Skin Care

The tiktakam and manjishtadi families, and where they sit

Western skin care is almost entirely topical. Ayurveda is not. The bitter decoctions here — the tiktakam and manjishtadi families — are classically associated with the skin and have been given internally for that purpose since the earliest texts. The oils, soaps and washes stand alongside them, not in place of them.

The useful question is not which preparation is strongest but which layer you mean to address. What is applied works where you put it, and a fortnight will tell you whether it suits you. What is taken by mouth is the longer commitment: the classical regimens are described in months, and we would rather say so before you order than after.

Three ways in

1. Applied preparations — Oils, soaps and washes. Local, immediate, and easy to judge for yourself.
2. Internal preparations — Kashayams and tablets, traditionally selected within skin regimens. Bitter, taken on a schedule, and worth raising with a physician before you begin.
3. Everyday cleansing — Herbal soaps, gels and bath powders for ordinary washing. Nothing to commit to — the sensible opening if you are only curious.

See also Bath, Body & Hair, Herbal Decoctions. Kairali has made Ayurvedic formulations in Kerala since 1908.

Always read the label and directions on the pack you receive, and speak with your physician before starting anything new — particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, managing a health condition or taking prescription medicine.