Category: Home Remedies

Leucoderma – the buzz word for the skin disease where white patches are seen! No doubt this has a significant impact on the look and appearance ethics that one has but from a dermatologist point of view, it is simply the non-pigmentation of some parts of the skin. And can re-pigmentation happen? Well yes and that too very easily!

Yes as unbelievable it may sound treatments are possible to cure the white patch disease. Ayurvedic solutions are developed to take care of this disease in a natural way. There are two kinds of herbal drugs which can be used for the cure of leucoderma- First is photosensitizing drugs which include Psoralea corylifolia (Bavichi), Semicarpus Anacardium (Marking Nut) and Ficus hispida (Kakodumbar). The only precaution which needs to be taken is to restrict exposure to sun 3 hours after the treatment. The second kind of drug is the blood purifiers which is primarily composed of Haridra (Curcuma longa); Bhrigaraj(Eclipta alba); Tinospora (Tinosporacardifolia); sariva (hemidascus indicus); khadir (acasia catachu);apamarga( acaranthus aspara). both the herbs are natural and have no side effects.  both these treatments are also referred to as kastha ausadhi. so if you want a pure and natural treatment kastha ausadhi is the best solution.

there is also another drug called the ras ausadhi or the herbo mineral drugs which is used for the treatment of leucoderma. This basically includes ras manikya, taal sindur, sameer pannag ras, and talkeshwar ras.  Apart from this herbal ingredients like tamra bhasma, kashish bhasm subhra bhasm are also used to initiate regimentation are also used for re-pigmentation.

So now you know that there are many herbal drugs which can be used without any risk to get the perfect flawless skin that one desires. These herbs work by circulating blood in the areas where pigmentation has stopped and generates a system where the pigmentation can be resumed without any difficulty. Yes the basics needs to be followed regardless of the treatments. Face has to be cleaned daily and exposure to sun immediately after applies drugs needs to be avoided. Drinking lots of water is also a way to keep your skin healthy.

So one thing for sure; leucoderma is a curable disease unlike the common myth. The likelihood of adopting a solution to cure a disease increases manifold if one starts accepting the disease and taking measures to help the drugs help you in the best possible way.

You can also refer https://ayurveddoctor.com/ayurvedic-treatment-for-leucoderma.html for more information.

Acne eww! Yes the most common skin problem which not just causes the viral infection, but plays an important role in the cosmetic beauty of oneself. Most common in ladies and women, acne is also found in men and is usually caused due to impure blood or hormonal changes. Acne is the most dreaded skin problems as it leaves behind scar marks and often appears in the form of blackheads and whiteheads.

So how does acne appear? Well acne eruption occurs mainly because of the imbalanced sebum production. Sebum or the oil producing glands secrete a fluid called the sebum. Excessive sebum flow occurs due to stress or high metabolic activities which are directly related to emotions. Scientifically sebaceous duct hyperkeratinization is the major cause of acne, which leads to blockage of sebum and physically results in acne formation.

Acne is usually causes inflammation which is painful and irritating.  Medically, acne is divided into four categories: Grade I which is the Mild grade is known by comedones and papules. Grade II is the moderate level with formations papules, comedones and pustules. Grade III is the severe grade marked by pustules, nodules, abscesses which are painful. Lastly the Grade IV or the Cystic grade marked by – cysts, abscesses, scars which are long lasting effects.

Ayurveda or the healing science has solutions to offer for acne too in the most natural way and is more effective than the topical solutions. Ayurveda treats acne as Tarunya Pitika caused due to impure blood. Also, the Kapa and Vita are responsible for Acne. Raktamokshan or Bloodletting) is a treatment for curing acne by ensuring that the stagnated blood is circulated and hence does not become a source of impurities. Leech application for Raktamokshan is one of the Para surgical methods. Leech therapy improves circulation to tissues by removing the vitiated blood. Improved circulation means more oxygen and nourishment to each cell and tissue, which eventually purifies the blood and leaves the skin glowing.

Face pack constituting of Lodhra (Symlocos racemosus), Vacha (Acorus Calamus), Dhanyak (Coriandrum Sativum), Chandan (Santalum album) and Ushir (Vettiveria Zizanioides) is a useful mask to prevent acne. Jatiphala or Myristica Fragrance is a useful Ayurvedic solution to completely remove the marks left by the dark spots. Sariva (Hemidesmus Indicus), Anantmula (Tylophora Asthmatica), Guduchi (Tinospora Cordifolia) and Manjishtha (Rubia Cordifolia)  are usually referred to as blood purifiers which internally cleans the blood to make the skin healthy. These Ayurvedic treatments should be used on a regular basis to explore surprising results.

Ayurveda sure does have the healing power. It can be strengthened by ensuring that one is having a balanced diet, is exercising regularly and is also taking adequate rest. Stress and anger are also the cause of acne eruptions and so control your mood swings to remain acne free! Ayurvedic medications and treatments are purely herbal, and their effectiveness is long lasting. Further, Ayurveda ensures that the treatment penetrates to the root of the problem for complete curing and leaves the skin healthy and glowing. So follow the simple herb treatment supplemented with a balanced diet and regular exercise to get flawless skin.

Acidity is basically the formation of gas or excessive secretion of acid from gastric glands which slowly finds its way up to the esophagus of our body. In Ayurveda it is the aggravation of Pitta dosha.

Causes of acidity:

• Excessive use of the oily or spicy foods
• Irregular eating habits
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Excessive intake of the caffeine and nicotine products
• Constipation
• Regular consumption of Carbonated drinks
• Maida products in large quantity
• Excessive intake of alcohol or smoking or
• Keeping stomach empty for long time and/or skipping breakfast
• Eating junk foods.

You may never know when these small things affect your body system big time by causing acidity which is not just irritating but may take prolonged time to be cured.

So how does one know, one is suffering from acidity? These are some symptoms which if one is incurring on a daily basis for a couple of days may be due to acidity.

• Severe pain in the upper abdomen following a huge meal  or  a spicy one.
• Nausea,
• vomiting, and
• loss of appetite,
• Heartburn,
• burping,
• Blood vomiting
• Occurrence of blood in stool may be seen.

The first step to cure acidity is to change one’s lifestyle. In fact diet should be controlled to ensure that you are taking a balanced healthy portion without the intake of extra fats and cholesterol.  Milk with sugar, little rice, barley, wheat, cucumber, bitter gourd and fruits like green banana, pumpkin, pomegranate supplemented with milk are highly recommended.  Food items like fat, junk foods, Acidic foods like pickles, curds, tamarinds, and excessive maida products should be avoided. Small meals should be taken followed by adequate amount of water.

Acidity can be cured with simple home remedies. Drinking coconut water is the easiest of them. Other tips are to prepare mixture of rice corn, raw sugar, and honey in equal quantity taken twice a day also helps.

Ayurveda gets you a range of medicines to cure acidity of any nature.  Amla one of the most common herbs if taken with warm water or taken along with vegetables can work wonders. Coriander juice with buttermilk helps reduce acidity almost instantly.  Tulsi is an amazing herb and chewing some leaves can relieve one from the pains of acidity. In fact simple solutions like having herbal tea can go a long way to solve the problem of acute acidity. Apart from the herbs, some Ayurvedic medicines which have been intrinsically prepared can be taken like Kamadudha Ras and Narikel lavann. Taking Avipattikar churna empty stomach or Sukumara Ghrita mixed with a cup of milk again empty stomach helps to maintain the bowel movement and eventually cures hyper-acidity.
Dhaatri lauha source of iron if taken twice daily with water also helps in relieving acidity refluxes.

Along with the Ayurvedic solutions, a good way to prevent acidity is to exercise regularly. This will help to keep your over body fit and healthy. Further, yoga and asana are a good way to improve digestive, respiratory and cardiovascular system. Simple yoga postures like Suryanamaskar and pranayam for about twenty minutes a day will act like stress busters and help you stay fit internally as well as externally.

Constipation is the abnormal movement of the bowels which causes painful stool passage. Yes, it is painful, irritating and frustrating. One of the biggest problems of this disease is that people are not aware of the root cause of the disorder and are hesitant to discuss the same.

Constipation is a common problem faced by individuals all across the world. Some of the symptoms of constipation are:

• Infrequency in defecation,
• Foul breath,
• Loss of appetite,
• Headaches,
• Dizziness,
• Dark circles,
• Nausea,
• the frequent eruption of Pimples,
• Mouth ulcers,
• Diarrhoea alternating with constipation,
• Acidity, Heartburn
• Insomnia.
• Even depression can be a major symptom for constipation.

So if you are facing with any of the mentioned symptoms, constantly for three months there is a great likelihood that you are suffering from constipation.

The first step in curing constipation is to accept it.  Once accepted one may search for solutions to cure this disease. To cure any disease, it is very vital to understand the root cause of the problem.  Not only does it help in making one aware of the symptoms mentioned above but also helps to strategize ways for preventing the disease. Some of the root cause of constipation are improper diet & irregular eating habits, Insufficient intake of water and high fibre food, Excessive intake of animal protein, Emotional disturbances, Lack of physical activity and paralytic or mechanical obstruction to the passage of stools. Understanding the root cause will help you identify solutions for curing as well as preventing the disease in future.

There are plenty of options for curing constipation. Ayurvedic medicines can help you cure the disease of its root and ensure that the disease is cured naturally. Some of the Ayurvedic herbs which act as an antidote for constipation are Hartaki (Terminalia Chebula), Isabgol (Plantago Ovata), Senna Leaves (Cassia Angustifolia) and Nisoth (Ipomoea Turpethum). Some other Ayurvedic supplements like Kabjahar and Triphala Churna can be taken alongside with the herbs. Apart from medication, the best way to cure constipation is to change your lifestyle – eat healthy stay healthy! Say a big no to white flour, rice, bread, pulses, cakes, pastries, biscuits, cheese, white sugar & hard-boiled eggs. Instead, supplement your food with Wholegrain Cereals, Green Vegetables, and Fruits like Bael, Pear, Guava, Grapes, Orange, Papaya & Figs and Dairy products. Exercising regularly and following religiously the Yoga can go a long way to help you be fit and prevent diseases like constipation.

People with the Vata dosha are the one who are good of strength; they are agile, restless and have a fast metabolism rate. They have little muscle development with protruding joints making them very active and energetic. This is why they always have to maintain a very healthy diet and a lifestyle full of exercises to support their agility. Their skin is dry and rough which looks as if deprived of any nourishment. It is therefore recommended to take a vitamin and mineral supplementing diet for providing energy and nourishing the skin.

All those energetic qualities that come with your Vata dosha can be given a form by just sticking to the diet. It is very significant to know what to eat and what not to, to stay away from diseases and stomach disorders.

• You should eat more sweet food. Warm, moist and heavy food works best for you. Bitter food is not for you. Dry, cold and light food should be avoided. You can have vegetables like asparagus, avocados, carrots, beets, eggplant, olives, leeks, radish, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato and zucchini. But you should eat less frozen or raw vegetables like peas, sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, corn, cucumber, celery, mushrooms, lettuce, and potatoes.
• Apricots, cherries, banana, peaches, fresh figs, mangoes, dates, citrus fruits, papaya, pineapple, grapes, plums, and berries are the healthiest choice for you in the fruits category. But fruits like dried fruits, pears, apples, prunes, melons, cranberries and pomegranates are not that good for your digestive system.
• Grains like rice, wheat, pasta and oats should be taken in more quantity and others like buckwheat, barley rye, millet, corn, puffed or dry cereals, and rice cakes should not be eaten more.
• Soy and mung beans are good for you, but navy, kidney, pinto, Lima, lentils, split peas, black and white beans are not that good for you.
• Dry or roasted nuts and even smoked nuts are not good for you. Nuts in moderation like the sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds should regularly be eaten.
• Powdered milk and ice creams may not be the best option for you, but you can have some dairy products in moderation. Other than corn oil, every oil is great for your health especially sesame oil.
• In herbs and spices, asafoetida, caraway, basil, sage, clove, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, garlic, fennel, ginger, onion, turmeric and nutmeg can have the best effects on your health. But avoid coriander seeds, parsley, and fenugreek seeds.
• In beverages, warm drinks like warm milk, fruit, and vegetable juice (without ice) and herbal and spiced tea are best for you. Coffee, tea, cold or iced drinks, carbonated drinks, and alcohol, should be avoided as far as possible.

Depression is a silent killer. While medically it is defined as “the state of depressed mood pertaining to the negative thoughts in a person”, for a layman the definition can be “a state of lessened mental and physical activity owing to a particular thought, which is usually negative”.

One of the lesser known facts about depression is that prolonged state of depression can lead to noncurable psychiatric disorder. In other words, depression can be said as the initial stage of mental illness. Out of the many reasons that stand against this particular disease, the most intense one is the disruption of the normal lifestyle of an individual. Usually, many people do not easily adapt to a new change in their routine life or even can’t tolerate any change in their environment; be it physical or psychological. What makes the situation worse is their inability to share this feeling with anyone. Highlighting briefly on the various causative factors of depression:

• A disastrous trauma
• A severe injury to head due to an accident
• Witness to some heinous crimes
• Loneliness
• Old age
• Misappropriate diet
• Unhealthy lifestyle
• Lack of conjugal happiness
• Hereditary inheritance
• Menstrual cycle changes in case of females

There are many ways for combating this disorder also. Medical science has been showing a profound increase in the number of medicines for correcting this disorder. However, chemical ingredients have their own side effects too! There are many alternative ways apart from the synthetic drugs. One of the most viable and effective approaches is through natural ways. These alternative ways, being devoid of chemicals, work wonder in curing mental sickness. Few important points are jotted below:

• “Early to bed and early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise”. This well-known English proverb has ample of importance in curing the depression state of an individual. Breathing fresh air and walking amidst the peaceful, serene environment of sunrise soothes the body and mind of an individual.
• Eating a balanced diet is one of the prerequisites towards healing mental depression. There are many notable factors associated with this: eating at the right time, including the sufficient nutrients in the right proportion in every meal, inclusion of omega3fatty acids and exclusion of caffeine in the diet.
• At least once and maximum up to thrice try to take mood enhancing supplements in a day. There are different mood enhancing or stimulating agents available like S-adenosyl-L-methionine, Folic acid, etc. It is to be remembered that green tea is one of the most effective mood stimulators that is naturally found.

Apart from these methods, there are different other approaches through which this depression mental condition can be cured. For example, Ayurvedic treatment, flower treatment (aroma treatment), proper counseling, etc. in addition to these treatments, it is the duty as an individual and as a society as a whole, to help people come out of this depression state. If you witness any person with such disease, then do not hesitate to take a step forward for helping the individual. Even if you have any individual within your family suffering from depression, make sure not to leave the person alone and more importantly do not provoke the person and try to avoid the cause of depression for the person.

Remember, while medicines act as a supplement, family support, love, and care are the primary ingredients for curing this disorder.

Most of us will be familiar with the joke about colds, “Cold vanishes in a week if you take medicines and they go away in 7 days if you do not take any medicine”. This joke indicates that there is no proper cure for colds. However, there are several remedies available in the Ayurveda field of medicine for both prevention of colds from occurring and for cure of colds within a short period effectively.

Basic Facts about Colds

You may be surprised to know that there are more than 200 viruses that cause colds. These viruses enter your body when the coughs or sneezes of other people have placed these viruses in the air or on objects that you touch. It is true to some that extent that colds go away on their own, if you remain in a clean atmosphere and take adequate rest. However, during the time colds persist, they can really make you feel miserable. Several simple home remedies will provide you faster relief from this miserable condition if you utilize the power of certain simple home remedies.

Misconception about Cold

One major misconception about colds is that you catch cold if you get exposed to chill weather or soak in rain. However, studies on colds have clearly proved that the weather or rain do not have any significant effect on the occurrence of colds. The New England Journal of Medicine reported a study on colds. The research team divided the people undergoing the study into two groups. Both groups were exposed to various viruses that are the cause of common cold. However, the research team kept one group in a room maintained at a temperature of 5^oC when they were exposed to the cold viruses. They kept the other group in a room at 30^oC when they got exposed to the virus. This large difference in the room temperatures of the two rooms did not have any noticeable effect and both groups began to suffer from cold at nearly the same rate, speed and strength of severity.

Symptoms of Colds and Their Severity

On most occasions, the symptoms of colds are confined around the neck, throat and the nostrils, making you sneeze and/or cough. You will also suffer from sore throat and nasal and throat congestion during attacks of cold. However, it is advisable to visit a medical practitioner if you face the following serious conditions or symptoms of cold.

• If you begin to wheeze substantially
• If you find normal breathing quite difficult
• If substantial amounts of phlegm come out of your mouth or get formed in your throat when you cough due to cold
• If you feel strong pain in your throat, chest, lungs, nostrils and ears

Home Remedies for Faster Relief from Cold

Andrographis

In Ayurveda, one of the traditional treatments for cold was with Andrographis herb. A study furnished Andrographis herb to one group of people suffering from cold, while the other group was provided with placebos or dummy pills. The study clearly showed that those who took Andrographis herb achieved substantially much higher reduction in the cold symptoms of sore throat and running nose, along with proportional decline in general body pains and aches that usually accompany an attack of cold, compared to those who took placebos. Any Ayurveda medication that contains the equivalent of dried Andrographis herb between 500 mg and 1.5 gm is quite an effective dose for quick resolution of cold.

Garlic

Garlic is a powerful and natural antiseptic that has the ability to fight cold viruses effectively. You can put a small piece of garlic clove in your mouth, which will result in directing the garlic fumes towards your throat and lungs. When the garlic clove begins to soften, the flavour might become quite strong. If you feel the flavour as severe at any point of time, you can chew on the garlic, make it into small pieces and swallow it. You can drink a small quantity of warm water to wash away the garlic flavour from your mouth and throat. Garlic is also available in capsule forms of therapeutic doses. Allicin is the major component of garlic that acts on colds strongly. You can take medications that have Allicin but you should strictly adhere to the recommendations of the manufacturer. Further, people suffering from high blood pressure and taking medication for that should consult their physicians before taking medicines containing Allicin as a remedy for cold. On a few occasions, you may suffer from indigestion, diarrhoea or wind when you take garlic as the medicine for cold. You can minimise these side effects with enteric-coated medical capsules.

Steam Remedies

A steam tent created by keeping your head wrapped with a towel spread over a large bowl containing boiling water and breathing in and out that hot steam through your nostrils for a period of 5 to 10 minutes is quite effective against cold. However, you should be careful to keep a safe distance between the boiling water and your face, since inhaling these hot vapours or direct contact of the facial skin with the hot water can scald your skin. It is better to conduct this steam remedy with the bowl placed on a sturdy table but most people try this method sitting in their bed, which is not at all advisable.

If you want even faster relief from cold through this steam remedy, you can add a few drops of eucalyptus oil or thyme oil to the hot water. But you should have your eyes tightly shut when you do this, since the combination of hot steam and the vapours of the above essential oils can cause strong irritation to your eyes.

Ayurveda considers several crucial physical and mental factors for treatment of various diseases, disorders, and ailments. The primary factors that Ayurveda practitioners look into are dosha, rasa, Vipaka, Veerya, Prabhava Guna and Pathya. Let us understand a few important details about each one of these factors in this article.

Tridosha

The biological process of all living organisms is controlled and governed by three major factors, known as Tridosha. They have been termed as Pitta, Vata, and Sleshma or Kapha. Ayurveda holds that all physical and mental disorders occur when these three doshas lose their normal balance in the body.

Pitta

Pitta is the manifestation of Tejas or internal energy in our body. The Pitta energy is the cause for several internal activities in all living organisms like assimilation and digestion of food, heat production, blood pigmentation, healthy state of endocrine glands, and tissue building.

Vata

Vata is the function of our nervous systems. It includes both the central nervous system and all other automatic nervous systems present in our body.

Sleshma or Kapha

Sleshma or Kapha is the level of heat regulation or thermostatic function in our body. Further, this factor also influences the secretion or formation of several body fluids, such as mucus and synovial. Kapha plays a key role in regulating all our biological processes, in providing nutrition to our body tissues and in coordinating all our body systems.

When one of these doshas become either high or low, disorders begin to occur. For example, a sharp drop in Vata level can lead to paralysis in an individual due to a severe breakdown of the nervous systems. When pitta becomes high, diseases like jaundice, hepatitis, etc. begin to form. When Kapha is higher, we catch a cold, which leads to several other disorders like a headache, body ache, fever, etc.

Rasa

Rasa is nothing but taste. Taste is classified into six types in Ayurveda, namely, Madhura or sweet,Amla or sour, Lavana or salty, Katu or pungent, Tikta or bitter, and Kasaya or astringent. When we consume food with each type of taste, certain changes occur in our body functions.

Madhura

Madhura or sweet taste is usually pleasant, and it is an excellent tonic for heart and brain if consumed in correct quantities. It is also galactagogue, promoting secretion of milk as well as a few other important fluids in our body. Madhura pacifies Pitta and Vata but aggravates Kapha.

Amla

Amla or sour taste is sialagogue, and it is an excellent appetizer, improving the digestive system if consumed within limits. Amla aggravates Pitta and Kapha but pacifies Vata.

Lavana

Lavana or salty taste is diuretic, and it works as digestive expectorant and appetizer. It is easily soluble and acts as softening and water retaining agent. Lavana also aggravates Pitta and Kapha but pacifies Vata.

Katu

Katu or pungent taste is also a sialagogue and lacrimatory. It is an appetizer. The tingling sensation produced by Katu taste on the tongue is useful in dyspepsia. Katu aggravates pitta and Vata but pacifies Kapha.

Tikta

Tikta or bitter taste produces dryness in our mouths, but it is a good appetizer. Tikta pacifies Pitta and Kapha but aggravates Vata.

Kasaya

Kasaya or astringent taste also causes dryness in the mouth and leads to soreness and stiffness in the throat. However, it is diuretic and helps in healing of wounds. Kasaya also pacifies Pitta and Kapha but aggravates Vata.

Vipaka

Vipaka is the metabolism of various organs that arises due to biochemical changes brought about by foods and drugs when the gastro-intestinal digestion occurs. Vipaka is directly related to rasa but the actions of these two vary considerably. The action of Vipaka is delayed, systemic, physiological and inferable but not-perceivable. The action of rasa is immediate, local, physiological and psychological and quite perceivable.

Veerya

Veerya is the potency of food or a drug. Veerya usually denotes the clinical efficacy of a particular drug. Veerya is classified into two categories, namely, Sheeta or cold and Ushna or hot. Sheeta diminishes secretions, stabilizes our excretory functions, stops bleeding, promotes vigour and vitality and aggravates Vata and Kapha, while pacifying pitta. On the other hand, Ushna helps in storing up of internal energy, leads to easy digestion, causes thirst and aggravates Pitta, while pacifying Vata and Kapha.

Prabhava

Prabhava is the specific characteristic influence of each drug. It is the empirical action of a drug and cannot be easily explained in lay terms.

Guna

Guna denotes the actual physical properties of any drug. Ayurveda recognises 20 Gunas that act in various ways during treatment with a drug.

1. Guru or heavy properties induces feelings of heaviness, fatigue and dullness. It impairs digestion but promotes the quantity of waste products.
2. Laghu or light properties helps in easy digestion and promotes body fitness.
3. Sheeta or cold properties provides a cooling effect. It impedes blood flow. It pacifies Pitta, while aggravating Vata and Kapha.
4. Ushna or hot properties increases body temperature, improves blood circulation, enhances urine and sweat, causes thirst and stimulates both appetite and digestion. Ushna aggravates pitta.
5. Snigdha or unctuous properties produces a soothing effect on our bodies and eliminates waste products. It aggravates Kapha but pacifies Vata.
6. Ruksha or dry properties provides uncomfortable feeling and reduces vitality, vigour, and libido.
7. Manda or dull properties acts slowly. This properties  pacifies deranged Doshas.
8. Teeksha or sharp properties is potent and rapid-acting. It clears body channels and removes morbidity. It aggravates pitta.
9. Sthira or immobile properties stabilises all physiological functions.
10. Sara or spreading properties is quite penetrative and stimulates the excretory system.
11. Mrudu or soft properties makes all body tissues loose and soft. It aggravates Kapha while pacifying pitta and Vata.
12. Kathina or hard properties causes firmness and stiffness in the body. It aggravates Vata.
13. Vishada or clear properties removes sliminess and heals ulcers. It aggravates Vata.
14. Picchila or slim properties increases body weight and stimulates excretory organs. It also promotes healing of fractures and wounds.
15. Slakshna or smooth properties promotes tissue synthesis. It aggravates pitta and Kahpa.
16. Khara leads to emaciation. It aggravates Vata.
17. Sthula or bulky properties obstructs vessels, channels, and tubes in our bodies. It is not easily digestible.
18. Sukshma or minute properties penetrates all part of our bodies easily. It aggravates Vataa.
19. Sandra or solid properties nourishes the body.
20. Drava or fluid properties is able to pervade entire body.

Pathya

Pathya is the study of food-to-drug and drug-to-drug interactions. Ayurveda terms the food-drug theory as pathya-apathya. When a patient follows a specific drug regimen, certain food items or drugs must be completely avoided during Ayurveda treatment, since they can reduce the absorption of essential ingredients of the drugs, leading to ineffectiveness of the entire treatment process. Further, certain drugs can lead to irritation, injury or other side effects when they interact with other drugs. Hence, this pathya-apathya principle is strictly followed in Ayurveda.

All herbals and other Ayurveda remedies exhibit their individual actions only on the basis of the above essential factors. We shall continue with individual profiles of each herb and its usage in our subsequent articles.

Nature got all the ingredients to help you in retaining and enhancing your healthy and beautiful skin. Natural masks are considered one of the best way to help you stay healthy and beautiful without any side effects. Below are few popular masks that can be applied based on skin types.

Banana Mask: banana is well known for its anti-aging property on skin. Banana mask can be used to get its anti-aging property to the fullest on your facial skin. Take a ripe banana. Crush it to make it a smooth paste. Apply a thin layer of  it on your skin. Leave it for around 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and with a soft cloth pat it dry. You can feel the difference!

Cucumber Mask: Cucumber mask helps in getting a healthier and beautiful skin. This is usually applied to day skin. Take little cucumber root and mix with oatmeal. Add a teaspoonful of yogurt into it. Mix these properly and apply a thick layer of the mixture on your facial skin and leave it for 20-30 mins. Wash it with warm water and pat your skin dry with a soft and clean cloth.

Honey Mask: Honey mask can be applied to all type of skins. Apply a thin layer of pure honey on your facial skin. Leave it for 5-10 minutes. Gently clean the skin with warm water. pat your skin with cold water. Dry your skin with a soft and clean cloth. You can see and feel the difference once the mask is removed.

Lemon juice mask: Lemon juice has excellent effects on all types of skin. Lemon juice mask is also well known for its curing effects on the facial skin. It helps in reducing dark marks, marks due to pimples and so on. Take out lemon juice from the half of a lemon. Add it to egg white. Mix both egg white and lemon juice properly. Apply the mixture on your facial skin. Keep it for 30-40 minutes till it becomes dry. Wash your face with warm water and pat it dry with a soft and clean cloth.

Yogurt mask: Yogurt is well known for its all round beneficial effects on human body. It is also used to cure oily skins and make it healthy and beautiful. Take three teaspoonfuls of yogurt and add a little yeast to it. Apply the mixture on your facial skin and leave it for few minutes. Rinse it with warm water and pat it dry with a soft and clean cloth.