What you apply to your skin matters. Skin is a living and breathing organ and is nourished by natural nutrients. Fortunately, there’s a growing awareness, that many everyday cosmetics and other personal care products contain chemicals and contaminants that are linked to cancer, birth defects, that harm reproduction and accelerates aging1,2. Truly natural products contain ingredients your body recognizes that feed and repair your skin. That said, there are no lasting solutions for aging or disease to be found in a bottle therefore an Ayurvedic beauty regimen includes an individualized program of diet, rhythmic breathing, massage, sense therapies, and meditation.
However, today, I’d like to share with you my daily skincare routine.
Daily Facial Skincare Routine
The herbs and oils used in the daily skincare routine differ according to complexion type, but the basic guidelines to cleanse, nourish and moisturize are the same for everyone.
- Do the 3-step routine 1-2 a day, in the morning and/or before bedtime. The routine takes about 5-10 minutes
- Before you begin, remove face and eye makeup. Use ghee or pure vegetable oil on a cotton ball and wipe gently. Sesame oil is good for dry skin; sunflower oil or safflower oil is good for sensitive and oily skin.
- If possible, do the skincare routine after exercising
- Cleanse the face before or during a bath or shower, and apply nutritive oils and moisturizer afterward.
- Always massage oil on wet skin
- Always massage the face and neck using a gentle stroke in an upwards and outwards direction only. Do not scrub or rub up and down.
- Use circular motion around the delicate skin around the eyes, using your ring finger.
- If you wear make-up, wait 2-3 minutes with applying after you complete the final step
As far as your skin’s complexion type – vata dosha produces dry skin; pitta produces sensitive skin that is prone to redness and inflammation – and kapha produces oily skin. I tend toward sensitive skin and in winter drier, so I change up the natural products that I use accordingly but the routine is the same.
Skincare for sensitive skin 3
- Mix 1 tsp almond meal + ½ teaspoon of each ground orange peel + ½ tsp dry milk. Store in a small glass jar.
- In your palm, make a paste using ½ tsp of the mixture + rosewater
- Apply the paste all over the face and neck, gently massage into skin. Do not scrub. Rinse well with cool water. Do not dry.
- Next, I use my friend Bobbi Misiti’s Nourishing Facial Skin Oil, or you can mix 1 oz almond oil + 10 drops of each sandalwood and rose oil. Store in a dark glass bottle with a dropper.
- In the palm of your hand, mix 2-3 drops of Nourishing Oil + 4-6 drops of water.
- While your skin is still wet, gently massage the mixture all over your face and neck for about 1 minute.
- Melt 1/2 oz cocoa butter in a double boiler. Add 1.5 oz sunflower oil. Remove from heat, add 1 oz rose tea one drop at a time while stirring the mixture. When it is cool, add 5 drops of sandalwood oil.
- Gently apply moisturizer over the surface of the face and neck. Do not massage it into the skin.
I don’t wear sunscreen, but that is a personal choice. Please do you own research to make an informed decision.
I hope that this inspired you to evaluate your current beauty products and routine, perhaps simplifying it, a great resource to check for product purity is the Environmental Working Group, www.ewg.org
Resources:
- https://www.ewg.org/the-toxic-twelve-chemicals-and-contaminants-in-cosmetics
- https://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chem-of-concern/
- Raichur, Pratima Absolute Beauty – Radiant Skin and Inner Harmony Through the Ancient Secrets of Ayurveda. Harper Collins Publishing. 1997
