Winter is as synonymous to dry skin as it is to cold breeze, hot tea and the festive season. Along with visible skin changes, many of us experience a lull in our motivation to stay active. As you pursue optimal skin health, your lifestyle, nutritional and beauty choices, all act together to play a significant role in your well-being.
With shorter days and colder weather on the horizon, let’s understand the holistic approach towards better skin and health, as mentioned in Ayurvedic tenets.
Eating Right is the First Step Towards Well-being
Green Leafy Vegetables:
Vegetables including Spinach, Cabbage, Broccoli, Kale and Brussels Sprouts are excellent energy boosters as they are good sources of fiber & iron. With high levels of Vitamin C, they help to improve your immunity and increase the metabolism rate. This makes it the perfect time to indulge in these healthy green vegetables.
Also Read – Immunity Boosting Herbs in Ayurveda
Carrots:
High in fiber, antioxidants and Vitamin C, carrot is an ideal vegetable to add in your diet as it not only helps to regulate the digestive system, but also produce collagen, thereby slowing down the aging process.
Almonds:
While the mono unsaturated fat found in them prevents overeating, Almonds are also renowned as one of the best super foods as they are full of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers that are necessary for a healthy mind and body.
Avocados:
Packed with nutrients and loaded with fiber, hearty fats and more than 20 vitamins and minerals, Avocados make for the perfect ingredient to add to your diet to boost your immune system, especially for winter!
Eggs, Fish & Milk:
Fish (such as salmon and cod), eggs & milk are eminent sources of Vitamin B12 that contributes to a healthier immune system and reduction in fatigue.
Exercise for Better Health And Skin
Winter, undoubtedly, gets to the best of us as lethargy takes over, leaving little to no motivation to work out. The secret to combat lethargy and sluggishness is constant movement and some form of exercise.
Exercise produces endorphins, also renowned as “happy hormones”, which act as our body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators that give you more energy to take on daily tasks. Moreover, sweating during exercise helps to achieve clearer skin with a healthier glow, provided you clean it thoroughly afterwards.
Also Read – Facial Yoga Exercise for Glowing Skin
Nourish Your Skin with The Right Ayurvedic Ingredients
Jasmine:
Jasmine has anti-microbial properties and helps to prevent irritation and infections on the skin, while also regulating oil production. May we suggest the Madurai Jasmine & Mogra collection that is infused with fresh Ayurvedic herb extracts to purify and replenish the skin while keeping its natural moisture intact.
Sandalwood:
Long been considered as sacred in India, Sandalwood is known to have emollient properties that retain the skin’s natural moisture and balances its oil production. You can explore the Forest Essentials Facial Cleanser Sandalwood and Orange Peel that has ingredients including Orange Peel, pure Sandalwood, Aloe Vera and Tender Coconut water, perfect to help cleanse your skin whilst nourishing it, this winter.
Kesar:
Fresh Saffron or Kesar is an effective herb for acne prone skin. The Forest Essentials Night Treatment Cream Sandalwood & Saffron blends pure essential oils of Sandalwood and Saffron to nourish normal to dry skin, repair damaged skin cells and improve the skin’s elasticity. Kesar is also celebrated for its properties that give radiance to the skin, thereby making it a very potent herb to treat dull winter skin.
Aloe Vera:
One of the most renowned plants with innumerable benefits, Aloe Vera has healing properties that help treat many skin concerns, while giving you a replenished and rejuvenated complexion. The Forest Essentials Pure Aloe Vera Gel helps to create a protective and healing layer on the skin while stimulating regeneration of skin cells.
Cow’s Ghee:
According to Ayurveda, fresh, pure Cow’s Ghee is a vital natural ingredient for the body and is considered to be a satvik or ‘positive food’. A storehouse of vitamins and antioxidants, it nourishes dehydrated skin and leaves it supple and radiant. The Forest Essentials Brightening Tejasvi Emulsion is formulated with pure Cow’s Ghee, which boosts collagen production and leaves it rejuvenated and plump.
Drink Water!
The most understated ingredient of them all, pure simple water is a magical elixir when it comes to skin and health care. Not only does it affect your energy levels and brain function, it maintains the balance of body fluids which majorly keeps your internal and external health in check. Be it summer or winter, you should try and drink at least 8 glasses of water each day for a healthy glow on your skin. Keep a sprig of Tulsi in it for innumerable benefits.
Happiness from Within Makes For Happy Skin!
The real secret is to simply be happy! How you feel has an important role to play in how you look and inner radiance is always unmatched. In Ayurveda, this is known as ‘Ojas’ or your vitality and inner glow – surround yourself with things that make you happy and indulge in positive thinking to channel your inner glow, outwards.