Ayurvedic ghee is known to provide a large number of health benefits. One of the benefits attributed to ghee is its ability to help with anti-aging and skincare – a lofty claim! This article explains how to use Ayurvedic ghee for skin and healthy aging.
Moisturizing
Ghee has long been used topically because of it’s ability to lock in moisture. Ghee contains high levels of fatty acids, which promote hydration. In fact, ghee is one of the most prized substances for Abhyanga, the Ayurvedic practice of self-massage with oil. Ghee can be used on the whole body, but is especially known for softening elbows, knees, hands, and feet and moisturizing the face and neck.
Nourishment
Perhaps the most notable ways that ghee helps to fight aging is by nourishing all of the tissues in the body. When used internally and externally, ghee:
- Hydrates the skin, reducing the onset of wrinkles
- Repairs damage done by various skin conditions
- Speeds up wound and scar healing
Digestion
Our agni, our digestive fire, is responsible for absorbing all physical and etheric forms of nutrition. When digestion is strong, so are we. When our digestion is not strong, we can start experiencing health issues, including skin conditions like eczema, rashes and acne. Ghee is one of the best substances for improving digestion. From aiding in the assimilation of nutrients to repairing the gut wall, ghee improves the overall functioning of the digestive system, resulting in healthier, brighter and clearer skin.
Vitality and Ojas
In Ayurveda, ojas equates to our vitality. People with a strong and healthy ojas are less prone to disease and physical decline and since ghee boosts ojas, it can help to extend life. People with strong ojas are also said to possess glowing skin because the appearance of skin is a representation of overall health.
Oxidation Prevention
Oxidation is responsible for many of the issues that we commonly associate with aging: wrinkles, joint pain, diseases like cancer, and memory loss to name a few. Ghee harbors phenolic antioxidant compounds, which can reduce the onset of problems like these. This, in turn, will slow the aging process and improve the appearance of skin.
As a Functional Food
Functional foods are foods that can help to fulfill one or more specific functions, beyond what you would expect in regards to general nutrition. For example, one of the functions that food can help with is a reduction in aging. Ghee is known as a functional food that can supply us with the compounds needed to reverse aging.
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There are a variety of ways to use Ayurvedic ghee for skin and anti-aging. If you’re interested in further amplifying ghee’s age-fighting abilities, consider mixing it with other medicinal herbs or taking rasayanas, like Chyawanprash.
Reviewed by Dr. Jayant Lokhande, MD (Botanical Drugs), MBA (Biotechnology)
