Ayurvedic Skincare Secrets I Learned From My Mom

Being born and raised in India, I used many Ayurvedic skincare techniques with my mom, who learned it from her mom, and so on. After moving to New York, a lot of my friends ask me about Ayurvedic beauty secrets, and I always recommend two ingredients! 

Ayurvedic skincare is based on ancient Indian medicine and has been used by many Queens and Sages for overall healing, beauty, and medicinal purposes. It is very deeply rooted in Indian history and culture and believes in the wholesome elevation of mind and body. The Ayurvedic method doesn’t always provide instant results but I found it to be effective in the long run.

In the past, I would seek shortcuts or quick results for a night out or a special occasion but I found there to be repercussions afterward so I started taking a more holistic approach to take care of my skin. Rather than neglecting it until I need to take care of it, it’s actually about consistency. 

So what are my two favorite ingredients? Let’s get into it.

1. Tomato

Growing up, I’ve heard people say that if you use tomato on your skin every day, you will never need makeup.

I wanted to see if it was true for myself and who wouldn’t want to apply less makeup? 

Once I started using it, I was pretty intrigued by the results.

I use it daily and for me personally, it depuffs my skin and under-eyes. In the long run, my skin feels healthier, shinier, and more even-toned. It’s also true that I actually don’t need to use a makeup foundation. I only use a concealer on some parts of my skin, but otherwise, I am all set to go.

Here’s How to Use it

1. Cut a thin slice of tomato.
2. Gently massage in circular motions on your face.
3. Wait 15 minutes then wash off.
4. Follow up with your daily moisturizer.

In the morning, as I’m brewing my morning coffee, I take out the tomato from the fridge and cut a thin slice. Then, I gently massage my face with it. The chilled tomato has the same cooling effects as jade rollers, and the tomato skin is slightly exfoliating, it wakes up my skin while nourishing it.

I use the 15-minute wait time to enjoy my morning coffee and it has become like a morning ritual for me! It works as a cleanser and toner so after I wash it off, all I have to do is apply my daily moisturizer.

Tomato’s Benefits 

• Help with reducing dark spots: Rich in vitamin C, tomatoes can help even out the skin and gives it a healthy glow. Consistent use on your skin can reduce hyperpigmentation, dullness and dark spots. Leaving you with a brighter and more radiant complexion. 
• Get rid of pimples and acne: The acidity of the tomato juice helps with acne and breakouts since it is antibacterial and anti-fungal in nature. It balances the skin’s pH level, which helps reduce excess oil that may cause your skin to break out.
• Tighten skin pores: Tomatoes act as a natural astringent, using it on your face every day can minimize the appearance of large pores and clear out dirt and oil accumulation.
• Anti-aging: The high amount of antioxidants in tomatoes has an anti-aging effect and contribute to fading away fine lines and wrinkles.
• Treat sunburn: The vitamins in tomatoes help soothe sunburnt skin by restoring the dead skin cells and can be effective for tan removal. Additionally, they also promote quick recoveries from redness and inflammation. 

Tips

Based on your texture preference, you can choose to grate the tomato and strain out the juice. Then use a cotton pad to soak in the tomato juice and apply it to your face.

You can also add lemon juice for added antioxidants and skin brightening effects, which allows for an extra glow. In case you are heading out, don’t forget to apply sunscreen!

2. Chickpea (Gram) Flour 

What else can I say except I love chickpea flour! It helps to instantly brighten your skin without stripping anything away and is so nourishing.

It’s safe for use on your whole body and face!

Here’s How to Use it

For dry skin:

Mix equal parts of chickpea flour and whole milk yogurt.

For oily skin:

Mix equal parts of chickpea flour and whole milk.

1. Mix until it becomes a nice, smooth paste.
2. Apply it onto dry skin before your shower.
3. Let it dry so your skin can soak up all that hydration.
4. It becomes like a physical exfoliant as you start scrubbing it off, if it’s too dry to scrub, add a little bit of water.
5. When you have scrubbed it all off, you can jump into the shower!
6. It’s best not to use any shower gel or body wash because you want your skin to keep all the amazing nutrients. But if you really don’t like the smell, then you can follow up with a body wash.

Chickpea Flour’s Benefits

• Get rid of acne: If you have oily and/or acne-prone skin, chickpea flour is super helpful since it absorbs excess sebum and oil from your skin. It also has antibacterial properties that can get rid of pimple-causing bacteria.
• Exfoliate dead skin: Chickpea flour has exfoliating qualities and has the perfect scrub particles that are not too harsh for your skin.
• Hydrate dry skin: When mixed with any oilm chickpea flour has emulsifying capabilities that evenly distributes across your skin.
• Natural skin brightener: The magical combination of chickpea flour with yogurt can bring out your natural glow from within. Yogurt has lactic acid so this mixture works wonders in brightening your skin.

Tips

For added benefits, you can incorporate these ingredients into your paste:

• Turmeric: It’s anti-inflammatory and contains antioxidants that aids in brightening your skin. 
• Lemon juice: Due to lemon’s astringent quality, it can help your skin maintain a healthy pH level.
• Honey: Retain moisture in your skin with ample nutrients, enzymes and probiotics.
• Sandalwood powder: Improves skin elasticity and evens out skin tone.

Share with us your results after trying out these Ayurvedic skin care recipes!

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