How to balance your skin type
In Ayurveda, we believe that beauty comes from within and that skin imbalances should be treated from the inside out, rather than outside in. The topicals we apply on our skin such as creams and oils can help minimize skin issues but they don’t treat the problem at its root, making our skin problems a recurring issue that makes it all so frustrating.
Once your know your Mind & Body Type, you’ll be able to cater your skincare routine to your body’s unique needs. The following guidelines below outline the imbalances that each constitution is most prone to so you can take the steps to balance your skin problems and prevent them before they even begin!
AIR
In a nutshell: Dry skin
Concerns: Premature aging and wrinkles
Your focus: Nourishment & hydration
Foods to skip: Cold water, cold foods, raw veggies
Peak season: Fall & Winter’s windy & cold weather aggravates AIR skin conditions
Overview
AIR skin tends to be dry and thin with small or invisible pores. It needs to be nourished and hydrated. It is at risk for premature aging due to a deficiency of well-nourished tissues in the body. AIR skin tends to be thin, cool to the touch, dry, cracked, and rough with a proneness to skin darkening, discoloring. Because of its thinness, AIR skin types have easily seen blood vessels. Lips and fingernails tend to be somewhat pale due to poor circulation.
For a youthful skin, AIR types need to nourish & hydrate their body and skin, from the inside out.
Diet
Eat warm, cooked, healthy fat foods that are packed with nutrients, are easy to digest and add moisture to the body's insides. Think baby food: stews, soups, sweet potato mash, puddings etc. Try these recipes: Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry, Vanilla & Date Chia Seed Pudding and Non-Alc Beer-Braised Chicken
Include healthy fats like ghee, salmon, avocado and oils to keep your internal organs lubricated and skin hydrated. Read What is Ghee?
Ginger is a great food to replenish AIR skin because it helps increase metabolism and improve digestion, which impacts the color, thickness, and moisture of the skin.
Drink bone broth for collagen. Try this recipe: Lime & Cilantro Bone Broth
Drink lots of lukewarm water every day for internal hydration. Warm water seeps through the tissues faster than cold water! Read Ayurvedic Way to Stay Hydrated
Avoid raw food/vegetables because their digestion is not strong enough to break them down in order to get the nutrients + astringent or spicy foods which dry you out (naturally dry enough)
Lifestyle
Following a regular daily routine is an essential component of a holistic approach to AIR skin care as they are very quickly destabilized which has an effect on all the body. Try going to bed on time and eating three regular meals at the same time, everyday.
Create a yoga practice that emphasizes grounding movement through postures like Tree Pose and Child’s Pose. Move slowly and gently. Avoid hot yoga which dehydrates you further and makes you lose too much electrolytes and water. Read Best Yoga Poses for How You Feel
Herbs
Ashwaganda helps to ground AIR types, who are constantly moving and tend to spread themselves out too thin. By reducing the excess mental activity of AIR individuals, ashwagandha helps their gut absorb nutrients better, making the skin look younger and less wrinkled. A typical starting dose for ashwaganda is 500mg twice a day or 1000mg once a day. Try this one.
Skincare rituals
A daily body oil body massage with a rich massage oil is excellent for keeping skin lubricated and keeping you warm. Apply it generously all over the body and face before you shower so you protect your skin from the dehydrating hot water that we all love to shower under. It is soothing and grounding for AIR types and you won’t have to apply lotion on after the shower! Read Self body massage with oil
Switch to an oil cleanser, which won’t strip the skin of hydration. Another way to cleanse dry AIR skin is to gently massage sesame oil on your face, then apply a warm wet washcloth for a minute or two for a steam treatment, then pat dry.
Brightening serum or masks against dull skin... A traditional recipe includes equal parts of chickpea flour, ghee and water: leaving the paste on for 15 min and rinsing with cold water.
Rich moisturizing face oil or ghee balm to help the skin retain moisture and regain elasticity. The perfect type of oil for this skin type is one that will calm and adds hydration at the same time which will provide rich concentrations of fatty acids to help the skin retain moisture and regain elasticity. Sesame oil is the traditional used in Ayurveda here.
FIRE
In a nutshell: Sensitive skin
Concerns: Acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, dark spots
Your focus: Cooling your body & mind
Foods to skip: Spicy foods, sour foods, acidic foods, alcohol
Peak season: Summer’s hot & humid weather aggravates FIRE skin conditions
Overview
In balance this skin type is radiant with a proneness to sensitivity or congestion in the T zone. FIRE individuals have a LOT of internal heat which either creates excess oiliness or dryness when the heat makes their skin water content evaporate. Their skin tends to burn easily and they are more sensitive to sun exposure. A Fire imbalance can result in broken capillaries, rashes, acne, and other inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis (scales and itchy, dry patches), rosacea (redness and flushing and often small, red, pus-filled bumps on the face) and eczema (itchy inflammation of the skin).
For radiant complexion, FIRE types need to cool their body and mind.
Diet
Eat foods with a cooling effect and high water content such as fruits and veggies like pears, watermelon, mint, cucumber, melons, pomegranate, squash, zucchini, root veggies, cardamom. Recipe: Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes & Zucchini and Avocado Spaghetti
Include oil sapping veggies like beans, chickpeas, potatoes. Recipe: Corn Zucchini Pancakes
Drink coconut water, aloe vera juice and CCF tea (cumin, coriander, and fennel). Recipe: Digestive CCF Tea
Enjoy a cleansing kitchari on occasion. Recipe: Kitchari Cleanse
Avoid: Keep your liver calm and cool by avoiding acidic & sour foods like lemons (replace with cooling lime) & tomatoes, hot spices (chilies, black pepper) alcohol, red meat, vinegar, cheese and yogurt which are all heating and oily. Recipe: Lemon & Turmeric Salmon
Lifestyle
Keep calm and avoid extreme heat internally and externally as this type runs naturally hot. Avoid competitive environments and extreme challenges like bootcamp workout classes (exercise in morning or evening, not between 10-2pm). Read Best Yoga Poses for How You Feel
Benefit from having consistent meal times, rising with—or even before—the sun, and retiring relatively early (ideally by 10 p.m.)
Do a daily self massage to calm the nerves, encourage you to fit in one self-care act in the day and help you take a break in your hyper-focused day. Read Self Body Massage with Oil
Finally, dress in, and expose yourself to, an abundance of cooling colors: greens, blues, purples, and whites. Read Balancing Effects of Color
Herbs
Turmeric powder has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, and you can use in your cooking. Here
Amla berry which is a cooling herb. You can take this as a supplement beginning at 250mg a day. It is also available in jam form. Tablets or jam (take 2 spoons per day)
Fennel seeds which are ideal for digestion. Chew a pinch of fennel seeds after your meals. Here
Skincare rituals
This applies to everyone, but especially to you—protect from the sun! Use skin-care products that help enhance resistance to the sun. Take extra care to protect your skin when you go out in the sun
Stay away from harsh, synthetic cosmetics; they can irritate and inflame your sensitive skin and cause breakouts. Choose natural and pure products made with plant-based extracts
Avoid therapies that expose your delicate, sensitive skin to steam for extended periods of time
Look for facial cleansers that are infused with cooling ingredients like rose, teatree oil, aloe vera, citrus or mint here
Use rosewater as toner because it's cooling and supports soft supple skin and smells good and feels great and can be used several times a day. Here
Hydrate with a face oil like coconut oil that is moisturizing, soothing, and cooling. Here
Spot-treat with neem oil. Use a cotton swab to apply it directly to pimples or spots of minor inflammation and let it do its magic overnight. Here
EARTH
In a nutshell: Normal to oily (especially in the T-zone)
Concerns: Clogged pores, blackheads, acne
Your focus: Detoxifying the body
Foods to skip: Fried foods, dairy, red meat, processed sugars
Peak season: Spring’s warmth and moisture aggravates EARTH skin conditions
Overview
Earth individuals tend to have naturally beautiful skin that ages slowly. Their skin tends to be plump and full of moisture. However, out of balance, Earth skin tends to accumulate more toxins that predispose them to large pores, blackheads, skin growths, pimples, and a grayish film.
For clear skin, EARTH types need to focus on removing toxins from their body.
Diet
Favor warm, cooked foods and hot beverages. Build your diet around green veggies and fruits which are wonderfully light, a moderate amount of raw fruit, salads and raw veggies. Recipe: Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry & Black Rice Quinoa Salad & Spinach and Sweet Pea Soup
Favor spicy foods, the exact opposite of FIRE skin types. The spicy food helps to stimulate their digestion and since Earth individuals have the slowest metabolism, they need all the extra heat their food has to offer.
Earth types tend to have oily skin so eating drying foods like beans, sweet potatoes, dried fruits, rice cakes and popcorn will be good for their skin. Recipe: Lemon-Pepper Beans
Favor scraping and detoxifying foods, like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, dark leafy greens. Recipe: Fennel-Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Pears
Avoid 4 main foods: wheat, red meat, dairy and sweets. And oily foods cause their skin tends to be oily naturally.
Lifestyle
You are advised to do detox on a regular basis — both internal and external to flush toxins from the inside out: think weekly kictahri or liquid cleanse. Recipe: Gentle yet Nourishing Cleansing Program
Exercise vigorously every day to improve circulation; hot yoga as well as rapid sun salutations and heart openers like Camel Pose and Fish Pose. Read Yoga Poses for How You Feel
Daily body oil massage to promote circulation, lymph drainage and detoxification. Try regular massages with refreshing, decongestant and detoxifying essential oils such as Basil, Clove, Eucalyptus and Rosemary, which invigorate the mind and body. Read Self Body Massage with Oil
Reduce sleep (if excessive). Read How to Finally Sleep Better
Consumer tons of warming teas - Drink warm lemon water first thing in the morning to cleanse and detoxify the skin and increase digestion
Herbs
Add black pepper and garlic to their meals.
Take Trikatu to promote strong digestion to burn fat and natural toxins. These herbs can be taken after lunch and dinner.
Skincare rituals
Cleanse your skin twice every day with a cleanser with invigorating ingredients like pepper or ginger, to stimulate microcirculation - giving your face a healthy glow
Exfoliate at least once a week with your exfoliator of choice or this traditional chickpea flour recipe: mix chickpea flour with water, then exfoliate in a circular motion, adding water as you go so the fingers move easily over the skin
Use toners with astringent properties to tone and tighten pores, helping to avoid clogging that can lead to cystic acne. Like a witch hazel toner, here.
Use eye gel, earth skin is more prone to baggy bags. Here
Hydrate your skin with oils made from ingredients that control sebum production and decongest. Antiseptic and antibacterial plants like neem, tea tree and eucalyptus are a great choice. Here
