Changes in the appearance of your skin and hair are among the most apparent signs of ageing. Early signs of ageing begin to surface from as young as 25 years of age. Sunspots, dark spots, increased dryness, discolouration, hyperpigmentation, and thinning of hair are the first to appear. They give way to wrinkles, crow’s feet, laugh lines, flaky or sallow skin, and grey hair as you continue to get older.
However, Ayurveda suggests that you can slow down the ageing process with the right herbs. For example, Ayurvedic herbs like Guduchi, Brahmi and so on have various natural antioxidants that inhibit the growth of cell-damaging free radicals in the body.
Kama Ayurveda’s in-house specialist Dr Sharad Kulkarni shares anti-ageing tips and ayurvedic remedies that can help you care for your skin, hair and body.
1. How can Ayurveda specifically deal with ageing & its effect on the skin?
Among the many benefits of Ayurveda, the science helps remove toxins and impurities (abnormal Dosha) from the body, thereby helping deal with ageing and its effects on the skin. This is an effective approach because it works on you from the inside out.
2. Can you mention some ayurvedic herbs that one can specifically include in their skincare regime & diet to help deal with ageing?
Some Ayurvedic herbs that can be included in your skincare regime and diet to aid ageing, gracefully include amla, neem, lemon, rose, aloe vera and manjistha. Look out for these herbs in the food you eat and your skin and hair care products.
3. Is it true that an imbalance of the three gunas (dosha) can create skin problems?
The imbalance of the 3 doshas or gunas is, in fact, the root cause of all skin problems. Balancing your doshas can help not just improve your skin, but your overall health in general.
4. What are some ayurvedic skin therapies that can help deal with the problem?
Some Ayurvedic skin therapies that can aid skincare problems include detoxification (panchakarma), applying a herbal face pack to the skin (mukhalepa), and oil pulling (gandusha).
5. Can you give us four ayurvedic recipes that can help boost collagen?
The following recipes can be incorporated into your diet to help boost collagen:
- Boil Ashwagandha with milk and ghee, and have this once a day
- Boil bala with milk and ghee, and have this once a day
- Mix amla powder with honey, and lick the mixture once a day
- Drink fresh juice with honey
6. Which foods support radiance and can reduce the appearance of ageing?
In addition to using scrubs, include Kama Ayurveda’s Kumkumadi Brightening Ayurvedic Scrub to boost skin radiance.
One can also incorporate bitter gourd in any form into their diet. You can have uncooked ghee with your food, a glass of milk at night, and amla powder with honey. These simple recipes help arrest the growth of cell-damaging free radicals in the body.
7. Is it true that Abhyanga or daily morning oil massage can help the skin remain young?
Yes, Abhyanga or daily morning oil massage most definitely helps the skin remain young. Oil helps moisturise and hydrate the skin, improving its elasticity which generally gets lower as you age. An oil massage will also boost circulation and help the blood flow well through the body, giving your skin a natural and healthy flush of colour.
8. Can you give us 5 Ayurvedic anti-ageing face pack recipes?
The following ingredient combinations can be mixed together and used as anti-ageing face packs.
- Lemon + turmeric (haldi)
- Amla powder + rose water
- Triphala powder + lemon
- Turmeric + besan + lemon
- Neem powder + water
9. What are some essential oils that are good for anti-ageing?
Concentrated extracts from plants are used to make essential oils. They are a great delivery medium of hydration and nutrition for the skin and hair. Some essential oils that prove beneficial for skin anti-ageing include tea tree, orange, rosemary and saffron.
10. What are some lifestyle changes one needs to make to prevent premature ageing?
In addition to living a stress-free life, getting adequate sleep at night and following a nutritious diet, to keep premature ageing at bay, one must exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. They must also practise meditation for 10 minutes. The idea is to feed your body, mind and soul with all the good things in life.
6 Tips From Dr Sharad Kulkarni For Indian Women Who Are Already Dealing With Signs Of Skin Ageing
- Indian women can take specific steps based on their area of concern. If your skin has lost its glow and is looking dull, make sure you’re hydrating it well. Drink plenty of water and keep your skin hydrated with face masks and ingredients like yoghurt (dahi). You can try using a curd face pack, face oils, or even honey for skin.
- The easiest way to treat dark circles is to reduce your sugar intake and get a good night’s sleep.
- For age spots and discolouration, add two drops of sesame oil to each nostril as nasal drops. It’s an unexpected tip, but yet an effective remedy.
- If you have fine lines and wrinkles, follow a cleanse, tone, moisturise (CTM) routine every day, and opt for a seasonal diet detox for your body.
- For women who notice skin sagging, massaging your face regularly with 1-2 drops of almond oil can really help improve skin elasticity over long-term use.
- Also, dryness and thinning of skin is a common problem as you age. Begin with fixing your diet. Add 1-2tsp of ghee to your lunch every day.