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According to ayurveda, perfect
digestion is the basis of all health, including skin health.
So it should not come as a surprise that a traditional ayurvedic
tummy tonic is also considered the best herbal food for your
skin.
Triphala -- literally "three fruits" is a well-known
traditional herbal combination that works wonders for all types
of skin. Because its cleansing action is replenishing instead
of draining, and because of its nutrition content, Triphala makes
an excellent skin tonic. And because Triphala is tridoshic--equally
balancing for Vata, Pitta and Kapha doshas--it is useful for
all skin types.
How Triphala helps Vata skin
Vata skin is typically dry and
delicate, and tends to lose tone and plumpness prematurely unless
nourished on a regular basis. Triphala nourishes the skin both
directly and indirectly.
|
According to ayurveda, perfect
digestion is the basis of all health, including skin health.
So it should not come as a surprise that a traditional ayurvedic
tummy tonic is also considered the best herbal food for your
skin.
Triphala -- literally "three fruits" is a well-known
traditional herbal combination that works wonders for all types
of skin. Because its cleansing action is replenishing instead
of draining, and because of its nutrition content, Triphala makes
an excellent skin tonic. And because Triphala is tridoshic--equally
balancing for Vata, Pitta and Kapha doshas--it is useful for
all skin types. |
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How Triphala helps Vata skin
Vata skin is typically dry and
delicate, and tends to lose tone and plumpness prematurely unless
nourished on a regular basis. Triphala nourishes the skin both
directly and indirectly.
Amla, one of the three ingredients
in Triphala, is the richest known natural source of vitamin C.
Vitamin C helps in the production of collagen, which is necessary
to keep skin supple and thick. Triphala also contains calcium.
Calcium helps enhance skin clarity and brings dull, tired skin
to life.
Also, by removing ama, the digestive
toxic matter that clogs the channels of the body, Triphala enables
your body and your skin to better absorb, assimilate and utilize
the nutrients from the foods you eat.
Finally, because Triphala balances
the agni--metabolic mechanism--of the skin and opens up the channels
of the skin with its cleansing action, it enhances your skin's
ability to absorb nutrients from any topical nutritional material,
such as oils, pastes and creams.
You can maximize the nourishment
you give your skin and get the full benefit of Triphala's nourishing
quality by eating a balanced, wholesome diet composed of foods
that are good for your skin-type and by using pure, nutrient-rich
massage oils, creams and cleansers on your face and body.
How Triphala helps Pitta skin
Pitta skin is generally sensitive,
especially to the sun, and needs protection to stay in balance.
Triphala has powerful antioxidant properties. Besides vitamin
C, Amla also contains carotenoids, flavanoids and other antioxidants.
Triphala thus helps enhance the skin's natural resistance to
free radical damage.
In research studies, Amla has
been shown to have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Triphala is therefore helpful for improving the skin's natural
immunity and resistance to hypersensitivity. Triphala also helps
improve the skin's natural resilience to photosensitivity by
helping to balance Bhrajaka Pitta, the metabolic mechanism of
the skin.
Triphala includes the three tastes
that pacify the fire element-bitter, sweet and astringent. When
the fire element in the physiology is balanced, resistance to
photosensitivity increases. Although Amla, the first ingredient
in Triphala, contains the sour taste, which normally increases
heat, the sourness in Amla gets neutralized when the fruit comes
into contact with the saliva and digestive enzymes. Thus Triphala
helps pacify Pitta and decreases the skin's vulnerability to
photosensitivity.
How Triphala helps Kapha skin
Toxins are the bane of people
with Kapha skin. Because of its oily nature, Kapha skin attracts
impurities like a magnet. Unless cleansed from the inside and
the outside, Kapha skin breaks out because of toxin build-up.
Each of the three ingredients in Triphala plays in role in cleansing
the skin. Amla helps cleanse toxins from the different tissues-blood
and fat tissue in particular-and thus helps to keep the skin
clear. It also enhances the natural immunity of the skin.
Behada (Bibhitaki, Terminalia
belerica) balances lipid levels in the skin. When lubrication
becomes excessive, the channels of the skin get clogged with
toxins. By balancing lipid levels, Behada helps keep skin clear
of toxic build-up.
Harada (haritaki, Terminalia
chebula) helps to cleanse the colon, which in turn helps in purifying
the fat tissue. For the skin, this means that the sweat glands
get purified, and the skin is better able to flush toxins out
through the sweat. The pores stay clear, and less toxic matter
accumulates in the skin. Harada also clears and opens up the
micro-circulatory channels of the skin. The skin's natural ability
to self-detoxify is enlivened when the channels are clear.
While Triphala's cleansing action
is effective, it is not harsh. Triphala's action does not drain
the skin of nutrients. Because it is powerfully rejuvenating
as well as cleansing, Triphala preserves and enhances the skin's
reservoir of available nutrients and the skin's ability to use
those nutrients while cleansing the skin of toxins.
To help your skin make the most
of Triphala's cleansing power, avoid eating too many heavy, deep-fried
foods or rich desserts, especially if you have Kapha skin. Light,
easy-to-digest foods, cleansing foods such as sweet juicy fruits
and lots of pure water help Triphala work at deeper levels of
the physiology to cleanse gently yet effectively.
Note: This ayurvedic information
is educational and is not intended to replace standard medical
treatment or advice. |
Beauty Secrets of the World
