Let your skin radiate your inner goddess

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Ever see people with radiant skin, lustrous eyes, calm disposition and a confident stride and wonder what their secret is? We all want our skin to be free from acne, blemishes, dryness and oiliness. Sushruta Samhita, a text dating as far back as 5000 years, mentions various herbs, routines and recipes to maintain one’s ‘beauty’. Excellent! So what’s the formula?

Beauty is not just skin deep and topical lotions and potions may not give you the desired glow you are looking for. Any good beauty routine should start with an inner detoxification process to first free the body from ‘ama’ or toxins by strengthening the digestive fire (agni). A strong digestion helps the nutrients to be optimally absorbed and nourish the body at a cellular level.

Ayurveda believes that everyone is unique and our skin too varies from person to person as we are influenced by the unique mind-body type. Through Ayurveda, we can personalise a regime that include diet, herbs, massage, facials, yoga and healthful practices to help you radiate from within.

Here are my 15 tips to get you glowing again:

  • Choose bitter tasting foods. They combat the build up of toxins, support digestive health, purify the blood, enhance the immune system and contribute to glowing healthy skin.
  • Bitter foods: turmeric, fenugreek, bitter gourd, dark green leafy vegetables, spinach, courgettes, squash, kale and aloe vera juice.
  • Skin friendly spices would also include, cumin, coriander, ginger and fennel.
  • Avoid heavy, cold and processed foods and steer clear of harsh chemicals and artificial preservatives.
  • Favour a light, warm and nourishing diet. Kitchari (rice and mung lentils cooked in little clarified butter (ghee) with various spices like turmeric, cumin seeds, ginger etc) is an ideal recipe for a simple detoxification.
  • Other examples of foods to include: fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, grain that contain fibre, mung dahl, buttermilk, soups, blanched almonds (packed with nutrients).
  • Include ghee in diet to provide both cleansing and nourishment via the lipid medium. Ghee is considered ‘sattvic’ and sattvic foods are rejuvenating, anti ageing and enhance the natural glow of the skin.
  • Start your day with a mug of a ginger , turmeric and lemon tea to detoxify and cleanse the body.
  • It is equally important to have good restful sleep, regular walks for fresh air, breathing exercise to oxygenate the body. Lion’s pose is fantastic for increasing circulation to the head, neck and face, think of it as a long term natural wrinkle cream.
  • Alternate nostril breathing amongst others have the power to cleanse the subtle channels of the body and mind through the route of increased our life force energy.
  • Meditation further still works on the subtle channels by focusing on inner peace and happiness radiating true inner beauty
  • Water plays a crucial role in skin health. Plenty of warm water helps our body to rid toxins. Add lemon and honey.
  • Herbs such as triphala, tulasi, turmeric, aloe, amalaki and neem can all enhance skin health.
  • Regular oil massage can improve the skin tone, condition and circulation. Dry brush massage can help with exfoliation and circulation. Steam baths can help remove the impurities blocked in the pores.
  • Herbal pastes and face packs are also used to penetrate beneficial herbs through the skin, traditionally used as bridal beauty treatments to cleanse the skin and leave a soft and lustrous glow. My favourite home-made paste includes fullers earth (multani mitti) and rose amongst other ingredients.

Contact me for a private Ayurvedic consultation to eat right for your skin type.