Skin which is the largest organ in the body is termed as twak in Ayurveda. It is considered as a sense organ responsible for touch sensation. Vayu mahabhootha is responsible for the sensation in skin. As per Ayurveda, skin is derived from raktha and is the main site of pitta dosha. Skin has seven layers, which protects our body, regulates body temperature and eliminate toxins.
Skin is considered to be the reflection of one’s internal state. Any imbalance in dosas, the functional units in our body, affects the skin as well.
Vata dominant skin is dry, flaky and prone to wrinkles. Hence an oil-based preparations are usually effective. Oil such as Coconut oil and sesame oil is good form Vatha types.
Pitta dominant skin is prone to redness, acne and slightly oily. The herbs which are cooling and bitter in taste and also ghee based herbal preparations are generally good for Pitta types.
Kapha dominant skin is oily and smooth and hence the herbs which are sharp and having scraping effect is very good for such types.
Skin care in Ayurveda aims at balancing the doshas which improves the overall health of body including skin. This has to be achieved through
proper diet and regimen. Mere external applications are not enough to get healthy skin. More over cosmetic products with mineral oil, paraffin, petroleum products, phenol carbolic acid, tolune, dioxane are even hazardous to our health. The basic necessity of a healthy skin is proper nutrition, sufficient sleep, regular exercise, hydrating the body and meditation practices to relax.
In Ayurveda classics we see reference about various herbs which are good for skin and for managing skin diseases. The herbs mentioned under ‘Varnya Gana’ and ‘Kushtangna’ are examples for such herbs. The herbs such as neem, Sandal, vetiver root, turmeric and combinations such as Thriphala choornam etc are generally good for skin according to Ayurveda.
For serious skin aliments such as psoriatic spectrum condition mentioned as ‘Kusta’ in Ayurveda, repeated detox therapies are recommended. We often observe very good results in such conditions through Ayurveda Panchakarma therapies such as Vamana (Vomiting therapy) and Virechana (Purgation).
In additional to these our diet also plays a major role in skin related issues and symptoms. The food items which are ‘Abishyandhi’ (The food that increases heaviness and obstructs the channels) such as regular use of certain fishes/seafoods, curd, black gram etc. are not advised when you are having skin issues. Also, certain foods combination, called as Viruddha Ahara (Incompatible foods) are also the causative factor for many of the skin conditions. The combination of milk products along with sour food items, combination of nonvegetarian food items with curd or yogurt, use of milk and fish together etc. are examples for that.
So skin is not just mere the external appearance or beauty, it is a complete reflection of our health and well-being. A holistic approach involving proper diet, lifestyle, and Ayurvedic therapies can help maintain vibrant, healthy skin while addressing underlying imbalance.