Skin is the largest organ of our body and is the seat of a sense organ. The senses of touch, pain, temperature, pressure are felt by it. It is a Matruj Avyava i.e. derived from mother or having maternal origin.It gives external covering to the whole body. The seven layers of skin get their nutrition from Mansa Dhatu {muscle tissue}. It is known as an UpDhatu (secondary tissue product) of the Raktadhatu (blood) because it only mimics the Dhatu's in beholding the body. It does not do Poshan Karma i.e. do not give nutrition to the other Dhatus.

As skin is an Upadhatu of the Raktadhatu , it is a mirror that reflects the qualities of the Raktadhatu (blood) and the Rasadhatu (body's plasma tissue).Hence it is a common saying that 'glowing skin is the result of good quality Rasa and Rakta'. No amount of bleaching and facial massage or application of make-up through dexterity of a skilled beautician can hide the shallow look if the skin is unhealthy. Conversely, a healthy skin will always look attractive even when devoid of make-up.

• People with ideal skin have soft, oily, thin, smooth and lustrous skin.
• They have soft, thin, scanty, oily, black and deep-rooted hair.
• Eye - brows and eyelashes are black and smooth.
• They have good eye - sight.
• In their eyes, pupils, cornea and sclera are very well differentiated.
• Mouth, Lips, Palate and Tongue are unctuous and oily.
• These persons do not suffer from skin diseases and their wounds heal quickly.
• They are intelligent and learned and have the necessary means and wealth to beget worldly pleasures.
• They like music.
• They love their family, nation, estate, and property.
• They enjoy a long, healthy and happy life.

For Vata skin to stay youthful, skin care products used should be very nurturing. They must include some essential oils or herbs in combination, which can nourish the skin and rehydrate it, otherwise it may be susceptible to wrinkles and premature aging.

Going to bed on time, eating regular meals, and following a regular daily routine are essential components of a holistic approach to Vata skin care, as are eating foods that help balance Vata and nourish the Vata skin.

Vata skin types, for instance, will want to eat more warm, unctuous foods and favor the sweet, sour and salty tastes to balance the dry, rough, moving Vata dosha. Provide added nourishment to your skin by including organic milk, whole grains and green leafy vegetables in your diet. Drink lots of lukewarm water everyday for internal hydration. Eat plenty of sweet juicy fruits, they help cleanse the body from within and provide hydration as well. Include a little healthy fat such as Ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil in your diet for added lubrication. A warm oil self-massage is excellent for keeping skin lubricated. Use a gentle, all-natural moisturizer to keep facial skin hydrated. Provide added deep lipid support with facial oil. Get plenty of rest so your mind as well as your body have the opportunity to recharge. Use a gentle, moisture-balancing cleanser and splash your face with water several times when you cleanse.

The Pitta skin type needs both cooling and nurturing. Use skin care products that help enhance resistance to the sun. Avoid tanning treatments and therapies that expose your delicate, sensitive skin to steam for extended periods of time.

The ayurvedic herb Flame of Forest can help protect Pitta skin from photosensitivity. But like other ayurvedic herbs, it needs to be used in combination with other herbs for a balanced effect on the skin.

If you have a Pitta skin type you will thrive on sweet, bitter and astringent tastes, as found in sweet, juicy fruits, rose petal preserve, and cooked greens. Avoid hot, spicy foods. Stay away from harsh, synthetic cosmetics; they can damage your sensitive skin and cause breakouts. Avoid hot spicy foods and an excess of deep-fried foods, they add heat to an already fiery constitution. Eat lots of sweet juicy fruits and have some rose petal jam in cool milk every day. The rose is considered cooling for mind, body and emotions. Use cooling oil, such as coconut oil, for the daily massage. Cook with cooling spices such as fennel and licorice. Take extra care to protect your skin when you go out in the sun. Use gentle, natural skin care products for cleansing and moisturizing. Provide added lipid support, such as facial skin oil, every other day.

"Kapha skin, because of its thickness and oiliness, is more prone to accumulate ama -- toxins under the skin. People with Kapha skin need to do detoxification on a regular basis, both internal detoxification and external detoxification to flush toxins from the skin," says Mishra.

Scrubbing the skin with a gentle exfoliating clay can help external cleansing. Kapha skin types may also need to take herbal formulations to cleanse the skin from within.

The oiliness of Kapha type skin calls for a diet that is warmer, lighter, less oily, and free of heavy, hard to digest foods. Eating more bitter, astringent and pungent tastes help stimulate digestion and balance Kapha skin.Avoid too many sweet foods or deep-fried foods, they add to the oiliness in the skin. Exercise everyday to improve circulation. A daily warm oil massage can also help circulation. Eat plenty of organic vegetables and fruits to help cleanse the body from within. Cleanse your skin twice everyday; exfoliate with a mud-mask at least once a week. Cook with warming spices such as ginger and black pepper to stoke the digestive fire and inhibit the accumulation of ama inside the body.

There are three types of stress, and all three impact the skin in different ways.

• Mental stress starts a chain reaction that ends in a drying out the moisture in the skin. Thinning, dryness and the shrinking of the 'shrotasa' (microchannels) that carry nutritive fluid to the skin result in wrinkles and stress lines.
• Emotional stress also affects the skin-just notice how anger or embarrassment can turn your face red. This shows the connection between emotions and the skin. If emotional stress becomes chronic, the result is acne, sun sensitivity, and other Pitta-based problems.
• Physical stress: Exercising too much, working too much, or straining the body over a period of time causes physical stress. This causes the drying out of skin moisture and rough, aged skin.

To counteract mental stress, maintain a Vata-pacifying diet and daily routine. To bring emotional stress into balance, follow a Pitta-pacifying diet and routine. For physical stress, try to limit exercise or work to fifty percent of your physical stamina.