Enhance your looks with easy ayurvedic remedies

The ancient science of ayurveda looks at beauty as a reflection of physical and mental health. For the same reason, ayurveda prescribes simple DIY beauty care regimens to bring out the radiance of good health from within.

The concept of physical beauty encompasses caring for your body right from your head to your toes. Skin, hair, nails, face and body structure need attention if you are going to own that well-groomed look. Going the way of ayurveda will give you the satisfaction of keeping the chemicals out and grooming yourself the natural way.

Face says it all

Your face is the seat of the five panchendriyas – the five sense organs. Ayurveda accords great importance to caring for the face. Common beauty woes related to the face are acne, dark circles, dark spots, excess hair growth, oily skin etc. Ayurvedic remedies for these external ailments take a holistic approach that detoxify and rejuvenate the five sense organs.

Anjanam, akshi sekam (pouring medicated liquids over closed eyes), nasyam (clearing the nasal tract with medicated oil), karnapooranam (mediacted oil treatment for the ears), kabalam (swishing seasame oil in the mouth for a specific time) – are therapies commonly administered for the health of the sense organs.

Mukhalepam or facial masks are considered important for keeping your face healthy and moisturized. Ayurvedic facial applications give fast and lasting results. Medicines are mixed with liquids, applied on the face and washed off before it is completely dry.

Skin problems seen on the face and scalp are often the symptoms of other diseases. Hormonal imbalances due to the faulty functioning of internal organs can express as skin irritations. Stressful lifestyle can cause hormonal imbalances. Your body could also be deficient in important vitamins if you are experiencing bouts of skin problems. It is always advisable to decide on the treatments using medicated face masks in consultation with a physician. Along with applications for the skin, your doctor might also prescribe oral medications to address the health issues in a holistic manner.

Hair and scalp problems

Some general medications can be applied to the scalp to keep away common problems like dandruff, zits or scalpe acne and hair loss.

‘Doordoorapathradi keram’, malatyadi tailam’, and triphaladi keram’ will help relieve dandruff and hair fall. These oils can be rubbed into the scalp and left for sometime before rinsing off with water. The routine can be continued till you get rid of the skin irritations.

Egg white and hibiscus flowers can be ground to fine paste and used as a shampoo to keep scalp problems at bay. Aragwadhadi choornam and nimbadi choornam are used to administer ‘takra dhara’ (pouring medicated liquid over affected area) on the head to treat scalp problems.

Premature greying

Greying prematurely has become a common problem, thanks to the stress of modern day lifestyle. Although a lifestyle change is imperative to making lasting changes, greying can be reversed to a considerable extend using external applications. Neelibhringadi tailam, kayyoonnyadi tailam, chemparootyadi keram, and prapoundareekadi tailam can reduce graying if applied to scalp and hair regularly. Home-made herbal shampoos made of ‘nellikka choornam’, ‘nimbadi choornam’, nellikka (gooseberry), ‘ellu’ (sesame), lotus petals, and ‘irattimadhuram’ (licorice) are proven to work against premature greying. Takra dhara using ‘nellikka choornam’, ‘nimbadi choornam’ and ‘triphala choornam’ will also reverse and slow down greying.

Say goodbye to acne

Triphala choornam mixed with honey and applied as a face mask will help you get rid off acne. The mixture of ‘peral’ leaves (Banyan tree) and powdered coconut shell ground together is a traditional ayurvedic recipe against pimples.

Acne is caused by excess oil secretion and the clogging of pores. Oily skin can be normalised using the triphala choornam-honey face pack. When the pack is semi-dry, massage it into the skin using upward circular motion. The same powder mixed in ayurvedic oils will work against dry skin, giving your face the hydrated, supple and fresh look.

Let your eyes speak

You could cover up your acne and blemishes with a good facial and some clever make-up, but not your tired eyes. If you have been sleeping less and slogging away, you are going to have a hard time concealing the dark circles around your eyes. Apart from correcting your sleep routine, you can try applying ‘ksheerabala thailam’, to ease off the dark circles and bring the radiance back into your eyes.

Heal the cracks

Cracked feet can be embarrassing. If you go to great trouble hiding your feet, try applying ‘pinda thailam’, ‘shatadhouta khritam’, ‘nalpamaradi tailam’. You could own a pair of feet with soft, youthful skin in no time.

Put oil massage on your beauty care routine

Oil massage will give that much-needed rejuvenation for your body after the grind of daily living. It will improve blood circulation, clear the pores, take the tiredness out, and put the moisture back in your skin. Oil massage is known to slow down ageing of the skin, keeping wrinkles at bay. Apart from giving you the youthful radiance, regular oil massage will help you get sound sleep and improved eye sight. Top it all with right eating habits and regular exercise, and you will soon unveil a great version of yourself.