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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 enhance the beauty.


Through Social behavior

By following Acara 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 presentations like early greying of hair.

Rasayana(Health-promoting drugs or measures)

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 group of drugs, which have complexion promoting action
    • Useer(Vetiveria zizanioides)
    • Sveta candana(Santalum album)
    • KumKum(Crocus sativus)
    • Ketaki(Pandanus odorotissimus)
    • Punnaga(Calophyllum inophyllum)
    • Padmaka(Prunus cerasoides)
    • Madhuka(Glycyrrhiza glabra)
    • Manjistha(Rubia cordifolia)
    • Sariva(Hamidesmus indicus)
    • Payasya(Ipomoea digitata)
    • Sita(Cynodon dactylon)
    • Haridra(Curcuma longa)
    In Indian tradition, use of various ointments (lepa) is in customs. Certain herbs and pulses are grinded with simple addition of milk, water or rose water and a face pack is made for promoting complexion.

  2. Hair Care (Kesya)

    Kesya is a group of herbs and animal products, which have a beneficial action on the hair in terms of their length, strength and texture. e.g. Bhringaraj(Eclipta alba), Hasti danta masi(Ash of elephant ivory), Narikela (Cocos nucifera).

  3. Hair Dye(Kesa Ranjana)

    Hair dyes are very popular since ancient times. Following are well described in Ayurveda
    • Bhringaraj(Eclipta alba)
    • SikaKai(Acacia concinna)
    • Ritha(Sapindus trifoliatus)
    • Nilini(Indigofera tinctoria)
    • Amalaki(Emblica officinalis)

  4. Eye Care (Netra Prasadana)

    Eyes are very important from a cosmetic point of view and in Ayurveda, there is mention of use of 5 types of collyrium (anjana) to increase the beauty of it.

  5. Herbs For Acne(Yuvana Pidika Nasana)

    Acne is effectively treated by many herbal formulations. e.g. local application of paste of
    • Vaca(Acorus calamus), Lodhra(Symplocos racemosa), Saindhava(Rock salt) and Sarsapa (Brassica compestris)
    • Dhaniya(Coriandrum sativum), Vaca(Acorus calamus), Lodhra(Symplocos racemosa)and Kustha(Saussurea lappa)
    • Narikel manjari(Twig of Cocos nucifera) and Vata patra(Ficus benghalensis)
    • Gorocana(Bovine gall stone/Bezoar) and black pepper
    • Salmali Kantak(Thorn of Salmalia malabarica)
    • Post-inflammatory scars also get cleared by them

  6. Foot Care (Vipadikahara Yoga)

    Vipadika (Rhagades)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 e.g

    Sveta candana (Santalum album)
    Kumkuma(Crocus sativus)
    Distilled products of Rose, Jasmine(Mongra) etc.
    These are applied in the form of paste (Alepa) or Arka (Perfumes) over the body.

  8. Breast Growth Enhancer (Stana Vriddhikar And Stana Dadhyakar Yoga)

    There are few herbal formulations described in Ayurveda, which are specifically used for the proper development of breast and tightening it; e.g.
    • Methi modaka
    • Saubhagya sunthi
    • Mundi tailam and Munditail nasyam
    • Maricadyam tailam
    • Dadimadyam tailam
    • Ksirparni 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;e.g.
    • Sveta candana (Santalum album) and mrinala(Nelumbium nuciferum)
    • Dhataki(Woodfordia fruticosa), Sirisa(Albizia lebbeck), Sarsapa (Brassica campestris) and Usira(Vetiveria zizanioides)
    • Irrigation of breast and abdomen by decoction of Patola(Tricosanthes dioica), Nimba(Azadirachta indica), Manjistha(Rubia cordifolia) and Surasa (Ocimum sanctum).

  10. Cosmetic Correction Of Scar Tissue

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

    (i) Utsadana – means ‘elevating depressed wounds’ by applying the paste of Apamarga (Achyranthes aspera), Asvgandha(Withania somnifera) with clarified butter and should be taken in diet flesh of carnivorous animals.

    (ii) Avsadana – means ‘depressing the raised wounds’ by applying paste of Kasisa(Ferrous sulphate) with honey.

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

    (iv) Daruni Karana – means ‘hardening of the soft wounds’ by applying the paste of Dhava(Anogeissus latifolia), Asoka(Saraca asoca), Priyangu(Callicarpa macrophylla), Rohini (Soymida febrifuga), Triphala (three fruits of Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellerica), Dhataki flowers (Woodfordia fruticosa), Lodhra (Symplocos racemosa)Sarjarasa (Exudate of Vateria indica).

    (v) Krishni Karana – means ‘Blackening of the white scar tissue’ by use of Bhallataka oil(Semicarpus Anacardium)mixed with ash of hoofs of domestic and marshy animals.

    (vi) Pandu Karma – means ‘whitening of the black scar tissue’ by applying paste of Rohini fruit (Soymida febrifuga)with goat's milk or by applying powder of new earthenware, roots of Vidula(Barringtonia acutangula) and sarja (Exudates of Vateria indica), Kasisa(Ferrous sulphate) and Madhuka (Madhuca indica) with honey.

    (vii) Roma Sanjanana – means ‘enhancing growth of hairs on bare areas’ by applying paste of Ash of elephant tusk and rasanjana.

    (viii) Roma Satana – (Depilatory), means removing hairs from unwanted places by applying paste of conch shell, orpiment and sour gruel or Bhallataka oil(Semicarpus Anacardium) with latex of Snuhi (Euphorbia neriifolia).

  11. Sandhana vidhi (Cosmetic Surgical Correction)

    Susruta, 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.