Skin Health – the Ayurvedic way!

Are you contributing some of your hard earned dollars to the billion-dollar cosmetics industry trying to keep your skin healthy and younger looking but are overlooking one or more of the real keys to healthy, youthful skin? Now I am all for using (chemically free) external skin products where needed, but realise there are at least 5 far more important things (that will hardly cost you a cent) you should be focusing on before you worry about cosmetics.

1. INTERNAL HYDRATION:

Your skin is moisturised more from the inside than from the outside. Your skin is not just a bodily covering, it is the largest organ in your body and it needs water and lots of it. Without it, all those great nutrients you eat can’t get to your skin. Want to avoid your skin ageing prematurely? Drinking enough (more) water.

2. INTERNAL NUTRITION:

We hear all about antioxidants, vitamin E etc in our skin-care products, but don’t forget t your skins primary means of nourishment is from the ‘inside’. You can spend as much money as you want on the most expensive cosmetics, but if you are eating junk, your skin will show it. Fresh vegetables, and ‘juicy’ fruits such as oranges, melons, grapes etc are fantastic. And don’t forget apples and pears with the ‘skin’ (get it!) left on.

3. INTERNAL EMOTIONS:

In Vedic science, there is an intimate connection between our emotions, our liver and our skin. Like the eyes, your skin is a window to your soul and inner emotions. We often know when someone has just fallen in love or is on an emotional high, we say “you look absolutely radiant” or “gee whiz, you’re glowing”.

Being happy is the best medicine for your skin, so be nice to yourself and even better, say something really nice to someone you love and watch their face (skin) light up.

4. EXTERNAL TOUCH:

Skin is tactile. Having skin without it being touched is like having eyes that don’t see or ears that don’t hear. Having your skin touched (especially in a loving way) elicits waves of healing chemicals. One of the best all-time practices for a youthful complexion and robust skin health is a daily self massage. With an oil like cured sesame oil is even better (sesame oil is the best for penetrating the layers of the skin and eliminating impurities).

For more on daily self-massage – https://www.markbunn.com.au/articles-dailymassage/

5. SUNLIGHT:

Direct sunlight exposure is one of the most overlooked ingredients for the health of our skin. Despite anti-sun campaigners trying to brainwash us that the sun’s harmful to the skin (of course it is if you fry yourself like a lobster), direct sunlight exposure is not only one of the most important ingredients for your skin but your whole body health.

If you are unaware of the importance of direct sunlight and vitamin D, see https://www.markbunn.com.au/midday_sun/

Get your gear off and get some sun on most days – about 1/3 – 1/2 the amount it would take your skin to colour. Apologies to those who live in London and don’t know what the sun is.

* Final Note – Don’t make your Skin a Chemical Garbage Dump:

Make up, perfumes, most sunscreens and commercial skin products are full of harmful chemicals. Do you know why moisturisers and things like nicotine patches are designed to work? Because our skin is porous and what we put on it goes directly into our body. It’s better to eat food with chemicals than to ‘consume’ them through your skin. Your body at least has a few defensive layers in your digestive tract to eliminate unwanted nasties before they get into your blood etc when you eat them!!!

Where possible, cut down on the chemical laden shampoos, deodorants, fumes, make up etc etc. Either avoid them/use less of them or seek out some more natural alternatives. Seems a bit strange to poison the very organ we are trying to look after.

To know whether your skin products have toxic chemicals in them, check out this fantastic resource Page – Toxic Ingredients List – https://rezinate.mionegroup.com/en/toxic

I believe the same site also has excellent organically certified, chemical free cosmetics and skin-care products, so feel free to check it out.