New Lease on Life and Skin
Dealing with the Winter Months through Principles of Ayurveda

Published in Dermascope January 2000. Reproduced with permission.

Many of us dread the winter months as a time when the wind and cold wreak havoc with our skin, leaving it dry, dull and wrinkled. But winter is actually a skin-friendly season if we know how to take advantage of it. A little known fact is that we can nourish our skin more deeply in winter than in any other season. This is because the skin is dryer and more receptive in winter than it is during the warm seasons when it's detoxifying, and therefore, less absorbent. By learning about the interaction between your skin type and the different conditions of winter, you can learn how to nourish and protect your skin and how to take advantage of its high winter receptivity.

Identifying our Skin Type
Diagnosing our skin type helps us understand the qualities and the needs of our skin. From this we can learn how to nourish our skin under routine conditions as well as how to treat it during times of imbalance. Ayurveda explains the basic skin types according to three doshas, or tendencies, called vata, pitta and kapha. Vata skin tends to be dry, thin and sensitive, and prone to dullness and wrinkles. Of the three skin types, vata skin is the most susceptible to winter dryness and starvation. Pitta skin tends to be reddish, warm and hypersensitive, prone to breakouts and reactive to food, heat and sun. Pitta skin is less likely to get dried out by winter conditions than vata skin but is subject to other kinds of reactions, which we'll discuss further on. Kapha skin tends to be lustrous, lubricated, and thicker and more resilient than vata or pitta type skin, but is prone to clogged pores, breakouts and toxic buildup. Kapha skin has more of its own natural protection against the drying influence of winter.

Winter Conditions
With this brief overview of skin types we can discuss ayurvedic skin care in terms of three winter climates, which vary according to where we live.

1. Cold and windy. These conditions aggravate vata dosha. This causes the skin to become dry and cracked. And the skin — as well as the body — are subject to dehydration and malnutrition.
2. Freezing, but not windy. These conditions aggravate pitta dosha. Freezing temperatures shrink the pores of the skin, which prevents the body from releasing heat. This creates a buildup of internal heat that needs to be released.
3. Cold and humid. These conditions aggravate kapha dosha. Humid weather aggravates the oiliness that characterizes kapha type skin. For vata and pitta types, however, moist winters are beneficial.

Beneath the Skin's Surface
In light of the three conditions of winter, we can now consider winter skin care for each skin type. A simple explanation about the structure of the skin will help us understand the impact of winter weather.

Ayurveda explains that the skin has six layers. For our purposes, we’ll discuss the first layer only, which is just beneath the skin’s surface. This first layer is called Udakdhara, which literally means "holding water." It is also called Awabhasini, "the medium that reflects our aura." The first layer below the surface is where the skin retains its water, which keeps the surface lubricated and radiant. In winter, the dry, windy weather evaporates our water supply. This dries our skin and dulls our luster. By moisturizing our face, we not only protect our skin from the wind, we also slow the evaporation of our skin’s natural moisture. And since hydration also comes from the inside, ayurveda recommends drinking lots of water.

Treating Vata Type Skin
Vata type skin, which is subject to dryness in all seasons, becomes especially cracked and dehydrated in winter. The cold temperatures shrink the pores and actually freeze them. Frozen pores slow down an already slow circulation, which clogs the flow of nutrition to the skin. In winter, vata type skin cannot hold much moisture nor can it draw much nutrition from the body, so the skin is getting starved from inside and out. As a result of malnutrition, radiance declines and the skin turns dry and unattractive. To protect vata type skin, ayurveda recommends the following measures:

External prescriptions

• Protect any exposed areas such as heels, hands and face. Keep the skin covered to protect it from cold, wind and drying with natural fibers such as silk or wool. Synthetic fabrics activate the body’s electromagnetic field and are therefore not calming to the skin.
• Take floral or herbal baths suited to vata type skin (lavender and rose).
  
• Take mud baths with vata-pacifying herbs (lavender and rose).
  
• Do self-massage to the whole body with almond oil.
  
• Do mild steaming to the face using a mixture of rose and lavender.
  
• Take enjoyable exercise such as brisk walking with friends or family.
  

Treating Pitta Skin Types
Pitta types can actually experience pitta aggravation (overheating) when the weather is cold but not windy. While windy weather makes the face crack, icy temperatures with no wind turn the face red. This is because freezing temperatures shrink and freeze the pores so that the body cannot release its own heat. This internal build-up of heat in the body makes the skin break out. It also increases the appetite, which is why people eat more in the cold weather.

Prolonged winter sunlight is not beneficial for pitta types. Skiing, for example, exposes the skin to freezing temperatures and to long doses of direct sunlight. Both of these conditions increase internal heat and aggravate the skin. Ayurveda recommends the following pitta-pacifying (cooling) measures for maintaining balanced, healthy skin through the winter months.

External prescriptions:

• Do full-body self-massage using olive oil with a mixture of cooling herbs (such as sandalwood, rose and jasmine).
  
• Take brisk walks and do breathing exercises to release heat.
  
• Take ayurvedic mud baths made with cooling herbs such as sandalwood, rose and jasmine. This releases heat and also opens the pores, which releases more heat.
  

Treating Kapha Type Skin
Kapha types are less concerned about the vata problems of dryness and the pitta problems of overheating. Instead they need to focus on detoxification. Kapha type skin has bigger pores that take longer to freeze. When their pores shrink from the cold they accumulate more toxins, which cause more eruptions, thickness and discoloration. If they don’t notice any skin problems in winter, they will usually see them in the spring. This is because the buildup of winter toxins melts in the sun during the warmer months. And this is when their skin breaks out. If kapha types can minimize their toxic buildup during the winter they will be glowing in spring with no acne or breakouts.

External prescriptions

• Drink warm water.
  
• Do full-body self-massages using sesame oil.
  
• Scrub the skin (not the face) with an abrasive such as a loofa, to remove dead skins cells. This helps keep the pores free of toxins and lets the body breathe.

Internal Prescriptions
Ayurveda offers internal formulations for each skin type for each season. Ayurvedic herbal supplements are available but their selection requires the expert advice of a trained vaidya (ayurvedic physician) who can diagnose the individual and prescribe the appropriate supplements. However, some of nature’s most useful remedies are right in your own kitchen that can help maintain your digestion and the health of your skin. Spices offer neutraceutical benefits for each skin type. A trained vaidya (ayurvedic physician) can guide you in their proper use and combinations. Following are the most commonly beneficial spices:

1. Cumin is good for all skin types. It enhances the digestive fire while at the same time cooling pitta dosha. Cumin neutralizes digestion and improves the absorption of nutrition. Cumin also burns "ama."Ama is the ayurvedic term for any toxic or foreign substance in the body that impairs the body’s natural functions. And since ama is the main cause of disease, any food or activity that removes ama improves our health. Cumin should always be cooked and never eaten raw. Ground cumin can be cooked with vegetables. Cumin seeds can be dry roasted or sautéed in olive oil or Ghee (clarified butter).
2. Black Pepperis good for kapha and vata types. Like cumin, it burns ama. It also improves the availability of nutrition from our food. Its sharp and pungent properties help to clear the body’s channels. But it’s too powerful to use alone. In cooking, combine it with equal quantities of cumin, coriander and turmeric for an excellent curry powder. You can also add it to your food freshly ground. The aroma of black pepper helps to clear the channels to the brain. And in winter when kapha skin freezes, its heating properties help to clean the pores.
3. Gingeris good for vata and kapha types. It burns ama and enhances digestion. It provides pro-biotic support, making a good environment for friendly bacteria in the G.I. tract. Ginger also enhances the skin’s natural resistance to allergies and infections.
4. Turmeric is the famous yellow powder of India that’s good for kapha and vata types. And when mixed with equal parts of cumin and coriander, turmeric benefits pitta types too. Turmeric has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps the liver maintain the purity of blood. And it supports the glow and luster of the skin. Turmeric should always be cooked. Eaten uncooked, it will aggravate the liver.
5. Coriander is calming and good for all skin types. It balances the chemistry of the digestive system and helps the body get rid of toxins, including heavy metals.
6. Rose Petals are cooling. They pacify pitta dosha when eaten as rose petal jam, drunk as floral water or inhaled as fragrance. They strengthen the liver and enhance the health of the skin.

All skin types will benefit from eating leafy green vegetables cooked with a mixture of cumin, turmeric and coriander. Vata types should eat pungent, heating spices such as black pepper, ginger, cumin and turmeric. Pitta types should avoid hot, spicy food, and should favor cooling foods like rose petal jam and sweet juicy fruits. They should eat cooling, cleansing spices such as cumin, fennel, licorice root and coriander. And they can drink warm milk mixed with a teaspoon of Rose Petal jam. Kapha types should eat pungent, heating spices such as black pepper, ginger, cumin, turmeric and coriander. In general, all skin types should avoid skipping meals, especially in winter. Kapha types may like losing weight but skipping meals is not a healthy method. Fasting is not recommended for anyone in winter and dry fasting is not recommended for anyone in any season.

Achieving Your Winter Glow
This brief introduction to winter skin care is a taste of the knowledge of ayurveda and a good beginning for healthy, glowing skin. We have discussed the first layer of skin and how to nourish and protect it. In future articles we can discuss all six layers of skin and how to support them for beautiful skin all year long. Ayurveda has volumes of simple recipes for all skin types and seasons, as well as advanced formulas and skin care regimens that have been used by the royal families of India for centuries. In addition, spices are available in three prescribed mixtures called churnas, one for each dosha type, to balance digestion, enhance skin quality and satisfy all six senses of taste.