Our dosha test will help you find the right food and beauty regimen

“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.”

That blueprint is comprised of your own mix of three ‘doshas’, or energies: vata, pitta and kapha. Each dosha is determined by specific physical, emotional, mental and social characteristics as they pertain to the five universal elements – fire, water, earth, air and space. Take this dosha test to find your personal Ayurvedic beauty treatment.
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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.

Herbs Ayurveda

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.

 

A post shared by CiCis Ayurveda Guide (@cicisayurvedaguide) on Apr 1, 2018 at 2:57am PDT

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: 

From: ELLE USA

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