Ayurveda believes that true beauty is composed of three vital elements: a well-nourished body, a balanced mind, and a peaceful spirit.
In other words, outer beauty is a reflection of one’s inner health and wellbeing. Following a healthy diet, getting adequate sleep, and managing stress are the cornerstones of a holistic, long-term beauty regimen.
A unique paradigm of beauty
In a time when beauty is often equated with certain cultural standards and norms, it is interesting to look back to a time when beauty was defined in holistic terms. For millennia in India, the concept of beauty has involved much more than outward appearance alone.
The three beauty pillars
According to Ayurveda, there are three pillars of beauty:
- Roopam (or outer beauty) personified by shining, healthy hair and a clear, radiant complexion
- Gunam (inner beauty—the beauty that shines from within) characterized by a warm, pleasing personality and innocence of mind and heart
- Vayastyag (lasting beauty), or looking and feeling younger than your chronological age.
Roopam does not specify a type of figure, skin color, or length of hair. Outer beauty is simply a reflection of good health—good digestion, healthy eating habits, and a balanced lifestyle.
Diet and digestion are key
As the saying goes, you are what you eat. Ayurveda takes the old adage a step further and adds, "you are what you digest." A radiant, clear complexion begins with proper nutrition, efficient digestion, and assimilation of nutrients by the body, as well as regular elimination.
The following tips will help you maximize your diet and digestion for a glowing, healthy complexion:
- Follow the dietary recommendations for your body type, skin type, and season. These foods will help nourish your particular skin type and bring balance to your whole mind-body system.
- Eat your largest meal at midday, because your digestive fire is strongest. Discontinue eating at about three-fourths of your capacity, or when you feel pleasantly satisfied, but not full.
- Focus on your food. Try not to divide your attention with TV, your phone, or work.
- Avoid drinking ice-cold beverages, as they dampen your digestive fire.
- It’s helpful to include all six tastes—salty, sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent—with every meal.
- Try not to skip meals. Keep your blood sugar balanced and your digestive fire shipshape for your next meal.
- Eat pure, fresh, organic foods whenever possible. “Eating foods grown with chemicals and prepared with synthetic preservatives and additives can create the more reactive toxin known as amavisha, and can result in breakouts, rashes, and other skin problems”, according to The Council of Maharishi AyurVeda Physicians.
- Include ghee (clarified butter), whole grains, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, legumes, lots of green leafy vegetables, and herbal tea in your diet. Many of these foods possess anti-aging, hair-nurturing, and skin-strengthening properties.
- Eat plenty of sweet, juicy fruits. Freshly cooked apples or pears, when eaten in the morning, help to create ojas—the finest and most refined by-product of digestion. Ojas contributes to enhanced beauty, vitality, strength, immunity, and overall well-being.
- Cook with spices. Spices add flavor and have a yogavahi property, which means that they support digestion and make the nutrients easily available to your body. Spices are not only great flavor enhancers, they help you stay healthy and beautiful, too. Cumin, for example, helps flush your body of toxins, which, in turn, can lend your complexion a glowing, radiant luster.
- Drink lots of water throughout the day. Sipping warm water stimulates the digestive tract, and staying hydrated helps flush out accumulated ama (toxins). This, in turn, helps you maintain better digestion and clearer skin.
Herbal supports for the skin
Ayurveda also recommends herbal supplements as aids to beauty. One way to boost the radiance of your skin from the inside out is to take Radiant Skin—especially if you are prone to occasional breakouts and other Pitta skin issues.
According to Maharishi AyurVeda, “Radiant Skin nourishes the internal functions responsible for building new skin cells, including liver function, pure blood, the temperature and healthy glow of the skin, moisture balance for supple skin, and efficient digestion and nutrition. Radiant Skin tablets are especially helpful for Pitta and Kapha skin types.”
Herbals that support the skin and the whole body alike include Maharishi Amrit Kalash, Rejuvenation for Ladies, and Organic Premium Amla Berry.
If you’re looking for a more customized Ayurvedic beauty herbal program, a visit to an Ayurvedic expert can be extremely helpful.
Don’t skimp on sleep
"Early to bed and early to rise" is one of the simplest and easiest ways to promote and maintain natural beauty. A lack of sleep leaves dark circles under your eyes and robs your skin of its natural luster.
Moreover, Ayurvedic experts emphasize the value of good sleep as one of the pillars of good health, because it’s during these hours that the body naturally detoxes and rejuvenates itself.
Consider the following recommendations for better sleep:
- Try to go to bed before 10:00 pm, during Kapha time. Staying up much beyond that can impact the quality of rest you get. Blissful Sleep and Deep Rest tablets further support the quality of sleep.
- Start your day with a full-body abhyanga (warm oil massage) with an herbal or aroma massage oil.
- Drink a soothing cup of herbal tea before bed. Slumber Time Tea is designed to help you unwind.
- Don't take your work into the bedroom. Turn off the computer by 8:00 pm and try to avoid anything that's too stimulating for the brain and eyes.
- Focus on calming activities as bedtime draws near.
- Take a relaxing, warm bath a couple of hours before bed.
- Slip a sachet of dried lavender under your pillow.
- Eat a light meal at dinner, at least two to three hours before bedtime.
- A settling aroma such as Slumber Time Aroma Oil diffusing in your bedroom can help you get those zzzs.
Once you start following some of these tips, you'll notice a marked difference in the quality of your sleep. This will help you feel rested, alert, and yes, beautifully fresh each morning.
Daily massage
Abhyanga (self-massage) is a simple way to feel pampered and relaxed while deeply nourishing the skin. This ancient Ayurvedic practice nourishes the seven different layers of the skin, as well as the seven different types of body tissue.
It is considered ayushkar—conducive to longevity and more specifically, twak-dardhya—helping to increase the firmness of the skin. Further, such a massage is considered jarahar—capable of "destroying" old age; shramhar—helping to reduce physical and mental fatigue; and mrijavard balapradha—something that purifies the skin, enhances the complexion, and makes it more radiant and attractive.
With over 20 powerful botanicals working synergistically, our Youthful Skin Massage Oils for Men and Women are especially formulated to nourish, rehydrate, and heal the skin. The aroma-therapeutic effects from the herbs are an added bonus. The Vata, Pitta, and Kapha-balancing Herbal Massage Oils are equally beneficial.
Manage stress with meditation
While good diet and sleep are the cornerstones of Ayurvedic beauty, other factors are important too. Stress management is critical. Anything you can do to balance the mind and emotions will be reflected in your appearance.
Meditation is an excellent stress-management tool. Include the daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation® program or other stress-reducing practices in your routine to allow your body to deal with the stress of the day. By helping your mind and body stay balanced, TM® helps you feel and look your best.
Use natural products
What you put on your skin is absorbed by your skin. Using heavily synthetic, chemical-laden products regularly may cause long-term damage. This doesn't mean you have to do without cosmetics.
Just look for natural products, and become familiar with their ingredients. Many products that claim to be "herbal" or "botanical" can contain artificial ingredients. The Maharishi AyurVeda Youthful Skin line consists of pure, completely natural products that are safe for everyday, long-term use.
DIY natural skincare recipes
Another sure way to include all-natural products in your skincare routine is to make your own! Enjoy these gentle face scrubs and luscious moisturizers for every skin type. All of the ingredients used in these formulations are deeply nourishing for the skin.
Cleansing scrubs
For dry skin (Vata)
- 2 teaspoons quick-cooking oats
- ¼ teaspoon almond powder
- ¼ teaspoon orange peel powder
- ¼ teaspoon lavender flower powder
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
For sensitive skin (Pitta)
Use the Dry Skin recipe, but substitute whole raw milk for yogurt, and use rose petal instead of orange peel.
For oily skin (Kapha)
- 1 teaspoon toasted wheat bran
- ¼ teaspoon almond powder
- ½ teaspoon orange peel powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Stir together all the ingredients and apply very gently to the face with fingertips.
- Let the scrub set on skin, then using very slight pressure, flake the mask off into the basin.
- If the mask feels too sticky, use warm water to rinse. Dab face with a soft towel and apply a good moisturizer.
Moisturizers
For all of these moisturizers, simply mix the ingredients together and apply lightly to the face twice a day. These moisturizers work deeply, yet are non-greasy. They keep in the fridge for up to a week.
For dry skin (Vata)
- ½ teaspoon cocoa butter or coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 drops lavender oil
For sensitive skin (Pitta)
- 1 teaspoon white sandalwood powder
- 1 teaspoon marshmallow powder
- ¼ teaspoon rose petals
- 1 teaspoon Organic Rose Water
- 1 teaspoon barley powder
For oily skin (Kapha)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 drops of lemon-peel essential oil
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cocoa butter
Remember, true beauty really does come from within. It’s not so much about how you look on the outside, but how you feel within. For a natural, healthy glow that radiates from the inside, do your best to make a healthy diet, good digestion, plenty of sleep, and healthy stress management priorities in your routine.
When you pay attention to the health of your mind and body, you’ll feel on top of your game and ready to tackle anything. And that’s a beautiful thing.
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© 1999, 2021 Maharishi AyurVeda Products International, Inc. (MAPI). All Rights Reserved. MAPI does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. See additional information.
