Ayurvedic diet for acne- What you should eat for your dosha

You have acne and are tired of trying every possible treatment available. From chemical peels to topical ointments you have done it all. You get temporary relief sometimes but get flare-ups soon.

You understand that there is something wrong on the inside that is causing your acne. But you have no idea where to start. I know that feeling of desperation and helplessness.

Studies have confirmed the relationship between acne and food. And if you listen to your body, you might have felt it too.

Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine. It states that your food has the power to heal your body from the inside.

According to Ayurveda, our bodies have three main energy types Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

It is the prominence of doshas that create your personality and body mechanics. Ayurveda is a personalized system of medicine and food.

A specific diet based on your dosha is ideal for optimum health and vitality. An ayurvedic diet for acne will heal your system from the inside without any harmful chemicals.

To make it simpler, I have given an ayurvedic diet for acne for each body type. When followed consistently this will give you acne-free glowing skin.

Find out about your body type/dosha here.

Ayurvedic diet for acne

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It is a reflection of what is going inside your body. The food that you eat and the thoughts you think have direct results on your skin according to Ayurveda.

In Ayurveda, the body is made up of five elements, fire, water, earth, air, and ether. Depending upon the ratios of these five elements your body type is formed. Ayurveda classifies bodies into three types: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Diet is 80% of how your skin looks and feels. Ayurveda defines what works for a particular body type or not. In this post, we will explore the ayurvedic diet for acne for each body type.

Acne, according to Ayurveda is a manifestation of inflammation in your body. It can be due to toxins in the gut, hormonal imbalance, toxins in the blood or irregular bowel movements.

All problems in your digestive system are caused either by bad food habits or lifestyle. Eating right according to your dosha can be the first step towards healing.

Every person has one or two dominant doshas. But, changing seasons, diet and lifestyle affect their physiology and creates imbalance. To get clear, glowing acne-free skin, it is important to create the balance again.

Ayurvedic diet for acne- Vata

Vata is for air and space. These people often have dry skin. The increased Vata balance in your body can cause painful acne and dry skin. If you have both these symptoms you are likely having a Vata imbalance.

Vata imbalance can be diagnosed from bad digestion. Poor digestion and irregular bowel movements lead to the accumulation of toxins inside the body. This gives the feeling of sluggishness and laziness in the body.

The toxins find their way out via lymphatic glands and blood. Acne appears anywhere on the skin and are usually pus-filled painful pimples.

The first step to heal Vata acne is detoxifying the body. Panchakarma treatment is an Ayurvedic term for detoxification.

It is a five-step process that can be undertaken with any ayurvedic practitioner or clinic near you. If you don’t have any such facility nearby, you can go for an easy home based panchakarma.

Eating raw neem leaves and holy basil leaves on an empty stomach are great for purifying the blood. If these are not available you can take neem tablets along with holy basil tablets once or twice a day depending upon the severity.

The second step is eating right.

In the morning,

1. Start your day with aloe vera juice diluted with water.

2. Or boil some fennel seeds in water and drink it.

3. Don’t start your day with sugary cookies or biscuits

4. Skip coffee completely

Food

To eat

1. For breakfast favor warm and freshly cooked foods. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, omelets, freshly baked bread or warm porridge.

2. Favor sweet fruits like bananas, dates, mangoes, peaches.

3. Whole wheat bread and oats are good for Vata

4. Do not eat raw salad. Slightly steamed or boiled veggies are best for Vata imbalance.

5. Favor sweet vegetables like beetroot and carrot

6. Vegetable broth with noodles and boiled veggies is a very good meal option

7. Eat fats in the form of ghee aka clarified butter or any vegetable oil like olive oil. This will lubricate the system from within.

To skip

1. Don’t mix yogurt with fruits

2.  Fruits and meals together. There should be 10-minute gap.

3. Avoid milk or milk-based coffee with salted breakfast

4. Jams, pickles in the morning

Spices & flavors

To use,

1. Sweet and warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, and nutmeg

To avoid,

1. Chilies, excess salt

2. Cut down on sugar completely

*Note: You will get sugar cravings. Use honey or jaggery to satiate it. Eat walnuts to subside the cravings

Ayurvedic diet for acne- Pitta

Pitta is for fire. People with pitta imbalance will often develop red rashes on the skin. These people have small acne with heads and often feel like a fluid oozing out from the affected area.

Pitta is usually the root cause of a range of skin disorders including eczema and psoriasis.

Pitta is the fire that supports digestion. People with Pitta characteristics have strong digestion. But, if it goes out of balance it might lead to a highly acidic system.

People with pitta imbalance have a very sensitive liver and vitiated blood. This results in inflammation in the skin.

The first step to healing acne caused by pitta imbalance is to cool down the body. Aloe vera juice mixed and gooseberry juice diluted with water is an ideal drink to cool down pitta.

Taking Triphala tablets every night before sleeping also cools down the body. You can also boil fennel and coriander seeds together and drink it first thing in the morning.

The second step is food. Now because pitta is fire it is intelligent to limit your consumption of hot and acidic foods.

In the morning,

1. Don’t start your day with sugary cookies or biscuits

2. Skip coffee completely

3. Avoid citrus juices in the morning.

4. You can take lemon and honey with warm water. Lemon being a citrus fruit becomes alkaline when taken with honey.

Food

To eat

1. Eat freshly cooked food

2. Favor cooling fruits like bananas, apples, Bengal quince, and watermelon

3. Whole wheat, rice, and oats are good for pitta

4. Eat a raw salad with a serving of oil to soothe the system

5. Leafy greens, potatoes, bitter and hydrating veggies like cucumber, broccoli, and cauliflower

6. Vegetable broth with noodles and boiled veggies is a very good meal option

7. Drink cold milk without sugar before sleeping

8. During summers eat soaked nuts

To skip

1. Don’t mix yogurt with fruits

2. Do not eat eggs and meat

3. Keep a gap of 10 minutes between raw foods like salads and fruits and your mains

4. Do not take milk with salted food

5. Jams, pickles in the morning

6. Chocolate, cakes, and pastries

7. Avoid tomatoes, beetroot, garlic

Spices

To eat

1. Fennel

2. Parsley

3. Coriander

4. Cardamom

To skip

1. Chilies

2. Peppers

3. Cinnamon

Ayurvedic diet for acne- Kapha

Kapha is for the earth. Kapha is for greasiness, thickness, and sturdiness. Kapha keeps us grounded. Kapha keeps our joints and muscles healthy and our skin glowing.

But if Kapha is out of balance, you will experience either excess weight gain or loss. An imbalance leads to the production of excess sebum and clogging of pores.

People with Kapha imbalance have a sluggish and heavy feeling throughout the day.

The first towards healing Kapha imbalance is to increase metabolism. Drinking warm water throughout the day is the first step.

A herbal tea which increases your metabolism and melts away excess fat and mucous should be the second step.

In the morning,

1. Don’t start your day with sugary cookies or biscuits

2. Skip coffee/tea completely

3. Take warm water with lemon and honey

4. Drinking hot ginger tea twice a day helps stimulate slow digestion.

Food

To eat

1. Eat freshly cooked food

2. Favor lighter fruits like apples, peaches, pears, pomegranates, cranberries, and apricots.

3. Watermelon, muskmelon, and mangoes

4. High fiber grains like barley, corn, millet, buckwheat, rye are good.

5. Reduce intake of oats, rice, and wheat.

6. Eat light.

7. Vegetable soup is great for Kapha imbalance

8. Avoid milk and milk products

9. Favor fish and chicken over red meat

To skip

1. Don’t mix yogurt with fruits

2. Don’t eat too much cheese

3. Don’t eat fried, oily and greasy food

4. Avoid heavy protein-based food

5. Avoid fats in your diet

6. Limit sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Spices

To eat

1. Ginger

2. Garlic

3. Cinnamon

4. Coriander

5. Cardamom

To skip

1. Excess salt

Simple and effective

In Ayurveda, illness, disease, and acne are caused by an imbalance of these three doshas.

You can manage these imbalances and optimize health with diet and lifestyle changes.

If it feels overwhelming to you, taking smaller steps should help. Drinking warm water throughout the year is the first step.

The second step is eating foods that are natural and freshly cooked instead of processed. Include more fruits in your diet.

Get enough rest as stress contributes to acne in adults. A regular meditation and yoga practice should be the third step.

Finally, remember that beauty comes from within. When combined with natural remedies, healing becomes faster. Small, consistent steps when taken regularly will give you glowing acne-free skin.