This outline is intended to help you discover your particular AYURVEDIC skin personality
(or current confrom a holistic perspective
ELEMENTS: AIR + ETHER
(dry and aging skin)
ELEMENTS: FIRE + WATER
(sensitive skin)
ELEMENTS: EARTH + WATER
dull, stagnant feeling or oily skin)
Mature or VATA skin in general has a
thinner epithelial layer, lacks moisture,
and shows facial lines, dark spots, discolorationand wrinkles as well as sun damage.
Vata skin produces little oil, and is not as
firm as other skin types. The capillaries may
appear broken on the nose and cheeks, and
there may be congestion around the mouth
and chin
areas.
You may be highly stress reactive, and
your adrenal glands may be working
overtime, producing excessive amounts of
corticoids.
Your skin may fall into this category if it is
somewhat mercurial, like your energy levels
and your moods. You may have a decreased
immune response, circulatory problems such
as high or low blood pressure.
You may be more sensitive to lifestyle factors
such as lack of sleep, poor diet, and a
demanding schedule than others around you
and this shows in your skin.
Other factors that contribute to drying of the
skin are overexposure to the sun, smoking
and the use of harsh skin care products.
You will do best to add structure to your routine, to minimize your hectic pace and to talk less.
Enjoy silence and renewing periods alone
and get plenty of healthy protein and cooked vegetables.
Vata skin needs constant nourishment.
Reflecting the fire element, your skin may be sensitive, have flare-ups occasionally and become red. Pitta skin may break out before the menstrual cycle, or, for older women, this type of skin may have been blemish-free until the late forties.
This is because Pitta skin reflects the quality of the blood and the passion of intense emotions. Overly acidic blood tends to be sensitive to sun and fragrances.
Also, often in response to hormonal androgen changes, sebum glands enlarge and make more oil. As the sebum glands expand, the extra oil they secrete combined with other factors clogs the pores, causing acne or blackheads.
To pacify Pitta in the body it is important to eat nourishing, healthy foods rich in protein, plus plenty of green leafy vegetables as well as fresh fruits daily.
You will do best to practice some sort of spiritually centering practice as well as learn to let go, to exercise moderately and, in fact, apply moderation to all your endeavours.
Eat leafy, raw, green and upward-growing vegetables, berries and less animal protein in general than your Vata counterparts.
..
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Reflecting the elements of earth and water kapha types may be blessed to enjoy smooth, supple skin with no apparent issues in early life.
Over time and in combination with cumulative Vata or Pitta elsewhere in the system, however, Kapha skin.may become lackluster, dull, congested, thick, or oily.
Kapha blemishes tend to be deeper, cystlike and appear larger and linger longer than average spots.
Because Kapha skin reflects earth and water elements, you will see the build up of oil and lipid-based impurities causing the pores to clog and the circulation of nutrients to become sluggish.
To reduce this Kapha buildup in the skin, it must be balanced in the body. It isessential for Kapha types to eat a somewhat vegan diet with lots of green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains as well as legumes daily. An important addition to Kapha’s diet are the astringent and pungent food + spice groups.