The Maharishi Ayurveda Natural Medicine Approach to Beauty and Skin Care
The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Beauty and Skin Care
The Three Pillars of Beauty
Maharishi Ayurveda (MAV), the modern, consciousness-based
revival of the ancient Ayurvedic medicine tradition, considers
true beauty to be supported by three pillars; Outer Beauty,
Inner Beauty and Lasting Beauty. Only by enhancing all three can
we attain the balanced state of radiant health that makes each
of us the most fulfilled and beautiful person we can be.
Outer Beauty: Roopam
The outer signs of beauty - your skin, hair and nails - are more
than just superficial measures of beauty. They are direct
reflections of your overall health. These outer tissues are
created by the inner physiological processes involved in
digestion, metabolism and proper tissue development. Outer
beauty depends more on the strength of your digestion and
metabolism, the quality of your diet, and the purity of your
blood, than on external cleansers and conditioners you may apply.
General Recommendations for Outer Beauty
As we will discuss, the key to skin care is matching your diet
and skin care routine to the specific skin type you have.
Meanwhile, there are some valuable recommendations for lustrous
skin, hair and nails that will be helpful to everyone,
regardless of skin type.
1. Diet: Without adequate nourishment, your collagen layer thins
and a kind of wasting takes place. Over time, your skin can
shrivel up like a plant without water from lack of nourishment.
To keep your skin plump and glowing:
A. Eat fresh, whole organic foods that are freshly prepared.
Avoid packaged, canned, frozen, processed foods and leftovers.
These foods have little nutritional value and also they are
often poorly digested which creates impurities that localize in
the skin. The resulting buildup of toxins causes irritation and
blocks circulation depriving the skin of further nourishment and
natural cleansing processes.
B. Favor skin nourishing foods. 1. Leafy green vegetables
contain vitamins, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and are
high in antioxidant properties. They nourish the skin and
protect it from premature aging. 2. Sweet juicy fruits like
grapes, melons, pears, plums and stewed apples at breakfast are
excellent for the skin in almost everyone. 3. Eat a wide variety
of grains over different meals and try mixed grain servings at
breakfast and lunch. Add amaranth, quinoa, cous cous, millet and
barley to the wheat and rice you already eat. 4. Favor light,
easy to digest proteins like legume soups (especially yellow
split mung dhal), whole milk, paneer (cheese made from boiling
milk, adding lemon and straining solids) and lassi (diluted
yogurt and spice drinks). 5. Oils like ghee (clarified butter)
and organic, extra virgin olive oil should be included in the
diet as they lubricate, nourish and create lustre in the skin.
6. Use spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper
to improve digestion, nourish the skin and cleanse it of
impurities. 7. Avoid microwaving and boiling your vegetables.
They lose as much as 85% of their antioxidant content when
cooked in this way. Steaming and sautéing are best.
Caring for outer beauty through knowledge of skin type
Besides these general recommendations the key to Outer Beauty is
to understand the difference in skin types so you can gain the
maximum benefit from your individualized skin care regimen. MAV
identifies three different skin types based on which of the
three main metabolic principles (doshas)- present in everyone,
but to different degrees- is most dominant in your body.
Vata Skin
* Description: Vata is composed of the elements of air and
space. If you have a vata skin type, your skin will be dry,
thin, fine pored, delicate and cool to the touch. When balanced,
it glows with a delicate lightness and refinement that is
elegant and attractive. When vata skin is imbalanced, it will be
prone to excessive dryness and may even be rough and flaky.
* Potential problems: The greatest beauty challenge for vata
skin is its predisposition to symptoms of early aging. Your skin
may tend to develop wrinkles earlier than most due to its
tendency to dryness and thinness. If your digestion is not in
balance, your skin can begin to look dull and grayish, even in
your 20’s and 30’s. In addition, your skin may have a tendency
for disorders such as dry eczema and skin fungus. Mental stress,
such as worry, fear and lack of sleep, has a powerful
debilitating effect on vata skin leaving it looking tired and
lifeless.
* Recommendations for care With a little knowledge, you can
preserve and protect the delicate beauty of your vata type skin.
Since your skin does not contain much moisture, preventing it
from drying is the major consideration. Eat a warm, unctuous
diet (ghee and olive oil are best) and favor sour, salty and
sweet tastes (naturally sweet like fruits, not refined sugar) as
they balance vata. Avoid drying foods like crackers. Drink 6-8
glasses of warm (not cold for vata types!) water throughout the
day and eat plenty of sweet, juicy fruits. Going to bed early
(before 10 PM) is very soothing to vata and will have a
tremendously positive influence on your skin. Avoid cleansing
products that dry the skin (like alcohol-based cleansers) and
perform Ayurvedic oil massage to your whole body (abhyanga) in
the morning before you shower. Pitta Skin. * Description: Pitta
dosha is composed of the elements of fire and water. If you have
a pitta skin type your skin is fair, soft, warm and of medium
thickness. When balanced, your skin has a beautiful, slightly
rosy or golden glow, as if illuminated from within. Your hair
typically is fine and straight, and is usually red, sandy or
blonde in color. Your complexion tends toward the pink or
reddish, and there is often a copious amount of freckles or
moles.
* Potential problems: Among the many beauty challenges of pitta
skin types is your tendency to develop rashes, rosacea, acne,
liver spots or pigment disorders. Because of the large
proportion of the fire element in your constitution, your skin
does not tolerate heat or sun very well. Of all the three skin
types, pitta skin has the least tolerance for the sun, is
photosensitive, and most likely to accumulate sun damage over
the years. Pitta skin is aggravated by emotional stress,
especially suppressed anger, frustration, or resentment.
* Recommendations for care Avoid excessive sunlight, tanning
treatments and highly heating therapies like facial or whole
body steams. Avoid hot, spicy foods and favor astringent, bitter
and sweet foods which balance pitta. (Again, naturally sweet,
not chocolate and refined sugar!) Sweet juicy fruits (especially
melons and pears), cooked greens and rose petal preserves are
especially good. Drinking plenty of water helps wash impurities
from sensitive pitta skin. Reduce external or internal contact
with synthetic chemicals, to which your skin is especially prone
to react, even in a delayed fashion after years of seemingly
uneventful use. Avoid skin products that are abrasive, heating
or contain artificial colors or preservatives. Most commercial
make-up brands should be avoided in favor of strictly 100%
natural ingredient cosmetics. And be sure to get your emotional
stress under control through plenty of outdoor exercise, yoga
and meditation.
Kapha Skin. * Description: Kapha dosha is composed of the
elements of earth and water. If you have a kapha skin type your
skin is thick, oily, soft and cool to the touch. Your complexion
is a glowing porcelain whitish color, like the moon, and hair
characteristically thick, wavy, oily and dark. Kapha skin types,
with their more generous collagen and connective tissue, are
fortunate to develop wrinkles much later in life than vata or
pitta types.
*Potential problems If your skin becomes imbalanced, it can show
up as enlarged pores, excessively oily skin, moist types of
eczema, blackheads, acne or pimples, and water retention. Kapha
skin is also more prone to fungal infections.
* Recommendations for care Kapha skin is more prone to clogging
and needs more cleansing than other skin types. Be careful to
avoid greasy, clogging creams. Likewise, avoid heavy, hard to
digest foods like fried foods, fatty meats, cheeses and rich
desserts. Eat more light, easy to digest, astringent, bitter and
pungent (well-spiced) foods as they balance kapha. Olive oil is
the best cooking oil and a little ginger and lime juice can be
taken before meals to increase your characteristically sluggish
digestive fire. Take warm baths often and use gentle cleansers
to open the skin pores. Avoid getting constipated and try to get
some exercise every day to increase circulation and help purify
the skin through the sweating process.
Inner Beauty: Gunam.
Happy, positive, loving, caring individuals have a special
beauty that is far more than skin deep. Conversely we all
experience the quick and deleterious effect on our skin from
fatigue and stress.
Inner beauty is authentic beauty, not the kind that shows on a
made-up face, but the kind that shines through from your soul,
your consciousness or inner state of being. Inner beauty comes
from a mind and heart that are in harmony, not at odds with each
other, causing emotional confusion, loss of confidence, stress
and worry. Inner peace is the foundation of outer beauty.
Maintain your self-confidence and a warm, loving personality by
paying attention to your lifestyle and daily routine and
effective management of stress (I highly recommend the TM
technique for its scientifically-verified benefits on mental and
physical health and reduced aging.) You will also be healthier
and feel better through the day if you eat your main meal at
midday and make a habit of going to bed early (by 10 PM is
ideal.)
Remember, kindness, friendliness and sincerity naturally attract
people to you. On the other hand, being uptight or tense makes
people want to walk the other way, regardless of your facial
structure, body weight, or other outer signs we associate with
attractiveness.
Lasting Beauty: Yayastyag
In order to slow the aging process and gain lasting beauty there
are two additional key considerations beyond those already
discussed,
1. Eliminate toxins and free radicals in the body: The main
deteriorating effects of aging come as toxins and impurities
(called ama in Ayurveda) accumulate throughout the body. These
toxins may begin as free radicals in the body, or over time may
become oxidized into free radicals, all of which contribute to
premature aging in the body. For lasting health and beauty it is
essential to avoid and neutralize free radicals, to prevent
impurities of all kinds from accumulating and to remove those
that have already become lodged in the body.
The most powerful cleansing therapy in Maharishi Ayurveda is
“panchakarma” therapy, a series of natural treatments ideally
performed twice yearly, that involves 5-7 days in a row of
massage, heat treatments and mild herbal enemas. Ayurveda
emphasizes the importance of undergoing this cleansing program
once or twice a year to prevent impurities from accumulating,
localizing and hardening in the tissues. Just as we change the
oil in our cars regularly for optimal performance and lifespan,
Ayurveda recommends that we cleanse the “sludge” from our
tissues on a regular basis through panchakarma treatments.
Best of all, panchakarma treatments are luxurious, blissful, and
make you feel (and look) completely rejuvenated in just a few
days time. I have had many a patient who told me that friends
asked them afterwards if they had gotten a facelift, they looked
so fresh and youthful!
Other free radical busters include: reducing mental stress,
eating antioxidant foods like leafy green vegetables, sweet,
juicy fruits and cooking on a daily basis with antioxidant,
detoxifying spices like turmeric and coriander.
2. Add rejuvenative techniques to daily living:
The daily activities of life in the modern world systematically
wear us down and speed up the aging process. Ayurveda maintains
it is crucial to practice daily rejuvenative regimens to
counteract the stressful wear and tear of everyday life.
According to Ayurveda the most important rejuvenative routines
for your life are:
a) Going to bed by 10:00 PM. This simple habit is one of the
most powerful techniques for health and longevity, according to
MAV. b) Meditate daily. Any meditation that does not involve
concentration (which has been shown to increase anxiety) can be
very helpful. I highly recommend the twice-daily deep rest and
enlivenment of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique,
whose benefits have been verified by over 700 published research
studies. c) Eat organic, whole fresh food that is freshly
prepared. There is an Ayurvedic saying: “Without proper diet.
medicine is of no use. With proper diet, medicine is of no
need.” Be sure to avoid those leftovers, processed and
microwaved foods for better nutrition and vitality. d) Perform
Ayurvedic oil massage in the morning (abhyanga). Morning oil
massage purifies the entire body, reduces anxiety and stress,
helps prevent and heal injuries and supports circulation. It is
especially helpful in creating a radiant complexion and keeping
your skin youthful. Research shows it may also help prevent skin
cancers. e) Practice yoga asanas. Maintaining flexibility and
circulation is key to health. f) Practice pranayama (yoga
breathing) techniques. Pranayama enlivens the mind and body.
Ideally practice the following sequence twice a day. Asanas,
pranayama and meditation.
Summary
Everyone’s unique beauty shines forth when they have radiant
health and personal happiness. Beauty is a side effect of a
balanced, fulfilled life. Supreme personal beauty is accessible
to everyone who is willing to take more control of their health
in their day-to-day life through time-tested principles of
natural living.
For most of us, beauty is not a gift but a choice. Every woman
can be radiantly beautiful simply by beginning to lead a
healthier life. You will be rewarded by the glowing effects you
will see in your mirror each day and the powerful,
bliss-producing effect your special beauty has on everyone in
your life.
