Maharishi Ayurveda Newsletter Archive

Stress and Your Skin

Is day-to-day mental stress taking a toll on your skin? Take our quiz to find out if you have a Vata-related skin imbalance. Give yourself one point for never or seldom, two for sometimes and three for often or always.

• Does your skin lack glow and natural radiance?
  
• Does your skin look and feel dry even just after you rinse with lots of water?
  
• Does your skin look thin and loose?
  
• Is your skin flaky?
  
• Does your skin feel cold to the touch?
  
• Is your brow constantly knit?
  
• Do you see more wrinkles and fine lines than there were a month ago?
  
• Do relaxing treatments make you feel temporarily better?
  

If your score added up to twelve points or higher, your skin may benefit and look younger longer if you keep Vata in balance.

Follow a Vata pacifying diet:

• Eat plenty of fresh juicy fruits to restore moisture balance from within. Oranges, grapes, cherries, peaches, melons, berries, plums, pineapples, mangos and papayas are examples of Vata-balancing fruits.
  
• Drink lots of pure water through the day. Vata Tea or Worry Free Tea are relaxing herbal beverages.
  
• Eat cooked green leafy vegetables. Chop the greens before cooking and season them with Vata-balancing spices such as cumin and ginger or Vata Churna.
  
• Include a little Ghee in your diet to provide lubrication and natural radiance.
  
• Eat a handful of nuts each day - blanched almonds are considered excellent.
  Follow a Vata-pacifying routine:
  
• Go to bed by 10 p.m. and follow a regular sleep-wake routine so that you get enough good quality rest. Take the Blissful Sleep herbal tablets to gently help you fall asleep.
  
• Eat three regular meals a day, with lunch the heaviest meal.
  
• Twenty minutes of Transcendental Meditation®, twice a day, can help combat stress.
  
• A daily warm oil massage balances both mind and body-the Youthful Skin Massage Oil contains herbs and essential oils especially blended for pacifying Vata. The extract of Shankapushpi and other ayurvedic herbs enhance tone and natural radiance.
  
• The Worry Free herbal tablets help balance Prana Vata, which controls the mind and the senses.
  
• Make sure bowel movements are regular.
  
• Pranayama (deep breathing exercises) and yoga asanas for deep relaxation can help balance Vata.

Ayurvedic skincare products that balance Vata:

• The Youthful Skin Cleansing Gel is a gentle cleanser that contains herbs and essential oils to nourish the skin and restore moisture balance.
  
• The Youthful Skin Cream enhances collagen synthesis and improves skin thickness and elasticity.
  
• The Youthful Skin Oil is especially blended to provide deep lipid support to all the layers of the skin.
  
• The Youthful Skin herbal tablets nourish the skin from within, promoting healthy skin cell growth and modulating skin temperature and moisture.

Stress and Your Skin -- Part II

Day-to-day emotional stress, in the form of anger, irritation, frustration or suppressed grief or anger can show up on your skin, causing it to look drawn and tired. Take our quiz to find out if you have a Pitta-related skin imbalance. Give yourself one point for never or seldom, two for sometimes and three for often or always.

• Does your skin look blotchy or inflamed in spots?
  
• Do you have break-outs or rashes frequently?
  
• Does your skin look red and raw?
  
• Does your skin feel excessively warm to the touch?
  
• Are your pores clogged?
  
• Do you notice increased photosensitivity and quicker damage from exposure to short periods of sun?
  
• Do cooling treatments make you feel temporarily better?
  

If your score added up to ten points or higher, your skin may benefit and look clear and healthy if you keep Pitta in balance.

Follow a Pitta-pacifying diet:

• Eat plenty of fresh juicy fruits to cool and cleanse from within. Fully ripe, sweet fruits, such as pears, grapes, melons, coconuts, pomegranates and mangos are good Pitta-balancing fruits. Avoid partially ripe or sour fruits.
  
• Drink lots of pure room temperature water through the day. Pitta Tea or Rose Petal Preserve in milk are cooling herbal beverages.
  
• Eat cooked green leafy vegetables. Reduce hot peppers, radishes and spinach. Season cooked vegetables with Pitta-balancing spices such as fennel and coriander or use Pitta Churna.
  
• Include a little Ghee in your diet - it's cooling.
  

Follow a Pitta-pacifying routine:

• Go to bed by 10 p.m. and follow a regular sleep-wake routine so that you get enough good quality rest. Take the Deep Rest herbal tablets if you tend to wake up in the wee hours and can't go back to sleep again.
  
• Eat three regular meals a day, with lunch the heaviest meal.
  
• Twenty minutes of Transcendental Meditation®, twice a day, can help combat all types of stress.
  
• A daily warm oil massage balances both mind and body -- the Youthful Skin Massage Oil contains herbs and essential oils that help pacify Pitta.
  
• The Blissful Sleep herbal tablets help balance Sadhaka Pitta, which governs the heart and the emotions.
  
• Make sure bowel movements are regular.
  
• Make time for leisure and don't let deadlines rule you.
  

Ayurvedic skincare products that balance Pitta:

• The Youthful Skin Cream nourishes and balances the skin. If your skin is extremely sensitive, mix the cream with a couple of drops of pure Organic Rose Water and then apply it.
• The Youthful Skin Clay, applied once or twice a week, helps keep skin clean and clear.
  
• The Youthful Skin herbal tablets nourish the skin from within, promoting healthy skin cell growth and modulating skin temperature and moisture.