Monsoons and Skin Care with Ayurvedic Remedies

20 Sep Monsoons and Skin Care with Ayurvedic Remedies

A lot took place in Pune in the past, some good and some well, not so great. Among the greats was the birth of Recova Life where I Dr (Mrs) Madhura Bhide consult and tell people the Ayurvedic way to live life, a way of life where nature and its bounties take care of most human needs and problems- provided we are aware of how best to use them.

One of the great things that swamps (yes swamps!) Pune every year are monsoons. Being in close proximity to the Sahyadris, Pune gets its share (which incidentally is quite substantial!) of rains which come calling for close to four (04) months. Ah, the feeling of rain drops on bristling, hot and dry skin! Nothing comes even close to the feeling of absolute bliss and sense of relief from the dry, stifling heat. Bliss you feel and blessed is the atmosphere which gets to release all its heat with the first shower.
This is about the time that despite the weather changing for the better, we at Recova Life get substantial number of patients complaining of skin issue which they want solved using Ayurveda. Skin, an important constituent of the body is controlled by the all-encompassing “Doshas” and thus has its own stories to tell.

In my two decades of practice continuing into the present with Recova Life, I am still quite surprised when people come to me thinking their “Doshas” would be taken care of with a change of the weather during monsoons thus giving them an opportunity to indulge themselves. Most folks do not understand that monsoons too create their own share of ups and downs in one’s elements – especially the element of fire in the “Pitta” dosha doing most of the harm. Monsoons are a time when the extra moisture in the air makes the skin so much more moist which ends up attracting more bacteria and sometimes spores and fungus which if not treated in time could end up leading to acne or worse, even fungal infections.

It is thus important to treat moisture in the right manner. Too much “treatment” and you could end up with dry and scaly skin and too less, the problem persists.

At Recova Life, we opine that skin care during monsoons ought to be a multi-pronged approach which includes:

• Taking care of your intake to pacify your “Pitta Dosha”: Imbibing liquids with high levels of nicotine and caffeine like tea and coffee should be restricted. So too alcohol. Your morning cuppa could be replaced with herbal tea with a combination of cardamom, tulsi, lemongrass and cinnamon which are known to aid metabolism and at the same time make your skin glow with health.
• Rehydrate your body and flush out the toxins! Rains and the resultant drop in temperature give us a feeling of being full with water. We thus neglect imbibing more water which affects our body’s ability to function well and release all the toxins. Drink your regular quota of water and to make it interesting, mix it with juices of aloe vera, pomegranate, gourd, cucumber, mint and triphala water.
• Face-packs during monsoon: With so much humidity floating around in the air, it is just a matter of time for your skin too to get clogged with dirt, dead skin and resultant bacteria and spores. These make your skin appear dull, tired and oily. Clogging your skin, they also cause things like acne and infections of various kinds. Get the glow back using
  • A blend of sandalwood, turmeric and flour of green lentil. These, besides creating a great face-pack, are an excellent exfoliating agent which completely clean the top layer of the skin and make you look like what you should!
  • Face-pack of a combination of dry powders of triphala, neem and orange peels mixed in rose water for a clear skin.
  • If you think you need to go beyond just the face to include the whole body, a mix of honey and yogurt (curd) applied 30 minutes before a shower can do a load of good.
• Moisturizing your skin during monsoon. Yes, despite all the humidity around, your skin still needs moisturizing…of the right kinds! Monsoons and humidity can make your skin feel both wet and itchy. A good way to retain moisture and get rid of the itching is to use a mix of neem and sesame oil applied to the skin a full 15 minutes before a warm water bath. Done once a week, this gives your skin the right sheen while keeping the dirt and bacteria at bay. For those of you with dry skin, applying sesame oil processed with neem and manjishtha extracts is a proven remedy to bring back the right moisture and glow.
• Aloe Vera and the art of skin maintenance! It’s nothing short of a miracle of Mother Nature! It goes deep into the skin and is an excellent blood cleaner taking care of pimples and acne. Being a healthy laxative, if consumed, it also controls the outcome of imbalances in the “Pitta Dosha”. With insect bites, bacteria, inflammation being second nature during monsoons, Aloe Vera is the best cure. Using it gives one a round-the-clock cure for all the ills of monsoons!

Monsoons in India, as we are well aware, are interesting times and I for one find it infinitely soothing given the heat before its arrival. But then, one has to be cautious as rains bring their own share of problems.

But then ask me if there is any life without its share of pitfalls & perils! As for the latter, we at Recova Life await the opportunity to serve you…the Ayurvedic way so that you are back on your feet at the earliest and for the longest possible time.

So, take care with the remedies I suggest above and let the rains chill you!

Disclaimer :

This article is meant solely to provide information about remedies under Ayurveda and is not meant to be used for diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.
Where the reader or any other person has chronic and/or dire health issues, it is advisable to consult a trained and certified medical practitioner for a complete and comprehensive diagnosis which can address the underlying issues effectively.
Recova Life and its constituents are also certified medical practitioners who can be consulted. Our numbers are +91 83800-16119 and Email ID atul@recovalife.com
With respect to the consumption of any herbs, fruits, vegetables and the likes mentioned here, it would be advisable where you consult a certified medical practitioner for his/her opinion before-hand.