Beauty pure and simple : the ayurvedic approach to beautiful skin

2011·1.24 MB·English

by  Ma

“Those who are curious and in need of natural solutions to beauty problems
should read Kristen Ma’s book.”
—Tathaastu
“If you’re ready to integrate your skin care routine into a holistic approach
to optimal health and radiant beauty, this book is a must-read.”
—Yoga Journal
“An exceedingly articulate health primer filled with natural remedies and
care routines that support wellness inside and out.”
—Spirit of Change
“A practical guide to modern skin care using the timeless wisdom of
Ayurveda. Beauty is eternal and crystal clear, and Kristen Ma shows how to
be beautiful at all ages according to Ayurvedic principles.”
—Vasant Lad, author of Ayurveda: Science of Life
“Five stars. Kristen Ma offers helpful knowledge on how to enhance your
appearance as you tend to your health.”
—San Francisco Book Review
ABOUT THE BOOK
A radiant complexion can be yours through the ancient science of
Ayurveda. Kristen Ma invites you to expand your skincare consciousness to
incorporate elements from this millennia-old system of wellness from India,
along with principles supported by the latest scientific research on skin
biology. Her practical guidelines are safe and easy to follow—and
marvelously effective for nurturing healthy and beautiful skin.
Ma explains both skin biology and the basics of Ayurveda as it applies to
skin health, and shows you how to determine your true skin type according
to your specific dosha (physical constitution according to Ayurvedic
principles), then recommends individualized regimens with easy-to-obtain
products. Ma explains the influence of diet on skin health, how to deal with
skin changes that come with aging, how to protect skin from the sun and
pollutants, and how to cope with the effect of stress on skin. She identifies
harmful ingredients that are ubiquitous in most products and treatments on
the market, and recommends healthy alternatives.
She also offers advice on how to treat common problems such as:
breakouts
acne
eczema
rosacea
hyperpigmentation
dark circles under the eyes and puffy eyes
and many others
KRISTEN MA is the co-owner of Pure + Simple Inc., a group of holistic
spas in Toronto with its own line of natural skincare and mineral make-up.
She is an Ayurvedic practitioner and esthetician who writes and lectures on
the subject of holistic beauty. Ma has an active blog readership
(www.holistic-vanity.blogspot.com) and a comprehensive website
(http://www.pureandsimple.ca/). Ma has been voted “Best Facialist in the
City” by Toronto Life Magazine.
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Beauty Pure and Simple
The Ayurvedic Approach to Beautiful Skin
Kristen Ma
TRUMPETER
Boston & London 2011
Trumpeter Books An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
trumpeterbooks.com
© 2011 by Kristen Ma Cover design by Jim Zaccaria Cover photograph © Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc.
Blend ImagesCorbis All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ma, Kristen.
Beauty pure and simple: the ayurvedic approach to beautiful skin / Kristen Ma.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
eISBN 978-0-83482752-3
ISBN 978-1-59030-920-9 (pbk.: acid-free paper) 1. Skin—Care and hygiene. 2. Medicine, Ayurvedic. I.
Title.
RL87.M214 2011
646.7′2—dc23
2011014502
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
PART 1. A TIMELESS PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY
1. Natural Skin Care Explained
2. Ayurveda: The Beauty of Eastern Medicine
3. Skin Basics
PART 2. SKIN CARE MADE PURE AND SIMPLE
4. Skin Care 101
5. Golden Rules for That Golden Glow
PART 3. BEAUTY 9-1-1
6. Acne: The Journey to Clarity
7. Seeing Red: Sensitive Skin, Rosacea, and Eczema
8. Aging Skin
Conclusion
Glossary
Rejuvenating Resources
Index
E-mail Sign-Up
Acknowledgments
As with all the successes in my life, I have to thank many people for their
contributions and support: My mother, Jean, who has provided me with so much
opportunity. Your vata energy has kept the momentum and movement of this
project going.
Dr. Vasant Lad, Dr. Subhash Ranade, Dr. Avinash Lele, and Dr. Jeson Yan,
who taught and inspired me to transform my view of health, skin, and love.
Dr. T. G. Lewis, who has encouraged me so much and always emphasized the
importance of discipline. I especially thank you for educating me about the
importance of breathing.
Lindsey Simms, Yvonne Kurant, Peter Howie, and Alison Sherk, who are not
only coworkers but good friends who generously gave me their time and
feedback.
My partner, Benjamin, who has cooled my most heated, frustrated moments
with his kindness and patience.
The Pure + simple staff, all of them talented and educated practitioners and
coordinators, who have helped me learn so much about beauty and team
building.
Introduction
In this competitive modern age, we have high expectations. Not only do we
demand top performance from products, services, and technologies, but we also
demand it of ourselves. Most of us strive to be the best in our jobs, in our
relationships, and as members of our communities. Naturally, our attitude
toward how we look is just as uncompromising. We demand ourselves to have
flawless skin and hard bodies, believing physical perfection is always within our
complete control. This gives way to frustration with ourselves when we don’t
achieve this often unrealistic goal.
But by placing such expectations on ourselves, we sometimes forget what
beauty really is and how best to embody it. As an esthetician, I see two different
sides to the promotion of beauty. One emphasizes traits like glowing skin, shiny
hair, bright eyes, and a strong body, which can only come from balanced health
that makes us innately magnetic and disarming.
Unfortunately, the other side of beauty promotion has nothing to do with
health; it focuses on a straight or small nose, big breasts, pouty lips, and taut
skin. It rigidly supports the idea that beauty can be attained synthetically through
fake nails, fake hair, a fake tan, and fake eyelashes. This emphasis on external
perfection over well-being leads to the use of dangerous procedures that damage
rather than enhance health, especially that of the skin.
It was this dichotomy that led my mother, Jean Eng, and I to start Pure +
simple, Inc., which comprises a chain of holistic spas and a line of natural skin
care products and mineral makeup. Our mandate was to offer alternatives to
conventional products and treatments to promote beauty through health. These
alternatives included both chemical-free skin care and skin consultations with
estheticians that emphasized inside-outside beauty. After a few years of
operation, I decided to strengthen my understanding of the connection between
health and beauty by becoming an ayurvedic practitioner.
Ayurveda, the five-thousand-year-old Indian science of health and medicine,
teaches that healing (and therefore beauty) stems from a balanced lifestyle
supported by knowledge. It is based on the concept that our bodies are composed
of three different energies: pitta, heat energy; kapha, water and earth energy; and
vata, air and space energy. It is not the breakdown of our physical systems that
causes sickness, but an excess or a deficiency of a specific energy that
unbalances and compromises our total selves.
One principle that runs consistently through all Eastern medicine is the idea
that we must participate in our own well-being instead of hoping for someone or
something else to save us. Whether it is a drug, a surgical procedure, or a
practitioner, many of us expect an external intervention to heal us, giving little
thought to how we ourselves contribute to our health status and recovery. This
principle also applies to beauty. Ayurveda promotes a more proactive approach,
emphasizing prevention instead of short-term solutions that merely suppress
symptoms. Many people suffer from acne, rosacea, eczema, hyperpigmentation,
and premature aging, which may seem like ugly nuisances but can, in fact, be
early warning signs of more serious problems. Using these imperfections as a
spur to change can result not only in beautiful skin but in better health and
greater vitality.
In particular, ayurveda relies on daily care to deal with unsightly symptoms by
addressing their underlying cause. In contrast, current Western culture often
encourages neglect of this responsibility, opting instead for acute, drastic
treatments in pursuit of false ideals. These harsh procedures—intended to reduce
fine lines, tone, and even reconstruct features—are often counterproductive,
because they tax our bodies, minds, emotions, and immune systems. We must
see beauty as something we want to develop naturally from the inside out.
The repercussions of treating skin severely can be long-lasting. The skin is a
delicate organ with its own internal system. Although many people think it
consists of only what they see, it is actually composed of three layers of tissue,
each with its own sublayers. Together they encapsulate a network of capillaries
and sweat glands bound by tightly woven fibers of collagen and elastin.
Understanding how complex and fragile our skin is can help us make more
informed choices.
My clientele is made up of people who did not initially have this
understanding and who made rash decisions with the help of medical
professionals. Many have adult skin conditions that are a direct result of having
treated teenage acne with harsh peels, medications, and drying agents prescribed
by dermatologists or other physicians. These solutions typically produced short-
term, temporary results and long-term damage such as skin sensitivity,
dehydration, and mental stress.
I, too, treated my skin badly. I suffered from acne for more than ten years and
desperately searched for a solution, spending endless amounts of money and
energy on my stubbornly blemished face. I tried dry ice, glycolic peels, and