Maharishi Ayurveda Youthful Skin and Beauty Self-Care System

How to Look More Beautiful as You Age

Keep your skin looking like a teenager’s by paying attention to the four pillars of youthful skin: nourish, rehydrate, detoxify, and remove stress. “These four pillars increase prabha, the luster and glow of the skin. And all four must be addressed from the inside and the outside.

Nourish

To nourish your skin from the inside, The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians recommends following the Ayurvedic guidelines for the season and your skin/body type. In addition, try adjusting your diet to become more skin-friendly. Eat plenty of sweet, juicy fruits, such as a stewed apple or pear for breakfast, to enhance rasa dhatu (nutrient fluid) and increase suppleness.

Include multiple grains in your diet (quinoa, couscous, millet, barley, amaranth, rye and wheat) to provide a variety of minerals and the full range of nature’s intelligence.
Eat a variety of cooked vegetables with spices. Green, leafy vegetables provide fiber and nutrients such as iron and calcium, which help to nourish the blood and skin tissue.
Eat light, easily digestible proteins such as milk, lassi, and panir (freshly made cheese), as well as proteins such as mung dhal.
Take Youthful Skin tablets and ReGen Vitality tablets to enhance skin health and structure.

Skin-Friendly Spice Mixture

3 parts turmeric
6 parts coriander
6 parts fennel
1 part fenugreek
1 part black pepper

First sauté the spices in ghee, add steamed vegetables and stir. Cook for a few minutes to allow the spices to be absorbed.

“Turmeric is the greatest friend of the skin because it is purifying and is a potent antioxidant. “Cumin and fenugreek purify the blood and fat tissue, and black pepper and turmeric do the same, plus cleanse the rasa (nutrient fluid) and sweat (the waste product of fat tissue). All of these have a direct link to the health and appearance of the skin.”

Rehydrate

For internal rehydration, drink more pure water, eat sweet, juicy fruits, and include high-quality fats such as ghee or olive oil in your diet. A fat-free diet is unhealthy for the skin, and diminishes both luster and aura. But always cook fats with skin-friendly spices to improve digestion and absorption.”For external reydration, massage daily with the new Youthful Skin Massage Oil, which is rich in herbs such as Shankapushpi, Gotu Kola, and Ashwagandha. This oil enhances absorption, has an anti-aging effect, and increases glow and luster. It is a most effective body oil for youthfulness, and uses new techniques for faster absorption and more satisfying aroma.

“I’ve been using Ayurvedic facial massage oils consistently for one month, and to use one word to describe it, it’s heavenly,” says one patient. “It absorbs deeply and completely into my skin and leaves no oily residue. People have started complimenting me on how soft and silky my hands feel.”

For facial skin, these Ayurvedic formulations provide deep-layer lipid support, and provide moisture balance and rehydration as well.

Royal Milk Bath

This time-tested beauty aid was recommended by the royal physicians for the queens of India to enhance glow and luster of the skin. Mix a large quantity of 70 percent rolled oats, 10 percent Indian Sarsaparilla, 10 percent Marshmallow Root and 10 percent Rose Petals.

Place two tablespoons in the middle of a small square of cheesecloth, gather up the ends of the cloth, and tie with a string.
Dip the cloth into warm milk and pat the entire body to deeply moisturize your skin.
Make enough mixture for one or two months and store in an airtight container.

Detoxify

The number one detoxification target should be the colon. If you have a problem with Apana Vata and are constipated, for instance, your skin will only become dryer and duller. Take daily walks, eat more fibrous foods, and drink plenty of water. If you still have irregular bowel movements, there are herbal formulas to support regularity. To seasonally detoxify the liver, go to an Ayurvedic skin expert. Or ask your physician about Ayurvedic herbs for detoxification whenever the seasons are changing (for example, in the transition weeks between summer and fall, and spring and summer).

De-Stress

If you are under stress, it often shows up immediately in the face as a drawn, dull look. Stressed people have trouble sleeping — and lack of sleep causes stress, so it’s important to take care of both factors at the same time.

To dissolve mental and emotional stress on a daily basis, practice the Transcendental Meditation program. For mental stress ask your physician about anxiety reducing teas, aromas and herbals
For emotional stress ask your physician about herbals that support balanced emtions and do deep, easy breathing exercises such as pranayama.
Ask your physician about herbals supporting deep thorough sleep, for the most restful, beauty-enhancing sleep.

Youthful Inside, Youthful Outside

Ayurvedic antioxidants – known as ‘rasayanas’ are intended to take care of all four pillars of youthful skin from the inside. It has rich nutrients to nourish, rehydrate, and detoxify the skin, and it builds resilience to stress. It is the most powerful rasayana for enhancing overall health and providing beautiful, youthful skin.

Certain Ayurvedic skin creams contain sandalwood, known for its beauty enhancing effects, this, along with other herbs are considered age-defying and enhance all four pillars of youthfulness from the outside. It rehydrates, provides lipid support, contains oils that enhance collagens, and maintains the balance between collagens and elastins.

“Since using these herbals, I notice that my skin is not so dry in winter,” said one patient, age 50. “I spend a lot of time outside, and was developing crow’s feet at the side of my eyes. After using certain herbals I hardly have any wrinkles left. And the ones that are still there don’t show much, because my skin is so deeply nourished. My students tell me that I look much more healthy, happy and vibrant than other people my age.

DISCLAIMER: These results may not be typical. Results with products may vary from individual to individual. Information in this article is presented for the sole purpose of imparting education on Ayurveda and neither the information nor the product is intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition, or are pregnant or lactating, please consult a health professional. Before making changes to your diet or routine, it is recommended that you speak with your physician.