The summer sun– our skin’s worst enemy—is retreating, but Old Man Winter is in quick pursuit. Heaters are on, the wind is dry and biting, and our skin is on red alert. Dryness and dehydration can sap skin of its youthful fullness and glow, adding years to our faces and promoting premature wrinkling. Fortunately, Maharishi Ayurveda, the comprehensive system of natural medicine from ancient India, offers a variety of effective solutions to protect our skin and help us look beautiful and youthful all year long.
According to Maharishi Ayurveda, cold, dry air and windy wintry weather, all aggravate our body’s air and space elements, or vata principle. Simply put, the dryness and cold outside of us create dryness and coldness inside of us, per Ayurveda’s “principle of similarities.” To balance vata and protect our skin in the winter, we, in turn, need to apply the “principle of opposites,” favoring warm foods and drinks, soups and other water-rich foods, and including healthy oils to fight winter dryness.
The key to keeping our skin moist and “lubed” during the winter months lies in adequate water and oil—both inside and on the outside of our bodies. Our skin needs both to stay healthy and youthful. Drinking plenty of water plumps our skin, minimizing fine wrinkles. Eating healthy oils and massaging them into the skin help hold moisture in and give our complexions a satiny glow. (See tips below for details.)
The skin is also an important organ of purification. Maharishi Ayurveda and modern science both link the skin with liver function. The skin has many of the same enzymes as the liver—including those involved in detoxification. If our body gets overloaded with toxins, our skin reflects it in rashes, itching, and even accelerated aging.
Furthermore, in the winter, our pores tend to “close up” to protect us from heat loss, dryness and the cold. Toxins are then extra likely to build up in the body during the winter. To avoid toxin buildup and help keep your skin clear through the winter months, work up a sweat on a regular basis during the winter through exercise (best) or warm baths or saunas.
Come spring, our bodies begin to detoxify from the long winter. Toxins on the move can cause flare-ups such as rashes, itching and other skin problems. To head off these beauty breakers before they arise, Maharishi Ayurveda advises a gentle internal cleansing be performed at the change of season.
To ensure you stay “body beautiful” this winter, follow these five fabulous ways to keep your skin plumped, oiled and glowing:
You Might Also Enjoy...
Would you ever imagine there could be a coffee substitute that helps with mental alertness while it smooths your wrinkles? We can thank Mother Nature for Gotu Kola, a versatile brain tonic that also strengthens and nourishes the skin.
As we get older there’s probably nothing that we value more than maintaining our brain health. A healthy brain means healthy memory which is such an important part of who we are.
Hear Nancy Lonsdorf, MD interview Suzanne Steinbaum M.D on the surprising rising incidence of heart disease in young women and how women can avoid this number one cause of death through simple preventative practices.
Sleep is natural to life and any problems we encounter should have a natural solution.
We all have emotional stress in our lives. Whether we experience it everyday or only on occasion, emotional stress is an inevitable part of life. In this video Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf offers tips on how to overcome emotional stress naturally.
Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf talks about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and how Ayurveda can help improve women's health.
