The Ayurveda Experience Blog
Pitta Skins are more oily, prone to blemishes, acne and black heads and sunburn. Excessive sweating can also be a problem in some individuals.
Aloe vera is good for Pitta skin as it is cooling & healing. Cucumber juice and rose water are also soothing and refreshing to the skin.
To reduce oiliness of the Pitta skin, make a face pack with ¼ cup of Fuller’s earth, 1 teaspoon of red sandal wood powder, and 1/4th tea spoon of turmeric powder. Mix into a paste using rose water and apply on the affected part with a brush. Rinse with cold water when dry.
Blemishes-Aloe vera gel 2 table spoonof aloe vera gel can be mixed with a pinch of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of red sandalwood powder to make a paste. Apply to the skin for 15 minutes every day to gradually remove blemishes.
To remove sun spots – Mix together 1 ounce of Cucumber juice,1/2 teaspoon each of lemon juice and rose water and apply with a cotton swab. Allow to sit on the affected parts of the skin for ½ to 1 hour. Rinse first with luke warm water followed by cool water.
For bad sweat odour, Mix 1 part ‘Trifla Powder, 1 part Fuller’s and 1/4th part sandal wood powder. Mix with rose water as needed to make a paste and apply on sweaty areas of the body. Rub the mixture off when it is almost dry. Take a bath with room temperature water or luke warm water.
Acne is a common skin disease that affects more than 85% of the population at some point in their lives. Acne is more common in men than women during adolescence, and more common in women than men during adulthood. Ayurveda says that acne is an imbalance of all three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha, with the main cause being the aggravation of the Pitta dosha.
Pitta is made up of a combination of fire and water, hence the heat, or redness, of the skin. Since a Pitta imbalance is deep in the physiology, creams and topical treatments just mask the symptoms of acne. Ayurveda recommends a Pitta diet and lifestyle routine to tackle the disease at the root cause. Meditation and yoga help to ease stress, which is a contributing factor.
To treat acne, Ayurveda recommends taking blood purifying herbs internally and applying medicated pastes externally.
The recommended herbs for internal use in acne are Chirayta (Swertia Chirata) and Neem bark powder( Azadirachta indica). Either can be taken in powder form ½ teaspoons twice a day before meals twice a day with plain water .
For external application, the following herbs can be used according to the stages of acne
- In the early stage when the acne has just appeared- Apply a paste of nutmeg powder in rose water over the affected area overnight and rinse with cold water in the morning.
- In the stage where the acne is inflamed- Apply paste of of Neem powder, turmeric, and red sandalwood powder mixed with the juice of mint leaves. Apply the paste to the affected area and leave on for one hour and then wash with warm water.
- In the stage where pimples have subsided and threaten to leave a mark- Apply paste of orange peel powder and Fuller’s earth made into a thick paste with rose water and applied for 10-15 minutes and then rinsed with luke warm water, everyday for 3-4 weeks.
- Apply paste of pink lentil made with rose water for 10 minutes and then washing it off helps in making the skin acne free.
- Make a paste of turmeric powder and water and applyto the blemishes with a cotton ball. Turmeric has both antibiotic and antibacterial properties so it will help calm the eruptions.
Constipation can also cause acne. So to avoid constipation mix 1 tsf of trifla powder with 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk and take with luke warm water every night at bed time.
