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Ayurveda
Triphala:
Universal Skin Rasayana
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.
Because its cleansing action is replenishing instead of draining, and
because of its nutrition content, Triphala, the well-known classical
Ayurvedic formulation, makes an excellent skin tonic. And because Triphala
is tridoshic--equally balancing for Vata, Pitta and Kapha--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.
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 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 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.
– Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra
January 23, 2004
Disclaimer:
Information provided in this article is for the sole purpose of imparting education on
Ayurveda and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition, please consult your physician.
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