Vata is composed of space and air. Their skin type is usually dry, thin, prone to wrinkles, and cool to the touch. Imbalanced vata skin looks tired, stressed, dry, might have blackheads, prone to premature aging and wrinkles. Imbalances in their digestion displays eczema, psoriasis, or even a skin fungus. Mental stress, worry, fear, anxiety, and lack of sleep can have a huge impact on a vata’s skin leaving it dull and tired looking. Vatas are more likely to have dryness and show signs of aging. They appear older than pittas and kaphas. It’s very important for them to stay hydrated and apply the right kinds of oils on their face and body to help maintain a younger appearance.
Use a sesame or coconut oil base. Add, some essential oil of rose, or lemon. You can also use a lighter almond oil.
Perform a self facial massage to work in the oils: (cleanse face first and then apply the facial oil(s):
- Apply the oil all over the face and neck. Make sure you have enough oil so that your fingers aren’t pulling or tugging at the skin. This will cause the skin to age prematurely. This facial massage helps with toning the face muscles and helps lymphatic drainage. Lymphatic drainage helps to remove toxins from the face and helps slow down the aging process.
- Use your pointer, middle finger, and ring finger, close together. Using both hands, alternating hands, start at the eyebrows. Start from in between the eyebrows, go out towards the end of the eyebrows. Use slow, vertical, sweeping motions upwards and stop at the hairline. (Light to medium pressure). This move is toning and it helps with decreasing wrinkle depth on the forehead. Repeat 3 - 5 times.
- From the middle of the forehead, starting at the hairline, swipe downwards, horizontally, following the hairline down towards the temples. 3 passes - right under the hairline, mid-forehead, and ring finger should be right above eyebrows. Light pressure and slow movements for lymphatic drainage. Repeat 3 - 5 times.
- Using your ring fingers. Place them right under your eyes, where you might have puffiness. Start at the inner eye, with very light pressure to no pressure and sweep out towards the temples. Place fingers on the end of your cheekbone and gently glide down stopping at the ear lobes. This is for lymphatic drainage. Repeat 3 x 5 times.
- Using your palms, place them under the cheekbones. Gently push upwards, using circular motions, decreasing pressure on the downwards motion, slowly move towards the end of the cheekbone or your ears. Medium pressure. This is toning. Repeat 3 - 5 times.
- Using the outer sides of your pointers place at the ends of your lips. Pointers right at the end of the nostrils. Push out and upwards towards the ears. Light to medium pressure. This is for the labionasal folds or laugh lines. Repeat 3-5 times.
- Use the same motion for under the lips and chin. Light to Medium pressure. Repeat 3 - 5 times.
- Under the chin and along the jawline use your thumbs, place at the center of the chin sweep upwards toward the end of the jaw with medium pressure. This helps tone “turkey neck.”
- Use your pointer, middle finger and if possible ring finger to sweep down the neck. The fingers should be touching right underneath the ears. The ring finger touching the jaw bone. Very lightly, sweep down the neck towards the clavicle bone. About an inch from the center of the clavicle bone. This is for lymphatic drainage. Repeat 3 - 5 times.
Go to bed by 10pm.
