“Viewing your health through an Ayurvedic lens, you will quickly learn that skincare is not just down to the products that you use, it’s about diet, sleep, exercise and your overall way of life,” say Escapada Retreat Co-Founders Maeve O’Sullivan and Emilia Herting, who believe in taking the dosha test to figure out what works best for you.
“Ayurvedic formulations are often complex combinations of different types of herbs that offer the benefits of both synergy and balance, so that the final product is potent and highly effective without damaging side effects.”
There are two main guiding principles of Ayurveda, explains Deepak Chopra M.D. Firstly, the mind and the body are inextricably connected, and secondly, nothing has more power to heal and transform the body than the mind. “Thousands of years before modern medicine provided scientific evidence for the mind-body connection, the sages of India developed Ayurveda, which continues to be one of the world’s most sophisticated and powerful mind-body health systems”, says Chopra M.D.
“The term Ayurveda combines the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge),” explain Maeve and Emilia. “Ayurveda is an individualised system of medicine and a way of life. The tradition is rooted in the idea that each of us is born with a completely personal blueprint for optimum health.”
Dosha test : finding your specific beauty regimen
Discovering your dosha can be almost as confusing as determining exactly how to successfully wear a bum bag, so we turned to author and journalist Jo Fairley whose breakdown for Victoria Health makes it simple.
“To work out which dosha you are, find the group of attributes in the following list that best describes you. Don’t be alarmed if none seems to fit perfectly; you may have one dominant dosha, or a combination of two. (Occasionally, an individual will have aspects of all three doshas, in which case you may want to experiment with these lifestyle and skincare tips, till you find what works best for you.)”
VATA (air and space)
Body: Small, light, doesn’t gain weight easily
Hair: Dry, frizzy
Skin: Dry, rough with small pores
Hunger: Irregular
Sleep: Light
Walks: Quickly
In balance: You tend to be imaginative, flexible, vibrant
Out of balance: You become tired, restless, worried
Beauty recommendations:
- Avoid an irregular routine (sleeping and eating, in particular) and too much bitter or pungent food.
- Practice deep, slow breathing to stay calm.
- Use skincare products that contain warm, soothing herbs such as coriander, cumin and sandalwood.
KAPHA (earth)
Body: Large, gains weight easily
Hair: Thick, wavy, tends towards oily
Skin: Oily, large pores, acne-prone
Hunger: Easy to skip meals
Sleep: Sound
Walks: Steadily
In balance: You’re affectionate, compassionate, and emotionally even-keeled
Out of balance: You get lethargic and complacent. Your skin looks dull and oily and you gain weight
Beauty recommendations:
- Avoid oversleeping, overeating and too much sweet, sour or salty foods.
- Warm and stimulate your skin using products with spicy oils and herbs like nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, rosemary and lavender.
PITTA (fire and water)
Body: Medium frame
Hair: Fine and straight, usually sandy, red or blonde
Skin: Fair, soft, sensitive; tendency to rashes, acne, liver spots, rosacea or pigment disorders; sun-sensitive
Hunger: Good, strong digestion; thirsty, likes cold food
Sleep: Little but sound
Walks: Swiftly
In balance: Dynamic and passionate, intelligent, perceptive and highly efficient
Out of balance: You tend to be over-critical of others and you are often too intense and competitive
Beauty recommendations:
- Drink plenty of water.
- Get your emotional stress under control through plenty of outdoor exercise, yoga and meditation.
- Reduce contact with synthetic chemicals and avoid products that are harsh or cause abrasion, and avoid sunbathing and all types of heat treatments.
From: ELLE USA
