Although I didn’t have health insurance at the time, I went to a pricey Park Avenue dermatologist in Manhattan that was recommended to me. She prescribed a harsh benzoyl peroxide cleanser, a topical antibiotic, and Retin-A. I went to the pharmacy that night and came back home with $150 worth of prescriptions. Yowza.

For the next few months, I dutifully used the prescriptions, even though I thought they smelled bad and produced unwanted side effects. The benzoyl peroxide cleanser dried my skin out and bleached my towels! (If it was bleaching my towels, what the hell was it doing to my skin?!) The Retin-A also wreaked havoc – it took away some of the bumpiness and oiliness, but dried my skin out and made it constantly slough off. Charming. In the summer sun, my already sensitive, pale skin turned lobster red, as Retin-A increases the skin’s sensitivity to those dastardly UV rays.

I was entirely dissatisfied with this expensive skin care regimen that seemed to do nothing for my skin, and if it took away some problems, it gave me other unwanted side effects. One day, I went into one of my favorite bookstores in New York: East West Books, a bookstore specializing in spirituality and health. My favorite thing to do at East West is just to wander around and let my intuition tell me what to buy. Sure enough, a book with a dewy pink lotus on the cover caught my eye – Absolute Beauty: Radiant Skin and Inner Harmony through the Ancient Secrets of Ayurveda by Pratima Raichur, N.D., and Marian Cohn. This book introduced me to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of holistic healthcare, and how it applies to skincare and beauty. It taught me so much about how our diet, lifestyle, spiritual state, and thoughts affect our health and appearance. (The skin is one of the best barometers for indicating a person’s overall health.) The book also supplied me with tons of fun recipes to make gentle, luscious-smelling skincare products to pamper and soothe my sensitive skin. I was also lucky enough when I was living in Manhattan to be Pratima’s client – she offered much more compassion and insight than my pricey Park Avenue dermatologist!

Since then, I’ve explored Ayurveda in more depth and written about it professionally. I love sharing knowledge, so read on to learn about the history of Ayurveda, its basic concepts, and an Ayurvedic approach to skincare and beauty. I’ll also share some fun recipes.

A Brief History of Ayurveda

The name Ayurveda is derived from two Sanskrit words: ayu, meaning “life” or “daily living”; and veda, which means “knowledge.” These terms are roughly translated together to mean “the science of life.” Ayurveda was developed over 5,000 years ago by the ancient rishis, or seers, who contemplated the causes of health and disease. The rishis first recorded their insights in the Vedas, or Hindu books of knowledge.

Basic Concepts of Ayurveda

Ayurvedic doctors, or vaidyas, believe that the human body is a manifestation of cosmic energy on the physical and mental levels. When these energies are imbalanced, disease and/or skin problems can result. In Ayurveda, perfect health is accomplished by integrating the mind, body, and spirit. Integration is achieved by focusing on health promotion through lifestyle, nutrition, daily routines, and herbal remedies that contribute to well being. According to Ayurveda, the body is comprised of three subtle essences, or gunas: prana (“life energy,” equivalent to Chinese “chi”), ojas (“vigor”), and tejas (“fire or transformative energy”), according to Absolute Beauty. From the gunas rise the five elements, present in all people and all things. The elements include space, air, fire, water, and earth. Although each of us is born with all five elements, we have them in different proportions. These different proportions determine our mental and physical tendencies, write Dr. Raichur and Ms. Cohn.

The five elements then give rise to three biological forces known as the doshas, which control mental and physical functioning. We each have a unique proportion of all doshas and elements. Diagnosis and treatment are based on the doshas; when they are balanced, we feel healthy, when imbalanced, disease and unsavory skin problems occur. The three doshas are vata (air and space), pitta (fire and water), and kapha (water and earth). Although all three doshas occur in everyone, most people have a predominant tendency towards one or more doshas.

Determining Your Basic Constitution, Skin Type, and Possible Imbalances

An Ayurvedic doctor can perform diagnostic tests, such as observing your tongue, fingernails, and pulse, to determine your predominant doshas and if you have any imbalances. While it is ideal to have an Ayurvedic doctor determine your dosha constitution, there is a detailed quiz in Absolute Beauty to help you determine your predominant doshas, if you have any imbalances, and which skincare regimen is right for you.

If you have problems with your skin, they are most likely due to a dosha imbalance. Here’s a description of the physical, mental, and behavioral characteristics of the doshas. Do you see yourself in one or more of these?

Caring for Your Skin Inside and Out

Once you have an idea of your basic constitution and any possible imbalances, you can visit an Ayurvedic doctor and/or do some research to determine a skincare regimen that’s right for you (resources are listed at the end). In Ayurveda, we focus not only what you put on your body, but what you put in it as well. Certain foods and lifestyle habits can exacerbate dosha imbalances. While diet and lifestyle modifications are beyond the scope of this article, I hope that you will investigate these important aspects to heal your skin from the inside out. Wonderful products can make a big difference in your skin’s appearance, but they’re not the whole picture. Your diet, lifestyle, and spiritual life also play a huge role in your skin’s appearance. And if you’ve already got fabulous skin, Ayurveda can help you keep it that way!

Check out some recipes below inspired by Ayurveda. They are gentle, yet effective and chock full of prana.

Fun DIY Recipes

Tip: One important concept in Ayurveda is that when we cook or make something, we imbue our thoughts and feelings into the product. Therefore, to make your products the most potent and effective, think healing, positive, earthy-glam thoughts when you prepare them, and have fun!

Soothing and clarifying salve

Squirt a penny-sized blob of aloe vera gel (preferably fresh, but store-bought will do) on your palm; blend with 2 drops of tea tree oil, a natural antibacterial agent. You can also add 1 drop of lavender essential oil to the mix – another great antibacterial agent. This salve can be used on rashy, pimply skin. If you put it on before bed, you’ll wake up with softer, smoother, clearer skin.

To clear acne from the inside out, drink burdock, coriander seed, and/or dandelion root teas. These teas are also wonderful if your skin tends to have a yellowish, sallow appearance. Burdock, coriander, and dandelion are natural blood cleansers that help your liver to work more efficiently to detoxify your system. You can either make burdock tea or find it pre-packaged in health food stores. To prepare it fresh: boil 2 cups of water, peel one long burdock root, cut a 6-inch piece, take the water off the stove, and steep the root for half an hour in the water, strain, and drink.

This is great for the winter when you need to simultaneously warm up and chill out. Place a few tablespoons of fresh grated ginger root in a sock or piece of cheesecloth; tie to the faucet and run very warm water over it until the tub is suitably full, writes Ayurvedic doctor and author Vasant Lad in Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing.

This cleanser is great for sensitive, dry skin, as it doesn’t disturb the skin’s delicate acid mantle. Mix equal parts chickpea flour and powdered milk (or soymilk, if you want a vegan cleanser), and add a teaspoon of turmeric powder. Shake and store in a spice jar. Mix with enough water in the palm of your hand to make a paste. Gently scrub skin, but not hard – that’ll just aggravate your skin. Rinse off and pat dry. The chickpea cleans your skin of dirt and grime, the powdered milk softens and nourishes, and antioxidant, antibacterial turmeric fights unsightly pimples. And you can make a nice falafel with leftover chickpea flour.

Last Thoughts

If your skin is not responding well to commercial lotions and potions and prescription medications, consider researching more on Ayurveda and adapting an Ayurvedic skincare regimen. Even if your skin is already flawless, Ayurveda provides a natural way to nourish and pamper your skin and to approach beauty in a multidimensional way.