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Top Ayurvedic Tips for Balancing Skin Types

by Geena Marie Volpe

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The ancient Hindu practice of Ayurveda promotes not only healthy skin, but healthy mind, body and spirit. We put together an Ayurvedic tip sheet for balancing, restoring and maintaining skin types based on Aryuvedic practice.

Ayurvedic Tip: Vata Skin. Vata is a combination of the air and space elements. If a person has Vata skin, it means that air and space predominate in the skin compared to other people of the same age and ethnicity. Thus, Vata skin will be thinner, feel cool to the touch, and have a tendency toward dryness.

When out of balance, this skin type can be excessively dry and feel rough and flaky or look dull from dead skin build up. Vata skin will show signs of aging more quickly because it is already thin and dry.

Tip: To bring into balance the cold, light and dry nature of Vata, products need to be warming, rich, highly hydrating and moisturizing.

Ayurvedic Tip: Pitta Skin. Pitta is a combination of mostly fire with a little water. If a person has Pitta skin it means that fire and water predominates in the skin compared to other people of the same age and ethnicity. Pitta skin will have normal thickness, feel warm to the touch, and can have a tendency toward sensitivity. Fire and water can also bring contradiction in the skin and what is known as combination skin (either dry with a normal T-Zone or normal with an Oily T-Zone).

When out of balance, this skin type can feel very sensitive, have a tendency towards redness, inflammation, and in extreme cases rosacea. If fire is too high the skin may feel partially dehydrated and sensitive and if water is too high the skin may be partially oily. Pitta skin is the most vulnerable to sun damage and will show more signs of sun damage then the other skin types as it gets older.

Tip: To bring into balance the fiery nature of Pitta, products will need to be hydrating, cooling and soothing. Moisturizing and slightly sebum-balancing ingredients will adapt perfectly to the conditions of the skin and bring balance whether the skin feels perfectly normal or partially dry or oily (combination skin).

Ayurvedic Tip: Kapha Skin. Kapha is a combination of earth and water elements. For a Kapha person, because earth and water predominates in the skin, compared to other people of the same age and ethnicity, Kapha skin will be naturally oily and thick, feel cool to the touch, and have a tendency towards congestion.

When out of balance this skin type can be excessively oily or feel congested, sluggish, show signs of water retention, etc. Because of the natural amount of oil present and the thickness of the skin, Kapha skin will only show signs of aging much later in life than the other two types.

Tip: To bring into balance the cold, heavy and oily nature of Kapha, products will be warming, light and sebum-balancing. An excessively oily skin is actually dehydrated at a deep level and tries to compensate by overproducing sebum. Kapha products should hydrate the skin deeply while balancing sebum production.

TRY: Shankara Skin Care

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