Cosmetics

Ayurveda, being the Science of life has also emphasized upon its importance by saying, good looks help in boosting the psychological state of mind and makes a person feel good about oneself. It has described very systematically, the measures to attain it, maintain it and also to enhance it through proper diet and nutrition, serenity of mind, and other specific measures to take care of different aspects of beauty like:

• Complexion
• Hair care
• Care of Eyes
• Foot care
• Well proportionate growth of body parts
• Most importantly the post-surgical or post-pregnancy or post-inflammatory conditions of different body parts involved like scratch marks
• Post-inflammatory hypo/hyper pigmentation
• Post-surgical marks, loss of normal texture and body contour are all taken care in Ayurveda with different local medicaments to improve the aesthetic value of the parts involved.

Beauty Management through Ayurveda

Diet and nutrition

Intake of a balanced diet in terms of nutrients as well as physical form, and its proper digestion and assimilation in the body so that it can nourish all the parts of the body to give rise to a healthy body and hence healthy appearance is emphasized in Ayurveda. Since skin reflects the health of a person, it cannot look healthy and beautiful unless it is properly nourished.

 

Mode of life

Regular cleansing of body both internal and external as well as of the mind (through meditation) helps clear up the toxins of internal as well as external environment along with some toning up procedures for body and skin like regular physical exercise yogasanas (specific body postures), body massage, facial massage, foot massage also enhances beauty.

 

Through Social behavior

By following Achara Rasayana one can enjoy positive social life and hence also a pleasant psyche. As good social conduct develops a good social atmosphere around a person and this helps keeping positive state of mind as well as social surroundings. In the absence of it, person remains tensed leading to vitiation of Vata giving rise to dull and lustreless face, and various abnormal manifestations like early greying of hair.

 

Health-promoting drugs or measures (Rasayana)

They enhance the quality of each and every tissue of the body bringing about clarity of complexion excellence of lustre, optimum strength of physique, promoting the growth of hair, making every tissue more enduring towards external pollution and increasing their strength and beauty.

 

Specific measures for enhancement of different aspects of beauty

There are several topics related to beautification in Ayurveda of which following are described briefly:

1.     Skin Care (Varnya)

Varnya is the property/ action of drugs to promote complexion. The following plants are used in skin care due to the complexion promoting properties:

Vetiveria zizanoides (Linn.) Nash (Ushira), Santalum album Linn. (Sveta Chandana), Crocus sativus Linn. (Kumkuma), Pandanus odorotissimus Linn. f. (Ketaki) Calophyllum inophyllum Linn. (Punnaga), Prunus cerasoides D.Don. (Padmaka), Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn (Madhuka), Rubia cordifolia Linn. (Manjishta), Hemidesmus indicus R.Br. (Sariva), Ipomoea digitata Linn. (Payasya), Cynodon dactylon Pers. (Durva), Curcuma longa Linn. (Haridra).

In Indian tradition, use of various ointments (lepa) is customary. Certain herbs and pulses are ground with simple addition of milk, water or rose water and a face pack is made for promoting complexion.

2.     Hair Care (Keshya)

Keshya is the property of drugs which results in beneficial action on hair in terms of their length, strength and texture. These can be of herbal or animal origin. e.g. Eclipta alba Hassk. (Bhringaraj), ash of an elephant tusk (Hastidanta Masi), Cocos nucifera Linn. (Narikela), etc.

 

3.     Hair Dye (Kesha ranjana)

Hair dyes are very popular since ancient times. Following are well described in Ayurveda:

Eclipta alba Hassk. (Bhringaraj), Acacia concinna Linn. (Saptala), Sapindus trifoliatus Linn. (Arishtaka), Indigofera tinctoria Linn. (Neelini), Emblica officinalis Gaertn. (Amalaki), etc.

4.     Eye Care (Netra prasadana)

Eyes are very important from a cosmetic point of view and in Ayurveda, as per Acharya Charaka, collyrium (sauvira anjana) should be applied daily and mercurial collyrium (rasanjana) should be applied once every five or eight days, for clarifying vision and to increase its beauty.

5.     Herbs for acne (Yuvana Pidika Nasana)

Acne is effectively treated by many herbal formulations. e.g. local application of paste of the following is beneficial to treat acne:

(i) Acorus calamus Linn. (Vacha), Symplocos racemosa Roxb. (Lodhra), Rock Salt (Saindhava) and Brassica campestris Linn. Var. Sarson Prain (Sarsapa); (ii) Coriandrum sativum Linn. (Dhanyaka), Acorus calamus Linn.(Vacha), Symplocos racemosa Roxb. (Lodhra) and Saussurea lappa C.B. Clarke (Kushta), (iii) Twigs of Cocos nucifera Linn. (Narikela manjari) and leaves of Ficus benghalensis Linn., Bovine Gallstone/Bezoar (Gorocana) and Piper nigrum Linn. (Marica), and Thorns of Salmalia malabarica (Shalmali Kantaka).

Post-inflammatory scars also get cleared by their use.

6.     Foot Care (Vipadikahara Yoga)

Rhagades (Vipadika)is a disease of palm and sole in which there are many crack marks along their edges. These are effectively treated by Vipadikahara Taila - an ointment.

 

7.     Deodorants (gandha Dravya)

There are certain herbs which are used for fragrance and to avoid foul body odours. For instance:

Santalum album Linn. (Sveta Chandana)

Crocus sativus Linn. (Kumkuma)

Distilled products of Rose, Rosa centifolia Linn. (Rose) Jasminum officinale Linn. forma. Grandifloram (Mogra), etc.

These are applied in the form of paste (Alepa) or perfumes (Arka) over the body.

 

8.     Breast growth enhancer (Stana Vriddhikarand Stana Dadhyakar yoga)

There are few herbal formulations described in Ayurveda, which are specifically used for the proper development of breast and tightening it. For instance:

o    Methi Modaka Saubhagya Sunthi Pak

o    Mundi Tailam and

o    Mundi Tailam Nasyam

o    Shriparni Tailam

 

9.     Removal of post pregnancy stretch marks (Kikkisa Hara Yoga)

Post-pregnancy marks are also a very embarrassing problem for women and to remove them Ayurveda describes a few pastes for local application. Examples are as follows:

o    Santalum album Linn. (Sveta Chandana) and Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (Mrinala)

o     Woodfordia Fruticosa Kurz., Albizzia lebbeck Benth (Sirisa), Brassica campestris Linn. Var. Sarson Prain (Sarsapa) and Vetiveria zizanoides (Linn.) Nash (Ushira)

o    Irrigation of breast and abdomen with decoction of Tricosanthes dioica Roxb. (Patola), Azadirachta indica A.Juss. (Nimba), Rubia cordifolia Linn. (Manjishta) and Ocimum sanctum Linn. (Tulasi).

 

10.Cosmetic correction of scar tissue

The healing of wound always takes place by formation of scar tissue, and sometimes this scar tissue may look bad when formed over exposed body parts. Acharya Sushruta, the ancient surgeon of India propounded eight unique measures to combat this as given below:

(i) Utsadana – This means ‘elevating depressed wounds’ by applying the paste of Achyranthes aspera Linn., Withania somnifera Linn. Dunal (Asvagandha) with clarified butter (ghee) .

(ii) Avsadana – This means ‘depressing raised wounds’ by applying paste of ferrous sulphate (Kashisa) with honey (Kshaudra).

(iii) Mridu karana – This means ‘softening of hard wounds’ by blood-letting, unction with warm salty drugs.

(iv) Daruni karana – means ‘hardening of soft wounds’ by applying a paste of Anogeissus latifolia Wall. (Dhava), Saraca asoca (Ashoka), Callicarpa macrophylla Vahl (Priyangu), Triphala (a combination of Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula and Terminalia bellerica), flowers of Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz (Dhataki Pushpa), Symplocos racemosa Roxb. (Lodhra), exudate of Vateria indica Linn. (Sarjarasa) .

(v) Krishni karana – This means ‘blackening of white scar tissue’ by use of oil of Semecarpus anacardium Linn. (Bhallataka Taila) mixed with ash of hoofs of domestic and marshy animals.

(vi) Pandu karana – This means ‘whitening of black scar tissue’ by applying paste of Rohini fruit (a type of Chebulic myrobalan) with goat's milk (Ajakshira) or by applying powder of new earthenware, Barringtonia acutangula Linn. Gaertn. (Vidula Mula) and exudate of Vateria indica Linn. (Sarjarasa), ferrous sulphate (Kashisa) and Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn (Madhuka) with honey (Kshaudra).

(vii) Roma Sanjanana – This means ‘enhancing growth of hairs on bare areas’ by applying paste of ash of elephant tusk (Hastidanta Masi) and Rasanjana .

(viii) Roma Shatana – This a depilatory process meaning removal of hairs from unwanted places by applying paste of conch shell (Shankha), orpiment (Haritala) and sour gruel or oil of Semicarpus anacardium Linn. (Bhallataka Taila) with latex of Euphorbia neriifolia Linn(Snuhi Kshira).

11.Cosmetic surgical correction (Sandhana vidhi)

Acharya Sushruta, for the first time, explained the techniques of surgical correction (plastic surgery) of injured and amputated body parts like nose, ear and lips, and the cosmetic correction of developmentally malformed.