You may know that Ghruta ghee is tasty, great on toast, and perfect for high-temperature cooking. However, did you know that ghee is used in skincare as well? Ayurveda has 1,001 (rough estimate!) uses for ghee, both internally and externally. If you are curious about ghee for your face, this tasty golden oil is in fact a wonderful choice as a stand-alone moisturizer for your face and body. Or, ghee can be combined with other natural ingredients and used as a facial moisturizer, face mask, or body oil.
Ghee For Self-Care Inside and Out
Ayurveda certainly has a love affair with oil, particularly ghee. According to Ayurveda, ghee and ghruta directly supprt ojas (vigor/vitality), build rasa (fluids of the body), nourish the brain, and are the most easily digested oil. According to Ayurvedic practitioner and author Kate O’Donnell (2015) “penetrates the body’s tissues, providing the necessary nourishment and unsaturated fat to the deep tissue layers.” (1) Furthermore, good-quality ghee and ghruta are rich in a number of nutrients and beneficial constituents, including fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, including Omega 3s, and trace minerals, including gold. These benefits are absorbed when you consume ghee as a food and when you apply it to your skin. Furthermore, ghee is one of the easiest oils to digest and it enkindles the agni (digestive fire). Again, this principle carries over to topical use as well as internal use. Ghee is easy to digest for your belly and your skin!
How to Enjoy Ghee for Your Face
In addition to consuming ghee to benefit your face, how about ghee on your face?! Ghee is making its way into more skincare products because it is beneficial for your skin, has a wonderful silky texture, and is highly shelf-stable. Even popular fashion and beauty outlets such as Vogue tout the benefits of ghee in skincare. To use ghee for your face, simply dab out a bit onto clean fingers and gently apply to clean skin. You will likely find that ghee as a moisturizer has a pleasant aroma and feel—and that your skin quickly eats it up! In addition, you can combine ghee with other oils, such as sesame, jojoba, or coconut to concoct your desired blend of facial or body oil. Or, you can make a face mask with ghee as a base. Another nice benefit of ghee for your face is that a little bit goes a long way. Ghee is a rich oil and just a small amount has a profound moisturizing effect.
Love and Ghee
Ayurveda teaches that our fat tissue, called the medas dhatu, is connected to our sense of being loved and cared for. Oiling your skin with ghee or other quality oils is a way of showing yourself love and care. It is a way to nourish your body from the outside in. Using cooking oils in your beauty and skincare routine is also a great way to minimize costs, hassle, and the use of bottles and containers. Ghee on toast, ghee for cooking, ghee for your face—it’s a win-win all around!
Greta Kent-Stoll is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner (NAMA), as well as a writer, editor, and Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher. Her Ayurveda practice is based in Asheville, North Carolina and she is the co-owner of Iyengar Yoga Asheville.