Yoga, meditation, and herbs revitalize your body, but they may also hold the key to glowing skin. This idea of lifestyle balance lies at the heart of Ayurveda and Ayurvedic skin care. In recent years, Ayurvedic skin care has gained popularity in the West as more Westerners witness the results of their Ayurvedic beauty regimens.
Shankara, Spa Ceylon, and Forest Essentials are three luxury Ayurvedic beauty brands whose time-honored approach has won worldwide acclaim. True to tradition, all three brands stress clean living and balance as the keys to healthy skin.
But you can learn from their teachings no matter where you live. So, see below to learn more about Ayurvedic skin care. Then, take the quiz to find your dosha (more on that next), and see Ayurvedic skincare products for your dosha and skin type.
Ayurvedic Skin Care and Your Dosha
Ayurveda is complex, so you’ll learn just the basics here. However, Ayurveda dates back more than 3,000 years to India and suggests that the mind, body, and spirit are interconnected.
That means an imbalance in one area disrupts your overall balance and quality of life.
In addition, Ayurveda suggests disease stems from imbalances caused by diet, pollution, and other stressors. So, restoring balance is the key to healing and disease prevention.
According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Integrative Medicine, Ayurveda uses natural remedies to restore harmony. These treatments include:
- yoga
- meditation
- herbs
- massage
Likewise, Ayurvedic skin care addresses the body, mind, and spirit and suggests skin troubles, such as acne, stem from imbalance.
In addition, according to WebMD and Healthline, Ayurvedic skin care focuses on three doshas, or life forces, which determine your physical makeup and personality. Each dosha corresponds with earth, air, ether, fire, or water elements:
- Vata (Air/Ether): Has dry skin and is prone to premature aging
- Pitta (Fire/Water): Has sensitive, acne-prone skin, often with dark spots
- Kapha (Earth/Water): Has normal to oily skin, sometimes with enlarged pores or cystic acne
Most people have qualities of all three doshas, but one is primary.
Now, take the dosha quiz, and then see Ayurvedic skincare products for your dosha and skin type.
Dosha Quiz
Choose the responses that apply the most often. Your answers might not reflect how you feel right now, but focus on your usual patterns as you answer.
Then, record your responses, and follow the steps below to score your quiz.
Next, score your dosha quiz as follows:
- Mostly A = Vata
- Mostly B = Pitta
- Mostly C = Kapha
Now, see below for dosha-specific Ayurvedic skincare products. Also, visit the Joyful Belly for a more detailed dosha quiz.
Ayurvedic Skincare Products for Your Dosha
Each dosha has unique qualities and beauty needs.
Explore Ayurvedic skincare products for your dosha below. All items come from Forest Essentials, Spa Ceylon, and Shankara.
Vata
Personality: As a Vata, you’re creative, open, and enjoy meeting new people. However, when stressed, you may worry, go on spending sprees, self-blame, and skip meals. As a result, you may lose weight without trying.
Skin and hair: You have a thin build, dry hair and skin, and are prone to fine lines and dehydration.
Skincare routine: Use anti-aging creams and cold-pressed oils to nourish skin and replenish moisture.
Ayurvedic skincare products: Try Forest Essentials Advanced Eternal Youth Date and Litchi Cream ($57) and Spa Ceylon True Turmeric Vitamin C Glow Renewing All-Day Protector ($31).
First, try this Forest Essentials Advanced Eternal Youth cream, a Harper Bazaar beauty award winner.
Litchi juice, date extract, and sweet almond oil calm, balance, and hydrate the skin.
Next, try Spa Ceylon’s True Turmeric Vitamin C Glow cream. This Ayurvedic beauty remedy is the perfect pick-me-up for dull skin.
Turmeric, marigold, and rice bran soothe, calm, and brighten the skin, creating a summery after-spa glow.
Pitta
Personality: As a Pitta, you’re sharp, clever, cunning, and quick. You’re assertive, goal-oriented, and decisive. However, you may explode and blame others when stressed. Calming down, although difficult, is vital for your health.
Skin and hair: You have thin, sun-sensitive skin, often with acne or dark spots.
Skincare routine: Use sunscreen, gentle cleansers, non-drying toners, and light scrubs. But avoid over-scrubbing.
Ayurvedic skincare products: Try Spa Ceylon Skin-Soothe Tamarind Revitalizing Cream Facial Exfoliator ($30) and Shankara Blemish Support Serum ($50).
First, try Spa Ceylon’s Tamarind Skin-Soothe cleanser. This gentle scrub sloughs off debris, revealing smoother skin. Plus, grape seed, Indian ginseng, and walnut deep clean pores and fade dark spots, leaving skin silky and fresh.
Next, blast blemishes with Shankara Blemish Support Serum.
The silky serum contains lavender, meadowsweet, and lemongrass to calm, tone, and soothe the skin. The result? Your skin glows and feels refreshed.
Kapha
Personality: As a Kapha, you’re calm, loyal, and nurturing. You stay cool under pressure when everyone else is freaking out. You’re also a creature of habit, preferring routine, and may stay in relationships after they’ve run their course.
Skin and hair: You have normal to oily skin, sometimes with enlarged pores and cystic acne. Your hair is thick and oily.
Skincare routine: Use deep cleansers to control oil and acne. Try rosewater toners and light moisturizers that won’t clog pores.
Ayurvedic skincare products: Try Spa Ceylon Moringa and Neem Clarifying Clay Facial Exfoliator ($30) and Forest Essentials Light Day Lotion Lavender and Neroli Moisturizer ($28).
First, try Spa Ceylon’s Moringa and Neem Clarifying treatment. Indian gooseberry, moringa, margosa, coconut, and olive oils deliver one potent skin-soothing treat.
These nutrients remove debris, control oil, and reduce the appearance of pores. As a result, skin looks smoother, younger, and brighter.
Next, try Forest Essentials Lavender and Neroli Cream. The Ayurvedic beauty potion contains pure lavender water, oat kernel, and neroli oil to soothe, calm, and hydrate your skin.
Better yet, this paraben-free cream won’t clog pores. (Also, see DIY lavender beauty recipes for your skin and hair.)
Safety
Although most Ayurvedic skin creams are gentle, WebMD warns that herbal supplements contain heavy metals and could interact with medications.
So, talk to your doctor before starting a health or beauty routine to ensure it’s right for you.
Final Thoughts
Ayurvedic skin care stresses clean living and balance, but you can learn from these teachings no matter where you live.
Glowing skin begins with a healthy lifestyle. But skin problems, such as acne, could mean your life is out of balance.
So, try to pinpoint those problem areas, and make the necessary changes.
In fact, balance just might be the key to glowing skin.
Now, enjoy your Ayurvedic skincare products—and your new skin—and check back for more beauty reviews and skincare tips.
Read Next
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- 7 Blueberry Skincare Products That Make Your Skin Glow
- DIY Mango Face Mask, Lip Scrub, and Smoothie: Get Your Glow Back
- Icelandic Skincare Secrets to Look Ravishing for Life
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- How to Bring the Island Spa Home to You: DIY Spa Ideas
- 3 Grapeseed Oil Beauty Recipes: Slow Aging, Look Amazing
This post first appeared on Beauty and Travel Reviews. / Featured photo credit: Triocean/iStock
I have recently become interested in Ayurveda and loved your article! You did a good job with the dosha quiz, it is hard to find accurate ones online but this one seems pretty accurate. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for stopping by, and I’m glad you enjoyed the article and quiz! Ayurveda is fascinating, and there is so much to learn from it. I also agree that quizzes can be unpredictable, and I’ve found a variety of quizzes out there.
However, best of luck with your Ayurveda, and let me know if you have questions!
I haven’t tried the other brands but Spa Ceylon is a great one. I use True Turmeric Vitamin C and love how gentle and clean it feels going on. I hear their body creams are awesome too.
Yes! I highly recommend their coconut body cream if you haven’t tried it yet. It has such a nice, silky texture, with just a hint of fragrance. It melts right into your skin.
Sign me up for whatever treatment that guy in the first pic is getting! Looks good to me.
Donna,
Your comment made me laugh!
Yes, the guy in the picture does seem to be enjoying himself, doesn’t he?
It’s good to see you again, and I hope you’re enjoying your weekend. Thanks for stopping by.
What does it mean if you have Vata’s skin, Pitta’s personality and Kapha’s sleep habits? Because that’s what I got on that quiz, lol.
Funny. I’m Pitta skin and personality with Vata sleep habits.
Ollie,
Don’t worry; you aren’t alone. I identified with characteristics of all three doshas, too! For instance, I have normal or combination skin, but my personality is a mix of Vata and Pitta, depending on the situation.
I think that’s normal, though. Most people have qualities from all three doshas, but one is primary.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thanks for sharing your results. It’s fun hearing how other people scored.