Burn out + hot, reactive skin?

Hello pitta excess! Pitta dosha (fire + water) holds heat. Now this is one I know very well. It’s my own skin story and honestly one that I see continually at Flow.

In balance, pitta energy creates, transforms, digests, metabolises and gets things done. It will bring a rosy lustre and glow to the complexion. In excess, and if left to burn wildly, pitta will burn us out and bring excess heat, inflammation and irritation to the surface. It affects our gut, our liver, our emotions and increases the reactivity in our skin.

Hot reactive skin responses + a feeling of burnt out will indicate a pitta imbalance or excess. This is a gentle invitation to prioritise cultivating more cooling, calming, cleansing and softening practices and rituals. A shifting from critical, irritable and often over doing it to letting go, doing less, being more and creating space to really nurture yourself back into balance.

I know this path all too well as this is my skin story. Reactivity and sensitivity in my skin flares when I am approaching burn out. I get irritated and am quick to anger and react when my flame is nearly burn out.

Below are my top rituals to prioritise when this arises in my skin and body;

1/ cool the jets and calm the mind - use less products, do less to my skin and create spaciousness

2/ rose water and a simple pitta balancing protocol - oil/honey cleanse at night, liberal floral or rose water misting, aloe vera + pitta oil/ castor oil

3/ Kansa wand castor oil massage each night

4/ avoid hot, oily, spicy foods and drinks

5/ increase greens, focus on liver love + favour low histamine foods

6/ sip cooling teas

7/ find my joy, sweetness, lightness and cultivate more of that

8/ say no, do less, be more, practice loving kindness

9/ find your care/support team and use them

10/ acknowledge that you cannot pour from an empty cup and practice filling yours daily until the cup runneth over