Skin Care in Winter- Ayurvedic Tips

The dry winter weather makes the skin dry and rough. Lack of humidity out doors leads to cracked skin and indoor heating further removes the traces of moisture and aggravates dryness of skin. Dry and cracked skin leads to various skin infections. Hence care should be taken to keep the skin moist, soft and smooth.

Ayurveda takes a holistic approach to maintaining and regaining health. There are many ayurveda tips to keep the skin glowing and smooth in winters as well. We will discuss here some tips from Ayurveda that would help us keep our skin soft and fresh.

The winter season is marked as Hemant Ritu in Aayurveda. Hemant Ritu starts from mid November and ends in mid January. This falls in southern solstice which is called as Visarga kala or Dakshinayana in Ayurveda.

Massage – Ayurveda promotes hot oil massage as a remedy for dry and rough skin. The oil massage nourishes the skin. The ayurveda oil massage keeps the skin hydrated. Regular oil massages are good for skin in winters. Opt for oils which do not clog the dermal pores. Non clogging oils such as avocado oil, primrose oil and almond oil should be preferred.

Bath - Instead of using soap high in their alkaline content, it is better to have your skin washed with paste of ground gram and yogurt or use mixture of milk, cream, turmeric powder and besan. Soaps based on natural oils and glycerin may turn out to be a healthy alternative.
Avoid using hot water for bathing; instead go for lukewarm water enriched with drops of glycerin or herbal oil such as tea tree oil to make up for the loss of moisture.

Face and Skin Care - In winter season, use face masks or face packs with herbs that can bring back the moisture to the skin. You may use rose water, amla, aloevera , turmeric and other natural ingredients. Skin may be similarly hydrated with cold creams and moisturizer oily in content instead of water based moisturizers opted for during summer. Moisturizing lotions based on glycerin and alpha-hydroxyl content can contribute to the smoothening feel of the skin.

Diet in winter - In winters it is very necessary to eat well. Add extra herbs and spices in your diet like amla, ashwagandha, shataveri, triphala etc. Regular consumption of a spoon full of chwapanprash in the morning is also very good for skin and body. Also include a lot of fruits in your diet. Fruits are naturally hydrating in nature and help to keep yur skin fresh and glowing. Drink plenty of water to keep the skin hydrated. Drinking warm water in winter prevents vitiation of vata and diseases arising due to that. Consume warm and heavy to digest food. Include Honey,sugar Cane juice, milk and clarified butter (ghee) in diet.

Winter Life style - Wear warm clothes made of wool, silk and cotton. While wearing clothes in layers wear cotton clothes next to your skin as they do not cause skin allergy. Moreover they absorb sweat. Do regular exercise. 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily can give your skin a healthy glow. Avoid repeated washing of face which washes off natural oils from your skin and makes the skin dry, scaly and wrinkled. Apply moisturizing lotion liberally all over the body. Smear lip balm on lips. Take care of your heels with balms and moisturizing products. Use humidifiers to have the indoor environment well hydrated and moisturized. These tips from Ayurveda would surely help you to keep your skin soft and fresh in this winter.