Kapha Skin Care
Do you have Kapha skin? If you’ve read our previous posts on Ayurvedic skin care, including our Guide to Your Best Skin Ever, as well as the guides for Vata and Pitta Skin, yet neither of those skin types resonated with your skin, read on!
Kapha skin is predominated by the elements of Earth (Prithvi) & Water (Apas). When balanced, Kapha skin is thick, dense, moist, pale, with large pores and is cool to the touch. Out of the 3 Ayurvedic skin-types, Kapha skin is known for being the softest and smoothest, and because the energies of earth and water fortify this skin with a lot of collagen, owners of Kapha skin are subject to less signs of aging, including wrinkles and sagging, and they are able to easily tolerate sun exposure, allowing for beautiful tans.
However, when Kapha skin becomes imbalanced–which can easily occur in the late winter and spring, when Kapha Dosha dominates–the skin can become more oily, producing excess sebum and leading to lots of blackheads and sometimes, painfully cystic acne.
Kapha-specific skin care will require practices and products which are Lekhena in their effect–depleting and scraping rather than building and nourishing–in order to bring in the opposite elements of Air and Ether, to achieve balance. They require skin care products that provide lightness, dryness and warmth.
So, what practical steps can a Kapha skin type-owner follow to keep their skin in it’s naturally beautiful state?
- Eat warm, cooked foods
- Avoid foods that are processed, oily, deep-fried, as well as dairy products to avoid creating more Ama (congestion, toxicity) in the body and skin
- Favour foods and spices that are Bitter, Pungent + Astringent, and prepare meals that are lighter, thinner, dryer (use oil more sparingly) and stimulating (think black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, pipali, mustard seeds, etc.) Try this Kapha-reducing Crepe recipe!
- Cook with our Kapha Spice Mix for the ideal spicing combination for your dosha (contains organic ground Coriander, Ginger, Turmeric, Cumin, Cinnamon, Cayenne)
- Eat 2 meals per day (one during the Pitta time of day (10am-2pm) and the last, before 7pm)
- Drink 750ml of warm water in the morning, combined with a pinch of ground ginger root or cayenne pepper
- Drink Kapha Uplifting Tea, CCF Tea or Cleanse & Clarify Tea
- Retire to bed by 10pm at the latest and make a concerted effort to rise before sunrise. Waking up after this time (6am onward), will cause you to rise during the Kapha time of the day, leaving you feeling heavy, groggy and unmotivated. Follow this up with 10-20 rounds of Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) at a more rapid pace.
- Stick to a daily routine, with regular sleep, exercise and meal times, to avoid feeling apathetic and lazy
- Favour exercise that (Vyayama) that is invigorating, challenging and dynamic, such as running, biking, high-intensity interval training, dancing, vinyasa yoga, and more! Find something that feels stimulating and enjoyable, and do it 5x/week or more.
- Stimulate the skin with our Kapha Abhyanga Oil, 1-2x/week, and practice Dry-Brushing using our jute Garshana Glove daily to enliven and support proper circulation
- Practice daily Meditation and Pranayama, such as the Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati) and the Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama) to kindle the inner fire and build the heat that will burn away toxicity
- Take our Slim & Trim Potion, if excess water-retention and weight are being experienced (consult with and Ayurvedic doctor or practitioner before taking these herbs)
- Take Triphala every day to support daily elimination and to tone and strengthen the intestinal walls, to ensure that the toxic by-products of what you eat don’t show up on your skin
- Cleanse, tone and moisturize the skin of your face, twice daily, with our light, warming and astringent 3-Step Kapha Facial Care System and our Kansa Wand (Kapha skin’s best friend) to stimulate healthy lymph movement and drainage. This Kit is also available without the Kansa Wand.
Want to learn more about Kapha dosha? Click here, if so. And click here to see our full line-up of Kapha-balancing products!
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