moist, and thick. When imbalanced, you’re prone to enlarged pores, blackheads, pimples, and overall excessive oiliness. Puffy eyes and dull skin aren’t uncommon.
- Your Food RX: Strong spices (i.e., garlic, turmeric, and ginger) beans, honey in place of sugar, steamed/raw veggies
- Key Skincare Ingredient: Sunflower oil. “It's invigorating for all that heavy energy brought on by the earth and water.”
The oils listed above serve a purpose that go deeper than your next moisturizer or make-up remover. “You should use it on your entire body to get into different glands and tissues,” says Devgun. “Think of how many sensory neurons we have on our skin—your oil settles your nervous system when your dosha is out of balance. It’s also a protective barrier, too.” Instead of oral ingestion, the skin is used as a vehicle to transport the oil from an external to internal environment.
Ayurveda How-To: Oil Self-Massage
- Before you shower, massage about ¼ cup of your specific dosha oil into the skin.
- Start at the extremities, and work toward the middle of your body. Long strokes on the limbs and circular motions on the joints, abdomen, and chest.
- Massage the oil into your scalp, ears, and feet at least once a week.
Tip: Use a towel you don’t mind ruining, as the oil accumulation will stain it.
At-Home Dosha Facial Scrub
In a small bowl, add 2 teaspoons of chickpea flour and 1 teaspoon of yogurt. Combine to make a soft and creamy paste, and apply in gentle circular motions. The flour helps exfoliate flaky, dead skin while the yogurt locks in moisture. Leave on for 15–20 minutes once a week to get maximum benefits. “If you have irritable skin, add in a few drops of coconut oil,” says Devgun. “For someone with inflammatory conditions like rosacea or acne, sprinkle in a little turmeric or rose essence for the cooling aspect. If your skin’s easily dehydrated, try some oat flour.”
Located in Bloomington, Northwestern Health Sciences University is a pioneer in integrative natural healthcare education, offering degree programs in chiropractic, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, massage therapy, nutrition, post-bac, pre-health/pre-med and B.S. completion. Their clinic is open to the public, and carries Banyan Botanicals’ ayurvedic oils and soaps. Their onsite bookstore has Auromere ayurvedic soaps, natural deodorants from Schmidt’s, and many other natural products.
See more content from Northwestern Health Sciences University.
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