Your skin is your largest organ and it literally “eats” everything you put on it! Knowing this, consider the things you may have gladly rubbed on your skin over the years. Think about how this may have impacted your overall wellness. Our skin has an immense capability of absorption. We often put things on our skin we wouldn’t dare eat or put in our mouths. Nutrients and harmful chemicals alike are absorbed when placed on our skin.
Did you know every inch of our skin is made up of 19 million skin cells, 650 sweat glands, 20 blood vessels and 1000 nerve endings? It’s fascinating, the secret life of just an inch of our skin. Our skin is the first place we see the effects of damage and the last to heal. Our bodies take great care to maintain other more “vital” systems before resourcing to our skins needs. The truth is our skin is the first line of defense against harmful microbes, chemicals and pollutants. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that the skin's absorbent rate of chemicals from tap water alone was upwards of 64%!
Because our skin is the largest organ of the body, it is that much more important to pay attention to the products we place on it. Our skincare is important for our holistic health and also for the health of the world we live in. We recognize this at Zama Massage Therapeutic Spa and we take great care to only use products of the highest and safest grade for not only our clients but for the environment as well!
In our culture we place great value on what is seen, but what is unseen is just as important. Our skin tells a story of our overall health. It shows whether we are hydrated, the condition of our gut health and our overall dietary habits. These markers of health are worth paying attention to, not just for the value of feeling beautiful but of the knowledge of being healthy.
Ayurvedic culture has been honoring the skin's part in overall health for thousands of years. This ancient approach to medicine takes great care to honor this important organ, the skin. Ayurvedic skincare isn’t singular by nature, it’s not a pill for every ill like its western counterparts tend to be. Ayurveda is a diverse system to attain holistic health in all areas of one’s life. Our mind, body and spirt are viewed as a whole and treated as such. Ayurveda is tailored to the specific rhythm and needs of individual body patterns and genetic make-up. It acknowledges how seasons influence our imbalances and how our bodies needs things at different times of the year. Skin is not just a marker of beauty but of health. Applying this ancient knowledge to current needs is the power behind Ayurvedic skincare.
If you are curious about ancient medicinal pathways and have asked yourself, what is Ayurveda and how does it apply to me, the skin is a good place to start! To understand the magic and individualized care Ayurvedic medicine provides, it’s important to understand what a "dosha" is.
A dosha can be described as one of three energies believed to circulate in the body and govern our physiological activity. A dosha's literal translation is “that which can cause problems.” Ayurveda honors the human body as a microcosm of the greater whole. The idea is that we are constituted of the five elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Through the knowledge of the flow of these elemental energies through the body, your personal needs can be mapped out and met. In matters of the skin, we fall into three doshas by way of the condition we uniquely experience: Vata (dry) skin, Pitta (sensitive) skin and Kapha (oily) skin.
Depending on your unique dosha there are specific holistic approaches to meet your unique needs. Each dosha can be supported by nutrition, herbs, exercises and specific skincare that can bring it to homeostasis. That is what makes Ayurveda so amazing and how it can apply to your uniqueness. It is personalized and inclusive to the needs of your exact skin and overall health trends. Since our skin may experience all three challenges on any given day, an Ayurvedic approach is customized to your dosha imblance.
Skincare needs are personalized to each of us. With this in mind here at Zama, we offer a wide variety of skincare options for your holistic health.
Here at Zama, we embrace the uniqueness challenges each person brings as an opportunity to amp up their robust health. Personalized skincare will help lead to vibrant holistic health and glowing skin! We know that skin health can seem complicated. It is worth finding the system that works for you. Visit us and experience our high quality, organic and diverse skincare options to fit your personal needs!