Vata Skin Care Guide – Understanding Your Vata Dosha

The vata dosha is one of the dominant most doshas in most people, making up over 60% of the world’s population. (Nature.com) 

Vata dosha types can generally be characterized by their thin, light frame and their active lifestyle. When in balance, vata types are lively, enthusiastic, creative, and energetic.

Vata types have energy that comes in spurts with periods of energy and fatigue.

When out of balance vata types will experience anxiety becoming unstable in conversation, they are tardy with sleep problems, will experience emotional worry, anxiety and insomnia, as well as physical digestive issues, weight loss, restlessness and weakness.

If this sounds like you, in this blog we’ll be talking all about your vata skin and how best to care for it.

Vata Skin Traits

Vata is categorized under “dry” skin types, and is characterized by its tendency to have cold hands and feet as well as dry skin. 

Vata skin tends to be dry or rough to the touch, and vata types have a tendency yo have fine, flaky, or dry “sovereign” skin. 

The dryness is often worse in the winter and dry, brittle nails are also quite common in colder seasons aswell.

When in balance: vata type skin is olive tone, slightly cool, dry, and has fine pores.

For Vata skin it’s important to have a good moisturizing routine and pick natural products where ever possible.

As the Vata skin type can be dry, and it also tends to be very sensitive, so it’s important to take special care when using products that can potentially be harmful for your skin. 

For example, avoid using harsh soap or detergent as these types of products can irritate the skin easily, especially in autumn and winter months when it is prone to flare ups.

Also stay away from soaps such as bar soaps because they have a high pH level which can cause irritation in Vatas.

Choose a moisturizer that is free of toxins and other irritating ingredients. 

The focus for Vata should be on hydration and a good daily natural dry skin moisturizer. In order to help your skin reach the proper level of hydration, apply a natural naturally thrifty rose water toner before applying the moisturizer. 

That way, you can be sure that any substances you choose to put on your face are getting absorbed and applied right where they can do the most good. 

Unbalanced Vata Skin – What To Look Out For

Vata people can be naturally energetic, enthusiastic, with a deep spiritual connection making meditation and Yoga come easy to them. 

When there is an imbalance, Vata people can be quite anxious, restless, and suffer from insomnia as well as suffer from weight loss and an irregular digestive pattern. 

These personality changes can then manifest themselves on the skin, and Vata skin can become dry, flaky, excessively rough, and prone to wrinkles.

When Vata skin becomes imbalanced, it can become very dry, leading to discomfort and irritation, especially in the autumn and early winter when Vata dosha is more prominent.

The skin may also begin to show premature signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, and develop dry patches, eczema, psoriasis, and other issues.

Wrinkles in Vata’s tend to be most predominant in the forehead region & around the eyes.

There is no denying that wrinkles are a natural part of aging. 

However, there are lifestyle & cosmetic choices you can make to help minimize the formation of wrinkles and keep your skin looking its best. 

As well as having a regular skin care routine and moisturising well, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep and choosing the right herbal supplements can all help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. 

Tips For Balanced And Healthy Vata Skin:

And as much as we love our natural skin care products you can’t rely on them for everything. 

It’s just as important to drink plenty of water and eat plenty of fruit to stay hydrated on the inside.

Before starting your skin care regime it’s important to take of your self physically and mentally first. In Ayurveda, mentall wellbeing is linked to physicall wellbeing, and taking care of your body is a holistic approach.

Here are some tips for balanced and healthy Vata skin to start with in your daily routine.

1. Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially blueberries, strawberries, melon, pomegranates, grapes, spinach and other green leafy vegetables. 

Vatas should eat foods that are rich in B-complex vitamins such as bananas, avocados and spinach.

2. Avoid eating white flour products as they have no nutritional value to the body. Instead eat whole grains such as brown rice or oats that provide fiber to the body which is needed to maintain healthy digestion system of the Vata constitution in order to balance your skin tone.

3. Drink plenty of water on daily basis so that you can cleanse your excess fats from the liver, and also keep yourself well hydrated for smoother, clearer skin. 

Avoid stimulating drinks such as caffeine, sugary beverages.. These drinks can stimulate the nervous system, but also dry out your skin – which a big no for Vata doshas.

4. If you want clear skin then avoid consuming too much fatty foods and dry or salty foods such as drying foods like popcorn, crackers, highly salted foods and dried fruits.

5. It’s recommended that people with a predominant vata dosha go on a detox diet at least once every year.  Ideally between winter and spring.

This detox period can help get rid off toxins from the body which can cause breakouts on their face or body areas where there are lot of toxins stored up in those areas (like armpits).

Vata Skin Care Routine

Vata type skin has a tendency to show earlier signs of aging, so it is important to identify the right oils to use on your skin. 

Something with good moisturising properties and anything that helps to increase circulation can be beneficial as our blood oxygenates our skin.

If you want to apply cosmetics you should make sure they are made with organic ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil because these two oils do not clog pores. Other popular oils for vata skin include Mahua, Avocado, Safflower, Rosehip, and pomegranate. 

Vata skin types need lots of moisture, so we always recommend looking for a good aloe vera based moisturiser.

Vatas will also benefit from using natural body scrubs made with either raw sugar or sandalwood powder whenever possible because both these products have natural anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce inflammation within the body which will lead to less acne breakouts.

For balanced and healthy Vata skin, perform a daily cleaning ritual with natural ingredients. 

These are the steps we recommend as part of a regular vata skincare routine.

Step 1: Cleanse your face with warm water and a natural oil-based cleanser to remove any impurities.

We recommend something that can moisture deep into your skin. Our Almond Rose Soap is great for balancing Vata because it will help cleanse and moisturise without pulling out any of that moisture that you’ve worked so hard to create.

Step 2: Smooth out those dry patches.

After you cleanse and you tone your face, smooth away any dry patches with a natural oil-based cream. 

We recommend our Kumkumadi Under Eye Cream. 

Kumkumadi oil contains tremendous anti-aging properties and can help smooth out those wrinkles that are prone to Vata skin.

Step 3: Gently massage your face with a natural oil until it is completely absorbed. 

For this we can recommend coconut oil, almond oil, or avocado oil.

This will help nourish your skin and keep it soft and supple.

Step 4: Take a warm bath twice weekly. 

Ayurveda recommends thinking about your dosha before setting your bath temperature. 

As Vata is generally colder it is recommended to opt for warm to hot water.

Also keep in mind your Vata dosha complexities when choosing which essential oils to use with your bath. 

And always avoid synthetic oils, you need to be thinking all-natural oils here.

Soothing and warm oils like sandalwood, sweet orange, rose and jasmine can help balance Vata dosha. Other oils that may be helpful include vanilla, lavender, lemongrass, lemon, ginger and ylang ylang.

Step 5: Apply a light layer of aloe vera-based cream or oil on your face which is great for soothing dryness/irritation on Vata skin as well as keeping it soft and supple.

We recommend aloe vera beauty cream. It’s made with all-natural cold-pressed ingredients and is perfect for dry or irritated skin.

Bonus Tip: Keep your hands moisturised:

Another tip for Vata skin is to keep your hands healthy and looked after on a regular basis. We recommend our Musky Mahua Hand Cream, especially in the autumn and winter months.

Our hands are our most important tools. From carrying out everyday tasks, our hands are much more exposed than any other part of our body.

Because of this they are one of the first places to start showing signs of aging. Our skin is our defensive barrier, and when our hands lose their natural moisturising oils they need to be replenished.

What to look for when buying vata skin care products:

It is important to note that any store-bought cosmetic products can have added chemicals that can dry out and irritate your skin. 

As Vata skin is naturally dry, some cosmetics can have a negative effect on your skin throughout the day as you may need to overuse moisturiser to feel natural again. 

We recommend sticking with a more natural selection of products, and aim for cold-pressed ingredients wherever possible.

Some of the things to look for when buying Vata skin care products are:

-A product that is light and easy to apply

-A product that is free of fragrances

-A product that is made from natural ingredients

-A product that is effective in reducing oiliness and dryness

We hope these Ayurvedic recommendations help you customize a natural skincare routine that is just as unique as you are.

If you have any questions or anything to add, feel free to get in touch any time, or drop a comment for us here.