What is Ayurvedic Facial Therapy?

Ayurvedic facial therapy is a holistic facial modality that is completely anchored in the wisdom of Ayurveda - the oldest holistic health science that originated in India 5000 years ago. Ayurveda literally means the science of life. Underpinning all Ayurvedic practices and treatments is an understanding of the five great elements (maha bhutas); air, ether, fire, water & earth and their corresponding qualities (gunas). These five great elements are the fundamental building blocks of all things in the universe; composing all things in our natural world and encompassing all living beings to function in harmony and peace. These elements, always around and within us, come together to form 3 intelligences or doshas; vata, pitta & kapha.

Our doshas provide a framework for understanding how the five elements interact with each other to create a state of balance or imbalance within the body. We are all born with a mind/body type; our prakruti or true nature. This is a particular doshic balance that is determined at birth. We all contain a mixture of all doshas, usually with a dominance of one or two. Over our lifetime, we can develop imbalances due to the delicate dance of our doshas in and around us. This can create our vikruti which is our imbalance state. 

An Ayurvedic health approach is about creating rituals and practices that allow our doshic mind/body type to remain balanced, creating longevity, good health and radiance in all aspects of our being, over our lifetime. Ayurveda has long acknowledged that beauty and radiance are the direct result of what we put into and onto our body and mind in the form of diet, movement, beauty and healing rituals as well as our thoughts, feelings, emotions and spiritual practices. Beauty is interlinked with balanced health and the deeper sattvic ideals of love, truth, freedom, devotion and peace.

Ayurvedic facial therapy is more than just a holistic facial treatment, it is an invitation for you to have a deeper understanding of how your mind/body type creates your skin health and how you can create rituals and nourishment to bring radiance and a deeper connection to your true nature. It is about creating a sense of beauty in your life.

Ayurvedic facials are for a client who wishes to nourish and rebalance their skin in a way that acknowledges all the aspects that are creating the imbalance and who wants to live and thrive according to their own unique nature. Radiance and vitality are very easily accessible when our mind/body type is in balance.

During an Ayurvedic facial, we discuss your skin in terms of doshas and elements. We acknowledge that ‘like increases like’ and work with the qualities or gunas in your  skin. Our goal is to reduce the excess and increase the lack, and in doing so, creating balance, vitality and optimum skin health. Topical skin products are always plant-based (with the exception of organic, local honey, milks & yogurt), herbal, high vibrational and use ancient herbal formulations that focus on balancing the doshas in your skin. If you cannot ingest it, it should not go on your skin. Olenation is key in this facial therapy; applying herbal oils to the skin with loving intention is a sacred Ayurvedic practice and all facial rituals will include olenation of the face, scalp, arms & hands and feet. This is a hands-on and massage focused modality; it is touch over high tech.

Each facial is a ritual, not just treating the skin but the emotional and energetic bodies as well. Your unique nature and predispositions and the doshic imbalance that manifest in your skin are taken into consideration. We address your skin in your treatment but also recommend lifestyle practices and rituals to bring balance to your mind & body, which is where many skin conditions manifest themselves according to Ayurveda. 

This facial modality acknowledges the seasons within and around us. Seasonal changes are taken into consideration. The intention is to create balance and vitality, no matter the stage of life. It honours your whole being and focuses on ritual to truly nourish yourself each and every day. A deep honouring of your beauty and health from within.

Ayurvedic Facial Therapy is a nurturing, deeply restorative, rebalancing facial that really honours your whole being. It acknowledges that the pathway to skin health & radiance is not just about treating your skin, but about nourishing your doshas, and your body, mind and spirit. It is the ultimate practice of self-care and skin health.

The Ayurvedic Perspective on Perimenopause and its effects on your skin

In Ayurveda, just as each season around us is governed by the doshas, so too are the seasons of our lifetime. From birth to 25 years is governed by kapha (a building, growing and developing intelligence), 25 years to mid life is governed by pitta (a transformative, driven and accomplishing intelligence) and from 50 years onwards is governed by vata (a letting go, releasing and wisdom producing intelligence).

In a woman’s life, perimenopause is a precursor for the transition from pitta dominance into vata dominance in her lifetime. It can be seen as a beautifully transient time to make way for a woman to really prioritise her health and well-being; physically, emotionally, sexually and spiritually.

This time can be challenging, difficult, exciting and interesting and each woman’s experience with it is her own. The impact that hormonal changes, fluctuations and depletions, can have on our skin during perimenopause can be quite impactful during this sacred time of transition. An increase in inflammatory skin conditions, dryness, pigmentation, a loss of elasticity and firmness and a reduction in your ‘beauty essence’ or inner radiance are common imbalances that can start to become skin issues during the time of perimenopause.  

It is during this time that we begin to see a decrease in oestrogen and progesterone hormones. It is these 2 hormones that contribute to 2 subtle, vital essences; OJAS and TEJAS. As these hormones decrease, these vital essences deplete.

OJAS – a very subtle form of kapha – is the essence responsible for our vigour, the nourishment of our tissues, it builds immunity, strength, vitality and happiness. It is the very end product that is produced once all of our tissues are nourished from the food we eat. When we have strong ojas, our skin literally glows from the inside out.

TEJAS – a very subtle form of pitta – it is the energy that gives metabolism, transformation, intelligence and radiance. It is necessary for strong agni (digestive fire) and for regulating the heat in our body. When in balance, this subtle energy creates our radiance.

The depletion of these essences; the essences that give juiciness and radiance to our skin health and whole body health, mean that we have a decrease in kapha (think that soft, clear, smooth, juicy baby skin) and a dysregulation of our pitta, the heat is in excess and has no guidance on how to flow correctly (think hot flushing, rises in adult-onset rosacea, increase of inflammation). We also see an increase in vata dosha (dryness).

Consequently, we see an increase in the following qualities (gunas) in our skin and body; dry, rough, spreading, mobile, subtle, cool and hot. An increase in these qualities can present in our skin as an increase in dryness, roughness, lack of firmness, inflammatory skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema/dermatitis, adult acne, and pigmentation.

In Ayurvedic beauty, to achieve skin health and balance, we look at the presenting qualities or gunas that are in excess and depletion. The goal is to reduce your excess and bring in what your individual skin is lacking, following the premise that like increases like.

To achieve skin balance during this time (where there is an excess of pitta and vata doshas and a decrease in kapha), I recommend the following guidelines (keeping in mind that each woman will have specific requirements applicable to their individual mind/body type and beauty essence.

·       Nourish and hydrate your skin – increase the water element through using a mist or hydrosol, follow that with dosha balancing oils and balms. This brings juiciness to the tissues. Integrating lots of facial massage, preferably with the use of marma point activation and kansa wand massage. Massage is the most pacifying tool you have literally at your fingertips. This will flush excess pitta or heat to the surface of the skin so it can be eliminated, move the lymphatic system to boost immunity and create a consistent, grounding effect to pacify excess vata. Kansa wand therapy has been use to flush excess inflammation (heat) out of the skin.

·       If experiencing hot flushes, bring coolness to your skin, cooling cleansing milks, rose water mists and pitta balancing oils and balms (usually containing coconut, aloe vera, rose, sandalwood, almond oil, silver leaf, apricot kernel oil, neem). Avoid heating foods, drinks, activities, and spend time really nurturing any feelings of frustration, irritation and anger. Finding your loving compassion and directing that consistently to self and others. Favour a pitta pacifying diet.

·       Daily self abhyanga with warmed organic, cold pressed, sesame oil. This practice is literally an act of self love and pacifies excess vata, nourishes the body with zinc and magnesium, allows excess heat and stagnation to be released from the skin in a gentle way.

·       Shirodhara (a treatment where warmed oil is poured in an even and flowing stream gently on the third eye area) – this is particularly pacifying for hormonal imbalances, balancing the pineal and pituitary gland (the Master Gland) which in turn can create hormonal harmony. This treatment is so nourishing and balances the transition to a vata dominant season beautifully.

At Flow, I would always recommend regular pitta and vata balancing facials to ensure we are balancing any excess pitta and nourishing your skin’s transition into vata. A strong focus on the relaxation (or nervous system love) to allow your whole self to be held during this time of movement and transition in your body. Consistency (dinacharya and ritucharya - daily and seasonal routines) is always the key to balancing doshic excesses. Use this time to place loving importance on your needs. Moving from the energy of achievement, accomplishment and planting the seeds to embracing enlightenment, ease and your own wisdom deserves to be experienced with importance, wholeness and honouring of self.