Let Ayurveda Take Care of Your Skin Problems. Top DIY Ayurvedic Face Pack Ideas for a Radiant, Rejuvenated and Flawless Skin (2020)

Beauty is only skin deep. Not everyone is blessed with fresh and lively skin. It is really important, that you care for your skin from an early age to maintain a healthy glow. Modern lifestyle plays a major part in most of the common skin problems. Many of you seek instant results and go for a multitude of serums, oils, emulsions and what not. As a result, you get a host of new skin issues as side effects which you may not even know at that point in time. For example, most of the products give glowing skin but speed up the skin ageing process. It also deprives the skin of its natural nourishment and turns it into a dry and dehydrated mess. In the worst case, it might even cause certain skin diseases.

Ayurveda determines your skin to be one of these three types:

In Ayurveda, each skin type is treated individually with packs that focus on its issues and treatments. The treatments do not just focus on handling skin issues, but also on identifying the underlying condition. Ayurveda helps to treat the health concerns from within and takes its time. It also involves dietary and lifestyle changes for a long term solution.

Who wouldn’t love a radiant skin glowing from within? But it’s not achievable until you eat healthily, sleep for 8 hours, drink enough water and lead a stress-free lifestyle. In a perfect world, you’d do all these and wear your sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection. When you deprive yourself of a healthy lifestyle, it reflects negatively on your body and causes pigmented or uneven skin.

While you munch on your papaya, save some for your face too! Papaya mask is the age-old remedy for dull and pigmented skin. Rich in vitamin-A, papaya encourages healthy cell production and prevents breakouts. Additionally, papain enzyme unique to papaya and mountain papaya, removes the dead skin cells and excess sebum, hydrating your skin from within. It also unclogs the pores and decreases inflammation.

Ayurveda emphasises on naturally discovered cure, rather than something that is synthesised. In that line, the neem, tulsi and turmeric mask is a power source of nutrients that repairs your skin and brings back the lost glow. Neem, though harsh in odour has anti-bacterial properties, and can work wonders for acne. It is also an excellent moisturiser, due to the presence of vitamin-E. Tulsi and turmeric are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. They also have anti-inflammatory properties that remove your acne and gives you a clear skin. Turmeric further clears your skin of pigmentation and brightens your skin.

Ever heard your mother say, “Vanity box starts in your kitchen”? According to Ayurveda, it is very true. The humble tomato is rich in antioxidants, vitamin-C and A, which clear your skin off dead cells and bring about radiant and glowing skin. The other ingredient - multani mitti (Fuller's earth) is famous for its deep cleansing properties. It tones your skin and brightens the complexion.

Dry skin lacks moisture and is dry. Extreme dry skin is also marked by scaled and cracked skin. You can either have naturally dry skin or one that's caused by cold weather or dry weather conditions. To identify if your skin is dry, blot your face with a blotting paper. If there is little to no oil in the blotting paper, your skin is dry.

Dry skin needs a good moisturiser to combat the dryness and to revive the skin to its glory. Lactic acid present in curd helps to exfoliate the dead skin while vitamin-E moisturises the skin. It also has zinc, which has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. Gram flour helps cleanse and tighten the skin. Honey being a humectant helps to restore moisture in the dry skin meanwhile turmeric is an antiseptic that maintains the pH level of your skin.

The ingredients of this face mask make for a delicious snack. But it also works wonders for your skin. Banana with its vitamin-A content repairs your dry skin and moisturises it. Honey, an exfoliator and humectant is a friend for dry skin. The lactic acid present in sour cream acts as an exfoliator and also helps the skin retain moisture. It also helps boost collagen production.

The next time you reach for your mayonnaise dip, save some for your face pack too. Mayonnaise is a powerhouse of ingredients like omega-3, omega-6, vitamin-E, A and K. It penetrates deep into the cell layers and moisturises from within. Egg yolk is also rich in vitamin-A, B and E, which improves the skin texture. Olive oil with its abundant vitamin-E content moisturises the skin while black tea exfoliates your skin.

Oily skin is probably the most undesirable of all skin types due to its tendency to break out into acne and pimples. The oil in the face is nothing but the excess sebum made by the sebaceous glands in the skin. Sebum keeps your skin hydrated and healthy. However, too much sebum can lead to clogged pores causing black/whiteheads and acne. To identify oily skin, blot your face with a blotting paper. If the paper is saturated with oil, you probably have oily skin.

Neem oil is so potent that it can be used for a variety of skin concerns. It has both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Neem along with soothing honey and apple cider vinegar (ACV) is the best medicine for your oily skin. Honey along with being a humectant has natural calming properties. It can speed up the healing process. ACV helps regulate the pH of your skin. It also has astringent properties which increase the blood flow to the skin thereby minimising pores.

Orange peel rich in vitamin-C reduces scars, blemishes and also deep-cleanses your pores. It also helps reduce the oiliness in the skin, thereby preventing acne. Yogurt, on the other hand, has lactic acid which is a good exfoliator. Not to be left behind, honey has antibacterial properties to fight acne.

That carrot is good for your skin is an old well-known saying. We say carrot is also good for your acne. Carrot is a potent source of vitamin-C, K and beta carotene. It also has antibacterial properties, the combination of which is effective in soaking your sebum and controlling your acne. Honey is also well known for its anti-acne properties.

The most finicky of skin types and the bane of many is the sensitive skin. It is prone to minor allergies, rosacea and eczema. You might also develop allergic reactions due to certain ingredients or products. Beauty products unless specified for sensitive skin may sting you and create burning sensations to varying degrees.

Honey is an age-old remedy for various illnesses including your skin concerns. It is highly moisturising and can treat dry patches on your skin, while its antibacterial properties help prevent acne. The lactic present in yogurt exfoliates and brightens your skin. Both these ingredients are soothing and calming in nature, hence perfect for sensitive skin.

Aloe vera is one of the most famous herbal remedies for sensitive skin. Along with its cooling properties, it also has antioxidants, vitamin-C and A. It is also anti-inflammatory which can help with your breakouts. Cucumber is calming to sensitive skin and also hydrating. The ingredients together moisturise your skin and calm the breakouts.

Though not an ayurvedic ingredient Eggs are a complete source of energy and much more so for the skin. Egg-white tones and tightens your skin while reducing sebum production. Egg yolk with its vitamin-A, C and E helps to smoothen textured skin. Almonds on the other hand are well known for their benefits - rich in vitamin-E and other good fats which moisturise the skin.

Combination skin is characterised by oily skin in certain areas like T-zone and dry skin in other areas. Oily zones are plagued by large pores and dry areas by rough complexion. People with combination skin have to tailor their skincare to suit both oily and dry zones.

The mask for combination skin should treat both dry and oily areas in the skin. Honey and milk cream are deeply moisturising for the dry skin. Additionally, honey has antibacterial properties while milk cream has lactic acid that exfoliates the skin. Oatmeal is soothing for the sensitive areas and is also an antioxidant. The pack also contains lemon juice for the dash of vitamin-C to work on the oily areas.

An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. Apples are a good source of vitamin-C and have a great number of antioxidants too. They promote glowing skin and help protect against UV rays. On top of that, honey is a powerhouse and a remedy for a multitude of skin problems.

Next time you make your cucumber detox water, save some for your ayurvedic face pack. Cucumber with its cooling tendency and antioxidant content calms inflammation. Loaded with vitamin-A, C and folate and the astringent properties of rose water, this face pack helps control excess oil without drying out the skin.

While homemade packs are ideal, they may not always be possible. Here are a few ready-made packs for addressing all your skin concerns. Keep an eye out for ingredients like multani mitti, turmeric, sandalwood, ashwagandha, vetiver and more in your ayurvedic face packs

Ubtan, the age-old face mask, has been a saviour for many skin issues. The MamaEarth Ayurvedic Ubtan Face Mask helps achieve flawless skin by lightening the skin tone. Dermatologically tested & hypoallergenic, it is free from SLES, sulphates, silicones, phthalates and artificial fragrances. Priced at ₹ 499.00, it is available to buy on MamaEarth.

Sandalwood has long been used in face packs to brighten the skin. The Khadi Natural Sandal & Rose Herbal Face Pack has sandal oil, basil oil, jojoba oil and Fuller's earth. This ayurvedic product improves the complexion and renders a clean and polished look to your face. It is available to buy from Nykaa for ₹ 125.00.

Skin tan is a bane of many people. Even though you take enough precautions, the peak summer heat leads to uneven tan and skin dullness. The Just Herbs Petal Soft Anti-Tan Rose Face Pack helps to remove the tan, soothe and repair the skin. With Indian rose, Indian ginseng, liquorice, honey and other herbs, this ayurvedic face pack is free from minerals and parabens. Priced at ₹ 625.00, it is available to buy from Paytm Mall.

Is your oily skin troubling you? Why not try the Patanjali Aloe Vera Neem Cucumber Face Pack? The ayurvedic face pack is loaded with anti-bacterial properties, thanks to aloe vera, neem and cucumber. With a multani mitti base, the face pack gently cleanses, heals, soothes and hydrates the skin. It is available to buy from Patanjali Ayurved for ₹ 60.00.

There can be no better cure for acne than ashwagandha. That along with a combination of red sandalwood, vetiver, coriander, lodha and liquorice helps to heal acne and reduce scars. It also works to lighten your dark spots while reducing the appearance of ageing. The non-foaming and non-drying face pack can be used as a spot treatment on active acne. Buy Kama Ayurveda Nimrah Anti Acne Face Pack from Kama Ayurveda for ₹ 1,150.00.