KP Namboodiri sandal soap

Description

Ayurveda And Skin

Ayurveda has its own unique skin type classification. The ayurvedic skin types are linked to the Doshas. The skincare routine that is required for each skin type is different. The types are :

• Vata: In keeping with the basic nature of this Dosha, this skin type is dry. It can look rough and dull with an accumulation of dead skin cells. It is thinner than the other skin types and feels colder to the touch. It gets easily dehydrated and needs special care in dry and windy weather. This skin type needs extra hydration and nourishment to be at its best. It is very sensitive to stress. Vata skin needs regularity in all the routines to maintain good health. Skincare routines should be careful to avoid too much cleansing or exfoliation.

• Pitta: Pitta skin is neither thin nor thick and is warm to the touch. This skin type tends to get red and inflamed easily. It is also more prone to sun damage. Since the Pitta type is fiery it has a greater vulnerability to breakouts and looks reddish. It also has more moles and freckles than other types. It is sensitive to both hot food and hot tempers. Putta skin should be protected from too much sun and exposure to heaty skin treatments such as steaming. The Pitta skin benefits from cooling treatments such as sandalwood.

• The Pitta skin type greatly benefits from products that are cooling and soothing in nature. This skin type needs good anti-inflammatories and hydration to look beautiful and radiant.

• Kapha skin is well hydrated and tends to be oily and thick. Since this skin has excessive oil production it is also more prone to blackheads and toxin or Ama accumulation in the oils. It generally ages well and looks naturally beautiful. It is not as sensitive to the sun as the other types. This skin greatly benefits from a detox both externally and internally.

• Tri Doshic: A beautiful skin type with all the three doshas balanced is healthy and beautiful. It would need products that do not create any imbalance and maintain its beauty.

Western Medicine and Skin Cleansing

• Soaps and cleansers are designed to remove all undesirable dirt, sweat, and oils from the skin.

• Most commercial products use chemicals called surfactants that bind to the dirt and oils on the skin and then dissolve them. When the soap is rinsed off the skin the dissolved dirt and oils get washed away too.

• Surfactants have the properties of being wetting, foaming, conditioning, emulsifying and also being detergent.

• Sometimes the harshness of the chemicals that are used in soap not only clean the skin but also irritates it. When this happens the epidermis or outmost layer of the skin becomes dry and red and becomes incapable of performing its function of protecting the skin. This may lead to undesirable substances and bacteria being able to easily penetrate the skin and cause other problems and infections.

• The structure of the skin is composed of layers. The topmost layer is made up of dead cells called keratinocytes that are converted to corneocytes. These are basically skin cells that hard and dry. They also have lipids that serve to help retain moisture in the skin.  When these dead cells are treated with surfactants they get overhydrated and swell up thereby exposing the underlayers of the skin. This causes irritants to penetrate deeper into the skin and cause irritation and itching. After the washed skin has dried the corneocytes go back to their old state but since the skin has been stripped of the natural oils and moisturizing factors, they become too dry. This makes the skin more easily exposed and prone to damage.

• Skin is categorized into five different types:

  • Normal skin is not too oily nor too dry. It is not overly sensitive.

  • Dry skin is as the name indicates, dry. Such skin might look dull with visible lines and patches. It can be itchy, inflamed or cracked. In the worst cases, it can even be scaly. most invisible pores

  • Oily skin is shiny and has the tendency to have blemishes such as pimples and visible pores.

  • Sensitive skin is easily irritated and inflamed. It is delicate and tends to itch burning and redness.

  • Combination skin has areas of normal skin while the nose, forehead, and chin (T-zone) is oily. This skin may look shiny with larger pores. It is a very common skin type.