Holiday Detox Unveiled: Ayurvedic Suggestions and Tips

Holidays are a great time to enjoy with family and friends. But sometimes, it becomes a ‘sickness season’ due to overindulgence, lack of sleep, and stress of hosting.

Here are 5 simple tips to keep you healthy and rejuvenated, from the inside and out, all through the season!

1. Start your day with coconut oil pulling [1]

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic trick to detoxify the body. Right after you wake up, swish one tbsp of coconut oil in your mouth and between the teeth for five to ten minutes, and then spit it out in the sink.

Ayurveda believes that this helps remove bacteria and plaque from the mouth. It’s also believed to keep your gums healthy and your teeth ‘smile ready’ shiny. You can normally brush your teeth after oil pulling.

2. Drink warm lemon water[2] after oil pulling and brushing 

After oil pulling and brushing, you can take a sip of warm lemon water. The high amount of Vitamin C present hydrates your body naturally and keeps your skin looking fresh, healthy, and youthful.

You can also keep drinking this water throughout the day if desired as it helps keep the body warm and healthy.

3. Add beetroot and asparagus to your diet

Both these foods are known to help flush toxins from the body. Adding them to your holiday menu will help you stay even more healthy. Now you can indulge in holiday sweets and cakes without any guilt!

4. Take a media break and spend time with your family + friends instead

Our senses are bombarded with various media gadgets. Holidays are a great time to shut off your computers, TVs and screens and interact positively with fellow human beings. Try it at least for one or two days during or after the holidays, to help calm your mind and ground your senses.

5. Try to maintain a regular sleep routine and end your day with warm milk with saffron

During the holidays, we tend to sleep late and wake up late. While it’s okay for a couple of days, it throws our body’s rhythm off the balance if continued for more than a week or so. Try to stick to the routine or get back to it as much and as soon as possible.

A warm cup of milk[3] with a few strands of saffron[4] may help you sleep better and assist in correcting your sleep cycle after the holidays. 

While these internal Ayurvedic detox techniques take care of your whole body, practice these effortless Ayurvedic skincare tips for a glowing, youthful look, this season.

Ayurvedic Tips for Skincare

Holidays are coming up soon and this can only mean one thing – extra free time! Why not choose to focus this time on some indulgent, much-needed, me-time to refresh, recuperate and realign your body, mind, and spirit with a few of these interesting self-care tips?!

Feel free to pick and choose what works best for you!

1. Moisturize

For skin, the best you can do is to not skip moisturization in these times. The hurry-burry of planning and travelling may make you compromise on skincare, at times. Well, consider this a friendly neighborhood advice to not skip hydration!

Ayurveda recommends taking at least 5-10 minutes a day to perform abhyanga or self-massage[6], using an ultra-hydrating oil like iYURA Balaayah Black Gram Body Booster, which suits even mature/ aging skin types that shows signs of aging like saggy skin. 

Learn more about Balaayah, here!

2. Get that glow!

Holidays call for more parties, get-togethers, and family gatherings, more than any other time of the year. If this is your one chance to dazzle your acquaintances with a natural illuminating radiance and a glowing, youthful look, why not take it, right?

In Ayurveda, a group of herbs called varnya[5] have the ability to enhance the complexion of your skin. If the skin does not have a healthy glow, or varnya quality, then it is not considered youthful in Ayurveda. Some of the varnya herbs include sandalwood, vetiver, Indian madder and Indian sarsaparilla, turmeric etc.

Read more: Which Ayurvedic Facial Oil Is Best For You?

3. Don’t forget your eyes!

While you may be attending to adding a glow and sparkle to your face, spare a thought for your beautiful eyes too. The skin around your eyes tends to show signs of aging like fine lines, under-eye circles, bags, crow’s feet, etc. faster as this area is very delicate. This sensitive nature calls for even more gentle care and support. Do not expose yourself to too much screen time or stay awake very late at night. Spend this precious time with your family but don’t forget to take care of yourself as well.

Looking for an all-natural, holistic eye care product? Try Rufolia Periorbital Eyemulsion - This unique eye cream focuses on three important, strategic areas that are prone to signs of aging – under the eyes, crow’s feet region, and on top of the eyelids, for doubly fortified protection against dryness, dullness, and discoloration.

Learn more about Rufolia, here!

4. Always remove makeup before bed

While using Ayurveda products means that you will not feel the need to use coverage makeup anymore, however, if you do choose to use makeup like an occasional mascara or eyeliner, it’s always best to remove them and clean your face before going to sleep.

Especially if you’ve sensitive skin that’s prone to acne and breakouts, finding a soothing, calming makeup remover can be quite a task.

That is why it’s always best to be aware of what you are putting on your face.

Notes: Oil pulling should be done with caution during pregnancy.

References:

1. Tooth brushing, oil pulling and tissue regeneration: A review of holistic approaches to oral health - PMC (nih.gov)
2. (PDF) Lemon: A Versatile Fruit of Multiple Uses (researchgate.net)
3. The Effects of Milk and Dairy Products on Sleep: A Systematic Review - PMC (nih.gov)
4. Effects of saffron on sleep quality in healthy adults with self-reported poor sleep: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - PMC (nih.gov)
5. PDF) Critical review of Ayurvedic Varṇya herbs and their tyrosinase inhibition effect (researchgate.net)
6. https://drclaudiawelch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Dinacarya%CC%84-ebook_24Aug_2016.pdf