Dosha Oil Properties

| Discovering Myself in My Dosha |

One of the most fundamental practices in Ayurveda skincare is the use of essential oils. This is where I initially struggled when learning the best way of caring for my skin, because I have extremely oily skin and have spent my entire life trying to dry it out with use of harsh alcohol, benzoyl peroxide and acidic products. Why would I want to add to the oil that already exists? However, Ayurveda reminds us how our body works from the inside out. When we strip our skin of its natural oils, the deepest layers of our skin overcompensate for this loss by producing even more oil, which will increase the surface oil on our faces. Our skin desperately needs moisturized, every single day, to prevent external drying forces from robbing our skin of hydration. Typical and even expensive lotion and moisturizer brands don’t get the job, either. These thick creams lay on the surface of the skin and do not penetrate any further. This does not provide the moisture that our deepest layers of skin need. Essential oils, however, do penetrate to the deepest layers of our skin where moisture is needed most because of their silky, volatile, non-greasy textural properties.

Let me clarify what essential oils are because they are not found in any old bottles of oil. Your essential oils are the purest, most natural form of living plant oils- pretty much, oils straight from the earth. They have no additional ingredients or chemicals, but are simply and essentially, living earth juices. These oils derive from plants and herbs like lavender, camphor, sunflower, rose, bergamot, etc. When applied, the oils do not “feel” like typical face oil. Your skin absorbs the oils, leaving the surface of your skin grease-free. Essential oils even have different textural properties, as some are more astringent and recommended as a toner for acne-control and others are more moisture-holding and recommended for extra dry skin. Either way, all essential oils nourish the skin to health, but because each dosha needs less of what it is comprised of and more of what is opposite from it, there are specific oils designated for each dosha skin type. Below are the oils I need as a kapha.

Kapha essential oils:

Patchouli, eucalyptus, camphor, clove, lavender, bergamot

·      These oils are used directly as a nourishing application in-between cleansing and moisturizing.

Kapha base oils:

Canola, corn, safflower, mustard, grapeseed, almond, apricot kernel

·      These oils are mixed with other natural ingredients to create a cleanser and moisturizer

Kapha herbal extract oils:

Sage, neem, rosemary, triphal

·      These oils are also mixed with other natural ingredients to create a cleanser and moisturizer

And for pitta and vata:

Pitta essential oils:

Rosewhite, sandalwood, vertiver, coriander, cumin, mint, ylang ylang, camphor

·      These oils are used directly as a nourishing application in-between cleansing and moisturizing.

Pitta base oils:

Almond, coconut, sunflower, apricot kernel, olive, ghee

·      These oils are mixed with other natural ingredients to create a cleanser and moisturizer

Pitta herbal extract oils:

Neem, shatavari, amalaki, licorice, fennel, cardamom, mint, gatu kola, bhringaraja, manjista, saffron, burdock

·      These oils are also mixed with other natural ingredients to create a cleanser and moisturizer

Vata essential oils:

Nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, saffron, champa, jasmine, geranium, red rose, red sandalwood, lemon, neroli, vanilla

·      These oils are used directly as a nourishing application in-between cleansing and moisturizing.

Vata base oils:

Black sesame, sesame, avocado, olive, almond, walnut, peanut, castor, ghee

·      These oils are mixed with other natural ingredients to create a cleanser and moisturizer

Vata herbal extract oils:

Shatavari, ashwagandha, basil, bala, vacha, colows, comfrey, gatu kola or ginger

·      These oils are also mixed with other natural ingredients to create a cleanser and moisturizer