What you need to know about Ayurvedic skin and hair care

Ayurvedic skin care and hair care products are becoming increasingly popular, with product descriptions highlighting key ingredients like ashwagandha, amla, neem, and more. But how do we know if these skin care products are actually applying the principles of Ayurveda, which takes a holistic approach to physical, mental, and emotional health?

“Ayurveda, at its core, is the science of life,” says Kirti Tewani, Ayurvedic therapist and beauty creator. “It reminds us of the most fundamental principles: Sleep enough, eat what your body can digest, and live in rhythm.”

While Ayurvedic skin care and hair care have become increasingly popular recently, the science behind them is thousands of years old. Many of the Ayurvedic brands today are bridging traditional Ayurvedic wisdom and clinical studies about the efficacy of key ingredients like turmeric, amla oil, moringa, and neem.

Understanding the three doshas and key ingredients

Ayurveda is informed by the three doshas, which are the fundamental energies of the body and mind that may influence someone’s health: vata (air and space), pitta (fire and water), and kapha (earth and water). These three doshas can influence our movement, metabolic system, and body structure, and Tewani says that these energies can also be impacted by the seasons, the time of day, and the ingredients we apply to our skin.

Every person has their own ratio of each dosha, which may impact their skin care needs and challenges. Understanding our prakriti (natural constitution), and vikriti (current imbalance), can help us pick products that will work best for us. “For example, someone with excess pitta might experience inflammation, sensitivity, or breakouts, so cooling, soothing, and gentle ingredients like rose, sandalwood, neem, or aloe can bring balance,” Tewani says, “Vata types, who often deal with dryness or roughness, benefit from rich, nourishing oils like sesame, almond or even ghee. And kapha, which tends toward congestion, oily and cold, is best balanced with warming, stimulating botanicals like turmeric or eucalyptus.”

When it comes to Ayurvedic products, opposites are used to bring balance based on a person’s skin care or hair care needs. For example, if you’re experiencing inflammation or breakouts, which may be adding more heat, you could balance that out with cooler or bitter herbs like neem.

When looking for products from brands that take an Ayurvedic approach, you might notice some commonly used ingredients that are typically used in Ayurvedic treatments. Sahajan develops its products by starting with a skin concern, like hyperpigmentation or dryness, and then working with Ayurvedic practitioners to explore remedies that could be used to treat it.

For example, the Brightening Mask from Sahajan is a modernized version of an Ayurvedic treatment for hyperpigmentation, which was traditionally made as a blend of turmeric, holy basil, and fruit-based acids. Sahajan uses this blend as a base for their formula and then adds hemp seed oil to help reduce inflammation. They also formulated it as a clay base so it would be easier to apply as a mask that could be easily removed after drying. Similarly, the Shaz & Kiks Pre-Wash is a hair mask that can be put in your hair 15 to 20 minutes before showering, and it’s full of Ayurvedic ingredients like kokum butter, amla, neem, and turmeric to strengthen hair and reduce inflammation and sensitivity.

As you test out different products and ingredients, Tewani encourages you to focus on what works for your skin and body and make changes as needed.

Incorporating Ayurvedic practices in your life

In addition to the skin care products in your routine, you can also incorporate other Ayurvedic practices. Ayurveda is not just about the products or rituals as one-off solutions, but being consistent in how you use them over time. 

Some practices that Tewani recommends are:

• Daily facial massage with your fingers or a kansa wand as a facial massage tool to help improve circulation and calm the nervous system
• Weekly hair oiling to nourish the scalp and hair
• Full-body oil massage before a warm shower to help soften the skin, improve lymphatic flow, and reduce dryness and fatigue

• Tongue scraping or oil pulling to support oral health

As you’re evaluating products, start by looking at the ingredients and the values that underpin the brand. For example, Sahajan is committed to creating products with Ayurvedic ingredients that meet people’s skin care needs today, which is why the brand worked with Ayurvedic doctors in India to create their first collection, and they continue to work with Ayurvedic practitioners to develop new ones or update formulas as needed. Similarly, RANAVAT partners with family run farms in India to harvest ingredients like saffron and partner with chemists and Ayurvedic doctors to develop its products line.

“Thanks to social media, many brands are more open about the behind-the-scenes process, sharing how they source ingredients or the Ayurvedic doctors they work with,” Tewani says. “I encourage people to ask questions and to seek out products that are made with intention, not just packaging.”

Finding balance with what you use

While there are many products and rituals to try, Tewani says we don’t need to overcomplicate our approach. What matters more is having an awareness of our skin and body and how it reacts to the elements and the products we use. “Ayurveda invites you to slow down and really listen to your skin, digestion, and energy, and notice if you’re experiencing dryness, dullness, or discomfort,” she says. “The goal isn’t to fix something, but to support the body in coming back to balance.”

Rather than being restrictive, Ayurveda is all about finding balance and connection to our bodies and intuition. It’s important to consider not only the ingredients used in our products, but also the principles of Ayurveda, which remind us to consider how climate, diet, and more can impact our health and well-being.

“When practiced consistently, even in small ways, Ayurveda becomes a foundation for radiant skin, stronger immunity, mental clarity, and emotional resilience,” Tewani says.