Unlike a conventional facial routine, an Ayurvedic daily facial routine centers on internal health as well as external beauty. Ayurvedic beauty experts say that the mantra to glowing skin and a sense of inner balance is a well designed dinacharya or daily routine. According to Ayurveda, a healthy, beautiful face is the result of the following health-boosting daily facial care routine.
Here’s a quick over view of the Ayurvedic daily facial routine. We’ll go over each step in the article below.
Ayurvedic Daily Facial Routine: Cleansing + Purification
Daily Internal Routine For Glowing Skin
Daily Night Time Daily Facial Routine
READ MORE: Facial Marma Massage: Herbal Oils + Kansa Wand Sequences, Ayurvedic Oil: Everything You Need To Know, Essential Oils For Marma Chikitsa (Marma Point Massage) + Infographic
An Ayurvedic daily facial routine starts as soon as you wake up in the morning. Waking up in the Brahmamuhurta1 or amritvela—the ambrosial hours as mentioned in the Ayurvedic text, is pure bliss! Waking up in the early morning an hour and a half before sunrise helps in proper elimination of the wastes accumulated in the body during the night. Following a daily routine mentioned under Dinacharya (Ayurvedic daily routine) can help you to own the beautiful glowing skin you always wanted!
Fill your mouth with water and splash the face and eyes with cold / lukewarm water then spit the water out. This is called Achaman! Lightly splashing the face and eyes with cold / lukewarm water helps balance the doshas and rehydrates the skin.
Usha Paana is an ancient Indian water therapy mentioned in the science of Yoga. Usha Paana refers to the drinking of luke warm water in the early morning. Usha means rising of the sun early in the morning and paan means to drink.
In the ancient Ayurvedic classical texts it is mentioned to drink a glass or two of luke warm water preferably from a copper cup called a Tamra jal, as soon as you wake up, just after rinsing your mouth. The logic behind taking this water (copper water) is to flush out the collected waste material in your large intestine and to cleanse your entire digestive system. This will help in proper elimination of the accumulated wastes in the intestines, giving your skin a healthy glow!
READ MORE: Copper: The Next Fountain Of Youth?
When oil pulling is carried out on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, it absorbs toxins that have accumulated in the mouth during the night. This has positive effects on various parts of the body.
For the mouth, oil-pulling has excellent benefits. The anti-bacterial nature of the oil strips away bacteria and makes teeth whiter, gums stronger and curbs bad breath. The toxins in the mouth often enter the body and blood stream, which in turn affects the skin and the health of the body, including the heart. As oil pulling cuts toxins out from the source, it helps clear the skin of impurities which can cause acne, dullness and rashes.
Ayurvedic scholar Vagbhata in his treatise the Ashtanga Sangraha, mentions oil pulling as it strengthens the shoulders, makes the oral cavity healthy, improves the complexion of the skin, prevents wrinkles and relieves pigmentation on the face and greying of the hair. Oil pulling helps in dry, cracked lips, improves the taste in the mouth and improves appetite.
READ MORE: Oil Pulling Benefits, Side Effects, Coconut Oil Pulling + More, Will Oil Pulling Help A Toothache?
Nasya is one among five karmas or actions that improve health. Panchakarma, ‘five actions’, is a series of processes that detoxifies the body and mind of accumulated wastes and toxins, endogenous and exogenous. Nasya is a procedure in which medicinal drops are instilled through the nose.
Ayurveda explains that medicine administered through the nostrils is a gateway to the head. This is the reason that nasya is an effective treatment in all the upper body (above the shoulder) ailments. Being one of the Panchakarma therapies, its main role is to clear the doshas (impurities and toxins) from the upper body, which is to be done under specific conditions. The other aspect of nasya – which we can inculcate in our daily routine is called shaman or pratimarsha nasya. It pacifies the doshas and strengthen the body parts like the ears, eyes, hair, skin and nasal cavities. It can be done on a regular basis and in small amounts, just two drops of oil for each nostril.
READ MORE: How To Use A Neti Pot Correctly, Neti Pots For Colds, Sinus Infections + Tinnitis
Exfoliation should always be a part of your skin care routine. It should be done once or twice a week. It helps unclog your pores, slough off dull skin, balance sebum production and even out your complexion.
Exfoliation keeps the skin healthy, young looking and glowing. While we know that facial exfoliation is part of a regular beauty routine, a body scrub provides a variety of benefits, from helping moisturizer absorb better, to increased relaxation. Ayurvedic scholar Vagbhata mentions that it is excellent for the skin.4
READ MORE: Ayurvedic Dry Powder Massage: Everything You Need To Know About Udwarthana (Udvartana), Ayurvedic Body Scrubs (Salt + Sugar Scrubs), Ubtan Recipes + Udvartana Powder Recipes
When we use facial oil externally it acts on bhrajaka Pitta. Bhrajaka Pitta, a sub-type of Pitta dosha, is present on the outer layer of the skin. It is responsible for the manifestation of skin color in the Avbhasini twacha, the outermost layer of the skin. It reflects the complexion and the quality of the Rasa Dhatu (nutrient fluid, the first of the seven tissues of the body).
It also acts as a mirror. It indicates whether the physiology as a whole is balanced or imbalanced, and whether there is inner health or disorder. The avabhasini layer also reflects the aura of the individual — if there is inner bliss, it shows on this layer. It does not have its own color. It reflects the colors of the inner layers. Internal and external re-hydration and regular massage support the health and appearance of the avabhasini layer of the skin.
Ayurveda recommends facial massage oils like Kumkumadi oil, the classical name for Kesaradi oil, Manjistha oil and Kanaka oil, the classical name for Kansa Oil, as mentioned in the ancient Ayurvedic texts.
READ MORE: Ayurvedic Massage: Everything You Need To Know About ‘Abhyanga’, Ayurvedic Oil: Everything You Need To Know
Ayurveda also emphasizes internal routine for glowing skin.
Ayurveda recommends not only a healthy diet, but also a wholesome diet with sufficient intake of water for glowing skin. Avoid fatty, fried, refined, and processed foods, salt, sugar, seafood, and red meat which can cause skin problems.
Stick to a restful, regular sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
In his book ‘You: Being Beautiful’, Mehmet Oz, MD, writes, “Sleep and exercise stimulate growth hormone, which promotes fibroblast health and allows more production of collagen and elastin to keep your skin taut. They also accelerate the production of epidermis.”
Exercise promotes sweating which rids the body of toxins. It increases circulation and calms the mind.
There might be several problems which might prevent you from attaining glowing skin. It can be improper digestion, improper diet, tension, stress or a lack of adequate water intake.
Yoga and pranayama will help you tackle digestive problems and tension and gift you with glowing skin. The more blood that flows towards your face, the younger and prettier you look. Make some time for pranayama (yogic breathing exercises). Prana affects the skin and body as well as our moods. Without sufficient prana, which is the moving life force, the skin loses glow and vitality.
READ MORE: Watch: 12 Minute Calming Yoga Sequence For Vata Dosha, Will Ashwagandha Help You Sleep?, 21 Sleep Inducing Healthy Foods + Beverages For Insomnia
Finally, clean, nourish and moisturize your skin before going to bed. Regardless of how exhausted you are, you have do this step. Cleansing the face before bed as well as applying beneficial face oils to the skin, is part of the Ayurvedic daily facial care routine. It will do wonders for skin health. When the skin is clean and nourished before bedtime, skin cells can then repair and regenerate as you sleep. It is a simple beauty secret that we can all live by!
Some gradual adjustments in your daily routine makes you healthier and happier from inside as well as outside. Try this Ayurvedic Daily facial routine and feel the difference yourself.
READ MORE: 5 Bedtime Routines For Adults: Inspiration For A Good Night’s Sleep, 16 Morning Routine Ideas From Ayurvedic Medicine
References
1. K.R. Srikantha Murthy Ashtanga Hridaya, Vol 1, Sutra Sthana Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, Varanasi, Chapter 2, pp- 22.
2. Kaviraj Atridev Gupta, Ashtanga Samgraha, Vol 1, Sutra Sthana, Chowkhamba krishnadas Academy, Varanasi, chapter 3, pp-19-20.
3. www.irjponline.com/admin/php/uploads/1134_pdf
4. K.R. Srikantha Murthy Astanga Hridaya, Vol 1, sutra stahna, Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, Varanasi, Chapter 2, pp-25.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
