Are you particular about your skin and the products you use? Taking care of your skin is important, but before you follow a specific skin care regimen, you need to find your skin type. According to Ayurveda, there are 3 doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha which are a combination of 5 elements:
- Air
- Space
- Fire
- Earth
- Water
They need to be balanced for good health and wellness of your body, including your skin.1 There are 3 skin types based on these 3 doshas:
- Vata skin is dry and delicate
- Pitta skin is oily and sensitive
- Kapha skin is oily and thick
These 3 skin types have their own weaknesses. When the body is imbalanced, it is seen in the form of skin problems. Maintaining the balance is specific to your skin type. Each person has all three Doshas, but usually one or two dominate. A person with 2 dominant doshas has a combination skin, which can be Vata-Pitta, Kapha-Pitta or Vata-Kapha skin.
Taking Care Of Your Skin Type
1. Dry And Delicate: Vata Skin Type
The Vata Dosha is a combination of space and air. If you have a dominant Vata Dosha, your skin is dry, delicate, thin, and you may have dark spots. The skin can easily get dehydrated. In dry or windy weather, keep your skin hydrated. If you have this skin type, you are not prone to acne, but you may be susceptible to early signs of wrinkles. When out of balance, the skin may become flaky.2
Tips For Maintaining The Balance
- Ensure that you are hydrated
- Use gentle cleansers to prevent excessive dryness
- Always moisturize after cleansing to keep your skin hydrated
- Eat vegetables with high water content such as lettuce, carrot, and cucumber
- Eat warm and well-cooked food
- Making your eating habits and sleeping cycles regular
- Drink lots of lukewarm water every day for internal hydration
- Massage with warm oil before a lukewarm water bath
- To prevent your skin from looking dull and grayish, keep your digestion balanced
2. Oily And Sensitive: Pitta Skin Type
Pitta dosha is a combination of fire and water. People with Pitta skin type have oily, clear and radiant skin. They have warm, sensitive and skin of medium thickness. If you have pitta skin type, you are prone to sunburn, acne, and blemishes. The skin is usually fair, with moles or freckles. Pitta craves coolness and is aggravated by heat. As a result, those with Pitta skin have problems with inflammation, irritation, and redness.
Tips For Maintaining The Balance
- Protect yourself from the sun
- Eat more cooling foods, like cucumber and zucchini, and cooling fruits like watermelon and pear
- Use cooling oils like coconut oil for massage
- Avoid using chemical-filled products that can irritate and inflame your skin. Instead, use natural and gentle skin care products
- Avoid hot, spicy or deep-fried foods
- Avoid alcohol, soda, and junk food
3. Oily And Thick: Kapha Skin Type
Kapha Dosha is a combination of earth and water. As a result, kapha skin type is oily, thick, pale and cool to touch. As a result of large pores, you are prone to acne, blackheads and the pores may clog. If you have this skin type, you may develop wrinkles much later in life because kapha skin has generous amounts of collagen and connective tissue.3 Water retention is common on the skin, which can be taken care of by regular cleansing to avoid infections.
Tips For Maintaining The Balance
- Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to cleanse the body from inside
- Take warm baths often, to open the skin pores
- Get regular exercise which helps to purify the skin by sweating
- The skin is prone to clogging and requires regular cleansing and exfoliation. Avoid products that are greasy.
- Use moisturizers that are light and nourishing
- Take warm oil massage to improve circulation
- Detoxify regularly both internally and externally to flush toxins from the skin
- Avoid eating dairy products
- Avoid eating sweet and fried food
4. Combination Skin:
There can also exist a combination skin, which can be Vata-Pitta, Kapha-Pitta or Vata-Kapha skin. Vata-Pitta skin is both dry and sensitive. Kapha-Pitta skin is oily and delicate, and Vata-Kapha skin is dry with some oily zones.
Characteristics of combination skin type differ based on the season. Vata-Pitta skin behaves like Pitta skin in summer and Vata skin in winters. Kapha-Pitta type acts like Pitta in summer and Kapha in winters. Vata-Kapha type acts like Vata only but the oily zones of the skin need to be cleansed.
Regardless of your skin type, using products with harsh chemicals will only imbalance the body. Instead, use natural or non-toxic skin care remedies.