Vata-Dosha Skin Care
Ayurveda Skin Care
Vata Dosha Skin Type:
In Ayurveda, every individual has a combination of three life energies or biological energies: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, governing the physical and mental systems of our body. While these doshas or individual constitution varies in unique proportions, the dominating doshas significantly impact the person's physical characteristics, skin, and emotional health. These doshas must be balanced to keep the overall body and skin healthy.
Let's look at what Vata Dosha's dominant individual's skin looks like and how to nurture it.
Vata Dosha skin-type individuals are likely to show premature aging signs since their body internally tends to get dry, dehydrated, and friable when their Dosha is imbalanced. Space and air dominate, which means dry, ruksha (rough) qualities, sensitive, uneven skin tone, greyish skin pallor, thin texture, and tiny pores are more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. This type of skin needs constant hydration and nourishment, internally and externally.
As this skin kind needs extra nourishment and regular hydration, drinking plenty of water, especially during summer, will moisturize the skin and the body internally. The routine skincare calls for nurturing; base oils such as sesame, avocado, almond, jojoba, castor, coconut, cow's ghee, and shea-coco butter, and essential oils such as Geranium, sandalwood, Ylang, Ylang, lavender, jasmine, lemon, vanilla, rose, sweet orange, jatamansi is ideal.
Just like modern medicine suggests a daily skincare routine is a must for healthy skin, Ayurveda recommends a natural herbal skincare regimen that includes cleansing, toning, moisturizing twice a day (first in the morning and before sleeping), and exfoliating (a few times a week), with the right products for your skin and dosha type.
Summer Sensitivities
In summer, hats, sunglasses, sunscreens, and umbrellas become a norm; you are exposed to harsh summer weather wherever you live.
There is dryness in the air or humidity, and your body and skin react to these conditions differently. Skin is the biggest organ defending our body, acts as an insulator, maintains the body temperature, and shields us from harmful sun exposure. Many skin-related issues crop up during the summer, especially if you are outdoors most days. Sunburn, itchy skin, redness, irritation, rashes, acne outbreaks, and increased body heat are common issues we face, and protecting this sensory organ, our skin, is vital.
What is the best approach to staying hydrated and harmonious with nature in our skincare routine and choosing Ayurveda for its herbal healing, cleansing, and revitalizing properties that boost skin and body from the inside out?
Why use Ayurveda for Skin Care?
The Ayurveda modality is not just skin-deep but goes more in-depth, assessing and sustaining good internal health, nourishing the healthy microbiome on the inside of our body by eating healthy, having a regular proper routine, sleeping well, and maintaining good skincare practice using lubricants that moisturize the skin, and regularly cleansing and detoxing.
Adding Ayurveda to your skincare routine mainly uses natural products without chemicals and other additives- significantly better for your skin and body – and more affordable. Your kitchen is not just a place to cook; many fresh ingredients benefit your skin. Lemon, orange, watermelon, tomato, cucumber juice, almond paste, turmeric, oatmeal, potatoes, avocados, and many more nourish your skin externally. And as always, diet, exercise, sleep, and hydration add that glory from within.
Most vital is where Ayurveda suggests knowing your dosha type before we address any skin concerns. The three Ayurvedic Doshas are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha; these must be balanced to maintain and restore healthy skin. Thus, choosing a skincare regime that matches a person's skin type and Dosha becomes imperative in Ayurveda.
Let's discuss the three different doshas based on the skin type each owns in Ayurveda.
Vata Dosha:
AM Routine
Cleansing:
Cleansing removes dirt, pollutants, and dead cells from your skin. Regular cleansing of AM and PM is recommended and is a good practice for skin health. Washing your face with cool water after you wake up to clear your eyes and face, letting your skin breathe freely. Using herbal DIY face cleansers and gentle exfoliants a few times a week suits your increased doshas.
For Vata dominant skin:
Use fine almond powder, a tablespoon, and mix it with ½ tbsp of coconut milk or oat milk. Apply it to your face, gently massage it, and then wash it with lukewarm water.
Take fine oat powder, a tablespoon, and mix it with sandalwood powder, ½ tsp olive oil, or more to make a nice paste. Apply this paste to your clean face for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse it.
Take fine or coarse oat powder, a tbsp, mix it with a tbsp of milk or rice powder, whatever is available, ½ tsp of orange peel or lemon powder, and ½ tsp of turmeric powder. Mix all these ingredients well and store them in a dry storage container. When ready to use every morning, mix it well again; take a spoonful on your palm, mix it with a few drops of water and massage this paste on your face for a few moments, and rinse it. You have a glowing complexion to start your morning refreshed.
Oats powder acts as a moisturizer, clearing the dirt and grime from your skin, protecting and exfoliating your skin. Milk or rice powder has lactic acid that aids in moisturizing the skin, and orange, lemon, and turmeric work as antimicrobials.
Toning: Toning gently refreshes, hydrates, and balances the skin without depriving it of its natural moisture. Toning removes the remnants of dirt and grime left on your skin after cleansing. It is usually followed by a cleansing process, which is vital to close the pores opened during the cleansing process.
Rose water toner is for any skin type but works great for dry skin. After cleansing, take some rose water in a tiny spray bottle and use it as a face mist on dry skin. Store it in the fridge for daily use as a cool mist, ideal during summer, and to refresh your skin pores, giving it an instant glow effect on your cheeks.
Boiling fresh Chamomile flowers (if available), or use a chamomile tea bag to make a fantastic cooling toner. Strain the tea extract, or if using chamomile flowers, let it cool and store it in a spray bottle in the fridge or a makeup closet to use daily after cleansing.
Green Tea toner or Amla powder toner works great, too, and for all skin types. Use a tea bag, green matcha, or Amla powder, steep it, strain the extract, and use a spray bottle to store it in the fridge for morning or evening use.
Moisturizing:
Moisturizing is essential to nourish and replenish your skin, especially during the summer and winter, for the Vata dosha dominant skin type.
Natural ayurvedic moisturizers can treat the skin with perfect natural ingredients free of toxins in your kitchen. They alleviate drying vata tendencies and enhance the skin's softness and elasticity without polluting the skin and body with chemicals.
Cleanse, use toner, and moisturize the face and neck in the morning or evening, following everyday skin care practices (dinacharya). Vata types with drier, flaky skin would do well to moisturize their face and neck twice a day, whereas pitta and kapha types can get away just once.
Most natural products made at home have a tiny shelf-life, especially moisturizers, scrubs, or masks, and should be used within a week since their potency is higher when fresh.
Most of your skin problems can be avoided if you moisturize and keep your skin hydrated, regularly maintaining healthy skin turnover with products with well-suited ingredients for your skin type. Prepare ½ - 1 cup, and store in a cool, dry place. Avoid refrigerating the moisturizers to retain the natural chemistry of the substance, your skin, and the weather outside.
A deeply nourishing moisturizer containing herbs or oils such as Vetiver or Khus (not khus-khus, poppyseed) in Ayurveda, tall perennial grass with aromatic compounds with earthy and woody fragrance, used as an antiseptic, detoxifying, and a natural coolant. It is a super tonic, antioxidant, and anti-aging for the skin. Highly recommended treatment for acne or sunburn. Vetiver essential oil can be used in a toner, or use the Vetiver essential oil as a moisturizer with a few drops, along with any carrier oil, preferably virgin coconut or avocado oil. Mix it well and avail its benefits as a toner or moisturizer.
Mixing Vitamin E, Amla, and Coconut Oil or Avocado oil with Aloe Vera Gel, and adding your favorite essential oil, especially for Vata skin concerns such as lavender, or Ylan Ylang, helps keep skin nourished all day (it is great to apply before makeup); Stir it thoroughly until the gel becomes creamy, and store it in a container.
Adding equal parts of coconut oil and honey can be a great moisturizer; leave it on the face for 5-10 mins and wash it. This excellent face mask contains hydrating, antibacterial, and restorative ingredients to soften the skin.
Exfoliation:
Vata dosha in people who have consistent dry skin. Ayurveda recommends exfoliation 2 to 3 times a week, and for severely dry skin, just once a week or twice. Hence, the ingredients used in this exfoliating mask have Vata pacifying herbs.
Add 10 raw almonds, 10-12 tulsi (basil) leaves, 2 spoons of raw sesame oil, 1/2 tsp oat powder, and 1/4 cup of fresh cream in a blender. Mix it nicely, store it in a container in a cool place, and apply it whenever needed.
Personalize your regimen!
You will benefit from a regular, nourishing, re-hydrating routine, oleation, and full-body massages (abhyanga) with warm oil if you have a Vata skin type. Use a gentle cleanser and moisturize daily. Hydrate enough and focus on balancing Vata.
Internal focus on eating healthy, including organic milk (if you are a regular milk drinker), leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables adding nourishment to your diet, bringing vitality to your health and skin. Drinking plenty of room temperature water replenishes moisture inside-out, and healthy fats in your diet, like ghee or olive oil (moderation), lubricate the body and joints. Exercising and sweating can release those toxins via the skin, bringing that extra glow. Getting plenty of rest, managing stress with breathing and meditation, using sunscreen outdoors, and moisturizing and cleansing regularly can keep the Vata Skin-type individual healthy and happy throughout the summer months.