Skin products so pure you could eat them
At my age, trust me, i’ve tried every kind of skin care with varying results, but one of the routines i love most turns out to be a combination of castor oil and rosewater. The aha moment for me came when i started studying Ayurveda and got reinforcement for the fact that everything we put on our skin has the potential to be absorbed by the body and, therefore, should be regarded as a kind of food. Make it as pure as possible. If you could eat it, all the better.
Castor oil cools, purifies and absorbs
Castor oil is ancient medicine. Castor seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs and Cleopatra is said to have used castor oil to brighten the whites of her eyes. It’s rich in fat and its ricinoleic acid helps maintain healthy skin flora. That’s why people observe its ability to clear up skin breakouts.
Great for all doshas in some variation
Like many people, i’m a vata/pitta combination, which means i have weird skin that’s a combo of dry (vata) and sensitive (pitta). The skin on my face is drier than that on my body. Castor oil can be used mixed in a carrier oil like sesame, coconut or sunflower. It’s cooling when used externally so great for vata, sweet so it’s nourishing, and astringent so it keeps the pitta skin tendencies under control. I use mostly castor oil after i spray my face with rosewater. I use Heritage rosewater mist and it’s one of my favorite things. The original rosewater mist, it’s been popular for 50 years and is very pure. I use it for hydrating my face and picking up my energy all day long. After a good spray, i apply a thin coating of castor oil mixed in a little carrier (usually coconut oil for me). I let it absorb while i meditate, maybe pat a little with a tissue to absorb excess and then apply whatever makeup i’m using that day..
If you have a lot of kapha qualities, use only a small amount of castor oil in the carrier oil that works best for you. Or you might only use the rosewater by itself.
What’s your favorite combo?
I have more skin care tips that i’ll share in other posts, but give the castor oil a try. I was skeptical because it’s so viscous and thick, but it disappears into my skin. What’s your experience?