Skin is the largest body organ in terms of the body surface and weight. It protects us from germs, bacteria, heat, and all other things spreading around us. The skin has got seven layers, according to Ayurveda. It as a whole is able to effectively perform its overall function when all the layers are healthy and balanced. Ayurveda helps to influence multiple layers of skin internally and externally too.
According to Ayurveda, our body has three main constitutions that are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha which maintain our body. In the skin, these factors are equally important.
Vata – For circulation of nutrient fluid and feeding skin between layers.
Pitta – Maintaining the metabolic mechanism of skim and blood purification.
Kapha – Proper moisture balance and muscle firmness.
Along with the doshas, other factors are also important for clear and healthy skin –
- Dhatu Sarata (tissue excellence) – likes (Rasa – Plasma), (Rakta – Blood), (Mamsa – Muscle)
- Agni (digestive fire)
- Prakruti (Constitution)
- Food Intake
- Stress level
- Balance sleep
What we understood from the word Dhatu Sarata i.e. tissue excellence à strength, Strong, excellence, and essence.
We will understand one by one –
- Twaka Sara / Rasa saar – The skin is unctuous, smooth, soft, charming, delicate, lustrous. A person with Uttam twaksaar is endowed with happiness, good fortune, Sovereignty, enjoyment, intelligence, knowledge, health, pleasure, and longevity of life.
- Rakt Saar – Ear, eye, face, tongue, nose, lips, sole of the foot, palm are unctuous, red, beautiful, dazzling. The raktsaar gives happiness. Good growing power, self-respect, delicacy, fewer strengths, inability to face difficulties, intolerance to heat.
- Mamsasaar – Temples, forehead, jaw, neck, shoulder, abdomen, chest, joint of limbs are stable heavy, good looking, and well covered with muscles. This gives forgiveness, patience, non-greediness, wealth, knowledge, happiness, kindness, strength, health, and long life.
- Medasaar – These people have excellent and unctuous skin beautiful complexion, unctuousness in body, joints, and nails enjoy power, have wealth and pleasure.
- Asthisaar – They have a robust head, joints, bones, nails, teeth. They are always enthusiastic, active, and have a firm and strong body.
- Majjasaar – It ensures softness of organs, strength good complexion, and ability to fight disease, pleasant voice, long, robust and rounded joints. These people enjoy health, longevity, honor, and wealth.
- Sukra – These people have gentles features beautiful milky eyes, milky teeth, a clean and unctuous complexion, and voice, dazzling appearance. They are attractive, strong, healthy, enjoy progeny, wealth power, and status.
Good skin health reflects a good nutritional status of the body. If the nutritional level is not taken care of properly, the dhatu may go into a state of imbalance. This may cause diseases due to imbalance and contamination of dhatu. Skin disorders especially chronic one may reflect compromised quality and quantity of rasa tissue.
The health of skin and ras tissue is dependent on the digestive power of the people. Therefore, measures to keep agni i.e. digestive power in balance should be taken. The timely consumption of balanced food and a good level of hydration will help in maintaining optimum skin health.
Causes of skin disorders
- Taking food at an irregular time, an improper combination
- Suppressing natural urges
- Having a large amount of oily, spicy, sour taste food
- Increased stress level
- Exposure to dust and heat
- Change in lifestyle
- Decreased nutritional value in food
- Hormonal problems
- Age effect
Precautions:
- Improving our lifestyle in terms of diet, sleep, anxiety, exercise, stress
- Reducing chemical beauty product
- Increasing the nutritional level of food
- Avoid polluted environment
Ayurvedic way to control skin issues:
There are lots of beautiful herbs and therapies in Ayurveda which is explained years ago with their benefits. Some of those herbs are aloe vera, mangistha, sariva, turmeric, neem juice, khadirasistam, chandraprabhavata, kairshor guggul also some therapies which is useful in the skin layer to feel soft, strong, and antiaging.
- Abhyangam – Abhyagam is a whole-body massage in which medicated oil is gently and firmly applied. It gives strength to the body, enhances age provides lustier to the skin improves eyesight, induces good sleep.
- Udvartanam – In this massage, we rub the body with powdered medicine instead of oil possibly adding some ghee or honey to it. It reduces fat from the body, improves complexion can be used as a beauty treatment as a natural means of hair removal.
- Pizzihil – In this treatment, warm oil is streamed in a rhythmic manner from head to toe, Followed by a gentle synchronized massage. It is used in the dryness of skin, increasing circulation.
- Gandush – The mouth is filled with oil or medicated decoction at its maximum capacity for a certain amount of time. It prevents germ problems dental cavities, dry facial skin, lethargies, headache, anorexia.
- Swedan – It means sweating therapy from which the body would feel smooth relief from pain cold stiffness, enhanced nutrition of the cell, improve digestion, increased circulation of the body helps in evacuating toxic material from a body cell.
- Vaman – It is a process by which toxins from the stomach are eliminated through the mouth. It is used in cough, asthma, skin disease, and muscle congestion.
- Virechanam – It eliminates aggravated dosha through the rectum as purgation and is used in anemia, diabetes, blood-related disorder, skin disease.
- Navara facial – Medicated rise bolus is used for steam and massage. It provides nourishment and strength to body tissue, rejuvenates the skin and body.
