Right now, you're more than likely digesting your last meal.

...but did you know that our skin has a digestive fire of its own?

In Ayurveda (the Sanskrit word that describes the path to recognition of our wholeness) this skin digestive fire is called "bhrajaka agni".

Topical substances like detergents, shampoo, lotion, perfumes, cosmetics, and even micro-particles in our clothes impact our skin on a molecular level. In other words, our skin is our largest organ and whatever touches it affects it!

Let's discuss 4 (important!) reasons why we want to use clean, natural, and pronounceable ingredients on our skin.

1. What you eat becomes you

Commonly used products like pastes, creams, oils, serums, poultices, salves, balms, and powders can contain ingredients that are lab made or are contaminated with toxins. Your skin absorbs more than you think! Certain ingredients have the ability to seep deep into the base layers of our skin, and some even into our bloodstream!

2. Hormones are messengers

Hormones affect and regulate everything; ingredients, simple or complex, can affect our hormones. The skin doesn't just wear ingredients; it interacts with them; this is what we mean by "oxidize". Mood, overall wellness, and emotional and physical stability depend on balanced hormones; toxic ingredients, perfumes, and chemicals (especially the ones we can't pronounce!) can often impact and disrupt the body's natural process to thrive in a balanced way.

3. Balance, repair and regulation

Irritability, fatigue, unexplained confusion or mental fog are all symptoms of a crowded nervous system. We all know what it's like for our mood, stress response, and sleep to be negatively affected; steadiness on all levels is essential for a leveled lifestyle. In Ayurveda, focusing on balance, repair, and regulation is the priority when choosing cosmetics and other topical and/or daily use household products.

4. Ayurveda is the bridge

Similar to the first point, ayurveda uses the internal and external digestive fires as mirrors to each other. Observing the skin is one of the strongest tools we can use to evaluate what our internal needs are to thrive. Breakouts, rashes, discoloration and texture are some immediate ways to assess an ayurveda dosha (body elemental composition) imbalance. Toxins found in commonly used items are often loaded with what we can call "dosha disrupters".

Using ingredients that we can pronounce is a great starting point for upgrading what we're using on our skin and in our homes on a regular basis. Additives found in common household products, cosmetics, and daily use items - that are foreign to the natural world - can have long-lasting, negative effects on our overall wellness.

Branching out of your comfort zone will be like a personal science experiment; start small and stay curious to the subtle shifts you'll notice. You're likely to see great feedback when you are grounded, simple, and sustainable in your approach. This will be the best, most personalized data you could ever ask for!

This information is not a medical diagnosis, nor does it claim to be. Always consult a qualified and relevant practitioner for your medical and health-related needs before trying anything new. Proceed with using natural and pharmaceutical products at your own risk.