Balancing the doshas on the level of the skin is a wonderful way to support your health. After all, the skin is your body’s largest organ! In particular, skincare is very important for the Pitta dosha because many skin conditions stem from Pitta being aggravated. The skin is an organ that is directly related to Pitta. When the Pitta elements (Fire and Water) are in excess in the physical body, the blood gets overheated and shows up on the surface, at the level of the skin. Helping soothe Pitta on the skin with calming and pacifying skin care routines will be very beneficial to Pitta’s overall balance.
Pitta Skincare Tips
As a general rule, Pitta needs calm and nurturing, and will greatly benefit from regularity. Therefore, if you are mostly Pitta, or currently showing high levels of Pitta, you will benefit from a short skincare routine (Pitta types won’t have the patience for more) that you can be consistent with. In addition, if we apply the Ayurvedic rule “opposites cure each other”, a Pitta skincare regimen should possess the qualities that are opposite to Pitta’s attributes (hot, wet, light, subtle, flowing, mobile, sharp, soft, smooth and clear). This means choosing a regimen that is cooling, heat dispelling, drying, nutritive and calming in order to balance Pitta.
Pitta Skincare With Essential Oils
Ayurveda sees essential oils as pure Prana from the plant, and their various qualities are used to balance the doshas. Essential oils are very easy to incorporate in your daily self-care routines, and are incredibly powerful. Essential oils penetrate deeply into the layers of the skin; affecting the surface of the skin as well as absorbing into the capillaries and becoming part of the whole person, physiologically and psychologically. The general guideline is to dilute the essential oils with a carrier oil before applying them onto the skin. The best carrier oils for Pitta are olive, sunflower and coconut oils, because they are the most cooling. Also, jojoba oil is wonderful for all three doshas, and great to apply on your face. Another great ally for Pitta is Neem oil. Neem oil is one of the most cooling herbalized oils used in Ayurveda. In addition to being cooling, it is detoxifying to the skin and blood, which makes it perfect for Pitta! Here are my top 10 skincare essential oils to use in your beauty products that are not photosensitive and help balance Pitta:- Blue chamomile
- Calendula
- Immortelle
- Jasmine
- Lavender
- Neroli
- Rose
- Sandalwood
- Vetiver
- Yarrow
Skincare Routine for Pitta
Removing old dead cells with skin brushing and essential oils baths are great ways to prepare your skin to receive the benefits of any skincare product! After getting out of your shower or bath, massage your whole body with the oil of your choice (you can stick to a 2% dilution rate when adding the essential oils to your carrier oil, which is 12 drops per ounce of oil), preferably onto damp skin so the oil penetrates better. If you prefer to use a lotion, you can always add your essential oils to an organic unscented lotion instead of carrier oil.
Morning Skincare for Pitta
Starting your day by splashing your face and eyes with cool water will gently refresh and wake up your skin. Avoid using soap on your face. Your face has a natural protective layer that holds moisture and protects against invasion. Using soap can alter that barrier, and if your skin gets dried out, it will naturally produce more sebum, which is not what we want when we already have a Pitta skin that is prone to pimples. After splashing your face, use the following Pitta Calming Salve to nourish and protect your skin for the day.
Pitta Calming Salve Ingredients
- 0.5 oz of beeswax
- 3 oz of jojoba or other Pitta carrier oil
- 20 drops jasmine
- 20 drops blue chamomile
- 20 drops immortelle
- 20 drops yarrow
- Vitamin E
Directions
The basic recipe for a salve is one part beeswax to 4 to 6 parts of vegetable oil. Of course, you can play with the proportions in order to get the consistency that you prefer. In a stainless steel pot, slowly melt the beeswax, and add the desired amount of carrier oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix. To check the consistency, take a cold spoon out of the freezer (that you placed there earlier), and dip it into the mixture. If it is too hard on the spoon, add some oil; if it is too soft, add some beeswax. Take the pot off the heat as soon as you have a smooth texture, let it cool down a little and add the essential oils and Vitamin E (15 drops for 3.5 oz of salve is a good ratio). Stir and pour into a wide-mouth dark glass container.
Midday Skincare for Pitta
During the day, whenever you feel like your skin needs to cool off, spritz yourself with organic rose water. This is Pitta’s best friend. You can carry a small spray bottle in your purse and use it at will!
Nightly Skincare for Pitta
Gently splash your face with cool water, and then massage your face with Neem oil. Proceed in small circles so the oil penetrates properly. Gently remove the excess of oil with a towel if needed. I usually spray rose water on my face after that. That’s it! Once a week, apply a Pitta Clay Mask to purify your skin and tighten pores.
Pitta Clay Mask Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp bentonite clay
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp purified water
- 1 drop essential lavender oil
Directions
Simply combine your bentonite clay, apple cider vinegar, essential lavender oil and purified water in a bowl and mix well. Apply an even layer onto your face and neck and leave it for about 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Then apply your favorite moisturizer or your salve. Bentonite clay is a super gentle clay that helps calm & smooth irritated inflamed skin. Some conditions that benefit from topical use include acne/blemishes, eczema & psoriasis. It is the best clay for Pitta! I hope you will enjoy the recipes! Have fun experimenting and please share which essential oil combinations you like most.
Cecile Antoine Alfonzo
@cecileantoine_