What Is Ayurveda?

Ayurvedic theory states that a person consists of the five basic elements: air, space, earth, water and fire. These elements create three life forces, or doshas in the body: kapha (water and earth), pitta (fire and water), and vata (space and air), one of which will generally be more dominant in a person than the others.

The body functions are controlled by the Doshas, and health is determined by the balance of the responsible dosha. When your Dosha is imbalanced, there are physical, mental and emotional impacts on the body from ingestion, bad skin, stress and reduced oral hygiene.

The three Doshas are:

Vata (space and air): A creative soul with a lively personality and a restless, dreamy demeanor. Quick in thought and action and usually slim with a fine-boned build. Vata skin tends to be dry and thin with small pores.

Pitta dosha (fire): Pitta makes a passionate leader and facilitator of change with a determined soul. Sharp and smart, Pittas are usually a medium weight and build, Pitta skin tends to be sensitive or combination, prone to breakouts in the t-zone. Common skin imbalances are: breakouts, redness, inflammation and rosacea.

Kapha (earth and water): Kapha is known for a loyal personality a calm yet strong and grounded presence, Kapha makes a great and nurturing friend or partner. Usually a medium to larger build, Kapha skin tends to be smooth and oily with larger pores. Common skin imbalances are acne around the mouth, excessive oiliness and blackheads.

Keep you Dosha in balance by eating the right foods for your dosha as well as using the right skincare, body care and oral care.

For example, Vata Dosha's are characterised as having dry, cracked or dull skin so should highly moisturising and nourishing oils and cream while those who are Kapha usually have smooth, oily skin and should use lighter more toning products.

For oral care, Ayurveda recommends oil pulling with for 2-3 minutes with 1 tablespoon of oil like oil such as coconut oil everyday as a natural mouth wash and to remove toxins, tongue scraping, chewing spices like anise and cloves after meals to freshen the breath and stimulate digestion as well as using a natural toothpaste.