In today’s beauty world, we’re often told to rely on tons of skincare products to look younger. But what if there’s another way—one that comes from ancient wisdom? Welcome to our series on skincare for menopausal women. This time, we’re exploring Ayurveda in Menopause Skincare, India’s ancient science of life, to understand how it can help us care for our skin naturally during menopause.
Looking Deeper: How Ayurveda Sees Ageing
Ayurveda doesn’t see ageing as something bad. It sees it as a natural part of life. As we get older, Vata dosha—the energy linked to dryness, movement, and change—starts to take over. That’s why skin during menopause often becomes dry, thin, and more wrinkled.
But Ayurveda teaches us that real beauty comes from inner balance—not just from creams or lotions. Of course, using good products helps, but taking care of your body, mind, and emotions is more important. When your inner health is strong, it naturally shows on your skin, especially during and after menopause.
Skin Through the Years: Ayurveda’s View on Different Life Stages
Ayurveda’s understanding of skin health is not static; it gracefully adapts to the different stages of a woman’s life, recognising the unique doshic influences at each phase:
- The Formative Years: Childhood and Adolescence (Kapha Dominant):
This stage of life is ruled by Kapha dosha, which brings growth, strength, and moisture to the body. Skincare is usually simple—gentle cleansing and basic protection from the sun and pollution are enough.
- The Vibrant Years: Adulthood (Pitta Dominant):
As women move into adulthood, Pitta dosha becomes more active. This fiery energy can make the skin more prone to sensitivity, redness, and breakouts. During this time, skin care should focus on calming and cooling the skin with gentle, soothing ingredients to keep it balanced.
- The Wisdom Years: Menopause and Beyond (Vata Dominant):
As women move into menopause, Vata dosha becomes the most active, and its increase often brings common skin concerns like dryness, fine lines, sensitivity, and uneven skin tone. These changes are also influenced by hormonal shifts and a slowdown in digestion in menopausal age, which can affect how well the body absorbs nutrients.
In Ayurveda, skincare during menopause focuses on calming and balancing Vata. This means using rich, nourishing products that provide deep hydration, supporting the skin from within and keeping it soft and supple. It’s also important to follow grounding lifestyle habits—like regular routines, warm foods, and gentle self-care rituals. Together, this helps reduce dryness, strengthen the skin’s barrier, and slow down signs of ageing in a natural, holistic way.
Also Read: Help! My Skin’s Gone Rogue—Skin Changes in Menopause Explained
Ayurveda’s Skincare Rituals: Inside and Out
Ayurveda uses both inner health practices and external care to keep skin glowing.
Inner Care for Glowing Skin
Ayurveda firmly believes that true beauty is an outward manifestation of inner health and that healthy, radiant skin starts with inner balance. The following are essential aspects of maintaining skin health.
1. The Art of Nourishment (Ahara – Balanced Diet)
Ayurveda views food as medicine, and a balanced diet is paramount for skin health. This involves:
- Consuming fresh, whole, seasonal, and locally sourced foods suitable for your individual Prakriti (constitution) and any current Vikriti (imbalances).
- Avoiding incompatible food combinations and eating at regular times.
- Incorporating all six tastes (Rasas – sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) to ensure complete nourishment of all bodily tissues.
- Furthermore, maintaining optimal hydration by drinking adequate water and herbal infusions throughout the day to keep the skin supple and facilitates the elimination of metabolic waste products.
2. Good Digestion and Elimination
Efficient digestion and regular elimination of toxins are fundamental pillars of healthy skin. When waste accumulates internally, it can often manifest as skin issues like dullness, breakouts, and other imbalances.
Ayurveda encourages practices that support healthy digestion, such as:
- Drinking warm water in the morning
- Incorporating fibre-rich foods into the diet
- And, if needed, utilise gentle herbal remedies to promote regular bowel movements
3. Restful Sleep (Nidra)
Restorative and sufficient sleep is not merely a luxury; it’s a biological need for cellular repair and rejuvenation. During sleep, the body works to repair damage and regenerate tissues, processes that directly impact the health and appearance of the skin.
Late nights and disrupted sleep patterns can aggravate Vata and Pitta doshas, often leading to dullness, under-eye circles, and increased susceptibility to breakouts.
4. The Harmony of Mind (Mana Swasthya – Stress Management):
In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become a prevalent factor impacting our overall well-being, including the health of our skin. Ayurveda emphasises the profound connection between the mind and body.
Engaging in stress-reducing practices such as yoga, meditation, mindful breathing exercises, and spending quality time in nature can help balance the doshas, particularly Vata, and mitigate the negative effects of stress on the skin, such as premature ageing and inflammatory conditions.
5. The Importance of Movement (Vyayama – Appropriate Exercise):
Regular, moderate physical activity is integral to the Ayurvedic approach to holistic health. Exercise improves blood circulation, which nourishes skin cells and promotes detoxification through sweating. It also helps maintain overall metabolic balance, contributing to a healthy and radiant complexion. The type and intensity of exercise should be tailored to individual Prakriti and the current state of balance.
Outer Care with Ayurvedic Touch
1. Oil Massage (Abhyanga)
Regular self-massage with warm, dosha-specific oils is a cornerstone of Ayurvedic skincare. The choice of oil is crucial:
- Sesame or almond oil with warm properties is often recommended to balance Vata’s dryness.
- Ghee, coconut oil or Sandalwood oil with cooling properties is suggested to pacify Pitta’s heat.
- Sesame oil and almond oil (with invigorating strokes and vigorous massage) work to stimulate Kapha.
Abhyanga not only deeply nourishes the skin but also improves blood circulation, promotes lymphatic drainage (aiding in detoxification), calms the nervous system (effectively balancing Vata), and enhances the overall health of the skin.
2. Herbal Scrubs (Ubtan)
Ayurveda advocates for gentle exfoliation using natural ingredients rather than harsh chemical peels or abrasive scrubs.
Ubtans are traditional body scrubs made from natural ingredients like gram flour, turmeric, sandalwood, and ground pulses. They gently remove dead skin, boost circulation, and brighten the skin without drying it out.
3. Herbal Face Masks (Mukhalepa)
Applying customised herbal pastes and masks tailored to individual skin types and specific concerns is a cherished Ayurvedic practice for facial rejuvenation.
Ingredients like cooling sandalwood, brightening turmeric, absorbent Fuller’s earth (Multani Mitti), and moisturising honey are frequently used in Mukhalepas to nourish, cleanse deeply, and impart a natural radiance to the facial skin.
4. Gentle Cleansing (Prakshalana)
Ayurveda generally recommends gentle cleansing methods that respect the skin’s delicate balance. Harsh soaps and synthetic cleansers can often strip the skin of its natural oils, leading to dryness and irritation. Instead, natural alternatives like chickpea flour (besan) or mild herbal washes are preferred for their ability to cleanse effectively without disrupting the skin’s inherent moisture.
Ayurveda Recommended Ingredients For Menopause Skincare
Ayurveda’s approach to menopausal skincare relies heavily on the therapeutic properties of natural substances that work in synergy with the body’s own intelligence. For menopausal women, certain ingredients stand out for their ability to address the specific challenges of this phase:
Nourishing Oils
- Sesame Oil: Warm and deeply moisturising, excellent for Vata-dominated skin.
- Almond Oil: Rich in Vitamin E, nourishing, and helps improve skin elasticity.
- Coconut Oil: Cooling, soothing, and provides a protective barrier.
- Ghee (Clarified Butter): Revered for its deeply nourishing and rejuvenating properties.
Rejuvenating Herbs
- Shatavari: Specifically beneficial for women’s health, supports hormonal balance and promotes skin hydration.
- Ashwagandha: An adaptogenic herb that helps manage stress and improve overall vitality, indirectly benefiting the skin.
- Gotu Kola: Known for its ability to promote collagen production and improve skin firmness.
- Licorice Root: Soothes inflammation and can help with hyperpigmentation.
Balancing and Brightening Agents
- Turmeric: A potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that can brighten the complexion.
- Sandalwood: Cooling, calming, and helps improve skin tone and texture.
- Rosewater: A gentle toner that hydrates, soothes, and balances the skin’s pH.
- Aloe Vera: Hydrating, cooling, and helps soothe irritated skin.
Balancing the Doshas For Healthy Skin
Ayurveda’s fundamental principle is that any imbalance in the three primary life forces, the Tridoshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), is the root cause of all diseases and disharmony within the body, including skin problems. Hence, Ayurveda believes that during menopause, understanding and addressing any aggravated dosha is crucial to plan an effective skincare routine.
For instance, a menopausal woman experiencing:
- Excessive Dryness, Fine Lines, and Increased Sensitivity:
These are often indicators of an aggravated Vata dosha. The Ayurvedic approach would focus on deeply moisturising therapies, warm and nourishing foods, and grounding lifestyle practices.
- Inflammation, Redness, Breakouts, or Hyperpigmentation:
These symptoms may point towards an imbalance in Pitta dosha. Cooling and soothing treatments and dietary and lifestyle adjustments to pacify Pitta would be recommended.
- Dullness, Oiliness, or a Feeling of Heaviness (less common as a primary issue during menopause but possible):
These could suggest a Kapha imbalance. In this case, stimulating therapies and lighter foods might be advised.
That’s why a personal Ayurvedic consultation is beneficial—it helps find your unique dosha imbalances and gives you the right skincare and lifestyle plan.
Also Read: Let’s help women understand menopause better
True Beauty Starts Within
Ayurveda teaches that healthy, radiant skin starts with inner balance and here’s what helps in menopause skincare:
- Nourishing and Pacifying Diet: Eat warm, cooked foods that are easy to digest – like ghee, olive oil, whole grains, and cooked fruits and vegetables – to balance Vata. Try to avoid cold, dry, and processed foods.
- Consistent Hydration: Drink plenty of warm water, herbal teas (like chamomile or liquorice), and infused water during the day to stay hydrated and help your body eliminate toxins.
- Prioritising Restorative Sleep: Establishing a consistent sleep schedule and creating a calming bedtime routine to ensure adequate and restful sleep, allowing the body to repair and rejuvenate.
- Embracing Mindful Practices: Integrating daily practices such as gentle yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply spending quiet time in nature to manage stress, calm the nervous system, and promote emotional well-being, all of which have a direct impact on skin health.
- Establishing a Grounding Daily Routine (Dinacharya): Following a consistent daily rhythm, including regular meal times, sleep schedules, and dedicated time for self-care practices like Abhyanga, helps to ground Vata dosha and promotes overall stability and well-being, reflecting in healthy skin.
Embracing Menopause Skincare with Ayurveda
Ayurveda gives us a beautiful way to care for ourselves during menopause. Instead of fighting ageing, it invites us to age gracefully—with self-love, balance, and natural support. By eating well, calming the mind, using nourishing oils and herbs, and syncing with nature’s rhythms, we can bring out our natural glow from the inside out.
Menopause is not the end of beauty—it’s a chance to connect more deeply with our inner light.
Images: canva.com
