Ayurvedic Body Purification Rituals for Monsoon

July 16, 2021 by Tejal K

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The Monsoon brings with it delightful downpours and the long-awaited cool breeze to wash away the scorching heat of the preceding months. At the heart of these showers, blooms the elixir of life and a new sense of freshness. Drawing from this renewed vitality in nature, ancient Ayurvedic texts describe Varsha Ritu as the best time to undergo Ayurvedic rejuvenation therapies, reparative natural treatments, and detoxification rituals.

With Monsoon comes an imbalance of the Vata and Pitta Doshas. Vata Dosha accumulates during the dry or dehydrating heat of Summer and further aggravates during the rainy season causing sluggish digestion. Pitta Dosha also starts accumulating in the body due to the acidic atmospheric conditions that are characteristic of the Monsoon weather, again leading to weakened digestion. This imbalance and accumulation of toxins can often erupt into an ailment and disrupt the energy flow in the body. It is thus important to balance Doshas during this season in order to uphold a healthy constitution. Read along as we unravel essential Ayurvedic Rituals that will assist you in giving your skin, body and hair the much needed reverence and love this Monsoon!

Balancing the Vata Dosha

Imbalanced Vata often leads to dull, dehydrated, and patchy skin. Abhyanga specifically refers to the movement of sustenance towards all the body tissues so that they glow with health. It is the oiling and massaging of the skin in specific strokes and motions and one of the most sought-after rituals for balancing the vitiated Vata Dosha in the body. The herb infused therapeutic oils, the healing touch of your hands, the state of mind in which the massage is imparted, and our own energy all work in tandem to achieve this movement of sustenance. It is highly advocated to help cleanse impurities from your pores and increase blood circulation. It facilitates removal of toxins from the tissues thereby recuperating them, relieves physical and mental fatigue, improves the functioning of the musculoskeletal system and results in a feeling of lightness and relaxation. It is also an excellent way to restore firmness and impart a natural glow to the skin.

Ayurvedic Treatment

The Forest Essentials Body Massage Oils can be a great addition to your Monsoon Self-Care Regime. These oils soak into the deepest layers of the skin quickly and dive even deeper than traditional moisturisers. The relatively finer texture boosts permeability and allows them to pass through minute channels of the body and penetrate to our Dhatus; all while leaving your skin with a luxurious looking sheen! The Body Massage Oil Chandan and Camphor makes for an ideal essential for the rainy days and helps you cool, relax, and unwind! Use this twice as a part of your weekly regime before your shower. Warm a small quantity and massage onto your body with light yet firm strokes. When the body is gently anointed with these warm oils, the body is detoxified, the joints are lubricated, and the skin is smoothened to shine and glow with inner vitality.

The Highly Coveted Skin Detox

A detox simply means, cleansing and nourishing the body from inside out and it can be achieved through your diet or by purification therapies for the skin. It helps in eliminating toxins and feeding the body with healthy nutrients to renew its ability to maintain optimum health. Some important herbs that help in internal as well as external detox during Monsoon are Neem, Sandalwood, Aloe Vera, Narangi, Turmeric and Rose – all of which can be used on your skin in different forms.

Ayurveda recommends the practice of Udwarthanam for thorough detoxification. This is another effective massage therapy that involves upward stroking, where the powder, scrub or ubtan is rubbed on the body in the direction opposite to that of the hair follicles. While exfoliation should be a staple step in your skincare regimen, it is specially recommended during Varsha Ritu as the climate opens up the pores in the skin, making it more receptive to all the treatments. Exfoliating consistently helps unclog pores, sloughs off dull skin, balances sebum production and evens out your complexion. While we know that facial exfoliation is relatively common, a body scrub is another essential at-home treatment that we tend to miss out on. Body scrubbing cleanses the skin, smoothens the texture whilst facilitating better absorption of the moisturizer that follows and leaving the skin clarified and young-looking!

The Forest Essentials Facial and Body Ubtans are conceptualized and crafted on this ancient ritual of Udwarthanam and are highly recommended during this weather.

Expert Tips for Frizz-free, Glossy Hair

As delightful as they may be, the high humidity levels after these downpours cause quite the conundrum in the haircare department. The hair is bound to frizz up, get damp and sticky only to result in more frizz the next day! An Ayurvedic, weekly Hair Care ritual– the “Shirolepa” might just be the answer to all your Monsoon hair concerns!

Shirolepa is a unique treatment in which various herbs and medicinal herbal powders are blended into a fine paste and applied on to the scalp. While this is a great way to restore the health of your hair and provide the necessary nourishment to the scalp, it also helps alleviate conditions such as migraine, insomnia, and hypertension. This fosters growth of stronger, healthier hair and effectively controls frizz by lending the required hydration to the hair strands.

Forest Essentials Japapatti Head Massage Oil and Intensive Hair Repair Masque Japapatti & Brahmi

Enriched with reparative ingredients like Banana pulp, Methi, Brahmi, and Nagarmotha, the Forest Essentials Intensive Hair Repair Masque Japapatti & Brahmi draws inspiration from this Ayurvedic ritual to treat dry and frizzy hair. A unique creamy pre-shampoo masque that is meticulously designed to protect, repair and intensely nourish the hair from deep within. Use it once a week before your cleansing and conditioning regimen for lusher, more lustrous hair. Apply it on clean and dry hair along its length and leave on for a minimum of thirty minutes before washing off.

The much-awaited weather change can sometimes cause more harm than good. As you transition and adapt to the new season it is also imperative that your body rests and has a period of purification and relaxation. So, this Monsoon, let wellness rain as you harness the unique harmonizing power of detoxification!

Written By:

Forest Essentials Luxurious Ayurveda

India’s leading beauty brand with products offering a sensorial journey with the purest natural ingredients and traditional Ayurvedic formulations, bringing timeless beauty rituals to the forefront of your self-care routine.

Reviewed By:

Tejal K Ayurvedic Skin Expert

Tejal is an Ayurvedic Skin Expert at Forest Essentials. She holds a PGDM in Skin, Hair & General Aesthetics and has over 10 years of experience in Beauty Consultations. Tejal advocates that ‘the philosophy of Ayurveda fulfills all needs’ and is driven by the keenness to educate her clients about Ayurveda and its transformative ways. She first demystifies the science for them and then makes suitable recommendations on regimens, simple home remedies and lifestyle tips that help her address their unique concerns holistically.

Disclaimer

The content provided in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.