Medical Reviewer: Dr Surabhi Rawat
Who doesn’t want a healthy-looking skin that doesn’t seem to age? With enough chemicals in the environment we live in today, the last thing you’ll need on your skin is more chemicals. Natural or Ayurvedic products come to the rescue. Ayurvedic approach to skincare has been around for centuries. It’s an asset and a gem of the Eastern culture. It is no surprise that the world has now begun to understand the value of Ayurveda, and has resorted to replacing artificial chemicals with Ayurvedic herbs. Let us discuss the ten best ayurvedic skincare products available in the market at present:
#1. Biotique Bio Mud Face Pack
Biotique products are known for their skin-friendly nature and the natural herbal extracts used. Coming with 100% botanical extracts, this mud face pack is no exception and outshines other Ayurveda skincare products.
Biotique bio mud face pack has the richness of the essential oils of geranium, basil (Ocimum basilicum), peppermint (Mentha×piperita) and lavender. It has a sweet, well-balanced blend of mineral salts like Calcium, Magnesium and Iodine.
All of the above-mentioned elements, when they come together in perfect harmony, prove to be a boon for your skin. It exfoliates and rejuvenates your skin, tightens up pores, and deep cleans by removing oil and dirt. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, all you need to do is apply a thick layer, let it dry up, then wash it off. You’ll feel the difference right away.
The product is well-known for its anti-ageing properties. Fuller’s Earth or Multani Mitti is an active ingredient. It reduces fine lines and wrinkles, giving you a much younger look.
Price: It has a competitive price of ₹199 for 75g, which is rather affordable.
#2. Forest Essentials Mashobra Honey, Lemon and Rosewater Facial Cleanser
Forest Essentials is a well-established brand in India, known for its wide range of beauty products. They specialise in skincare, hair care and body care. Their organic skincare products attract lots of customers.
This facial cleanser comes with Anantmool or Indian Sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus Indicus), Kumud or Water Lily (Nymphaea alba Linn), Olive oil, Royal Jelly, Honey, Essential Oils of Lemon, and Rosewater.
All of the aforementioned ingredients are blended with perfect proportions.
- Anantmool is excellent if you have a skin which is acne-prone or pigmented.
- Kumud gently firms and tones your skin.
- Lemon essential oils uplift, refresh and rejuvenate it.
- Olive oils are warehouses of antioxidants. They fight the skin-damaging free radicals, thus slowing down the ageing process and moisturizing skin.
- Honey cleanses like no other, absorbing deep-seated impurities from the pores.
- Rosewater is steam-distilled, responsible for the toning and rehydration of the skin.
The product flaunts positive reviews from its customers. The formula is extremely gentle on your skin. It gets the job done without drying out your skin. The rosewater leaves behind a scent which is mild and soothing.
Price: It is indeed expensive, with 200ml for ₹975. It’s an excellent choice if you don’t mind spending some extra bucks.
#3. Auravedic Neem Tea Tree Pulpy Face Wash
Auravedic offers a wide range of skincare products. They’re well-known for their natural ayurvedic skincare products. This pulpy face wash is one of them.
It comes with Neem extracts (Azadirachta indica), Tulsi or Holy Basil extracts (Ocimum tenuiflorum), Calendula extracts (Calendula officinalis), Teatree oil, Sandalwood oil, Orange oil, and a soothing cinnamon fragrance. Moreover, it is free of Parabens, SLS, harmful chemicals and artificial colours.
It’s nothing like your regular face wash. It comes in a jar, unlike others that come in tubes. It has a pulpy texture. The consistency is thick and waxy. One major upside of this product is that you’ll just need a pea-sized amount to wash your entire face. This is because it lathers up nicely. As a result, it ends up lasting for a longer time period.
The face wash is extremely efficient in removing dirt, oil and makeup from your skin. It unclogs, cleanses and minimises pores. It deals with acne breakouts efficiently. It refreshes and rejuvenates your skin, making you feel fresh and light. It’s a modern approach to Ayurveda Pitta skincare. The cinnamon and coconut fragrances are mild and soothe you for hours after usage. The only downside is that it’s not suitable for dry skin.
Price: It is affordable with the 50g jar priced at ₹142.
#4. Iraya Wheatgerm Facial Massage Cream
Anyone who knows about skincare routines knows and stresses the importance of facial massages from time to time. Coming from Iraya, a famous beauty product brand, this facial massage cream is one of a kind.
The product comes in an unconventional classy glass jar with a silver or golden lid. It has the perfect blend of the goodness of Wheatgerm which is a warehouse of antioxidants and vitamin E, lavender, sweet orange and sesame oil.
Wheatgerm is the main element here. Its benefits are endless. Apart from being rich in antioxidants, wheatgerm deeply hydrates the skin. It repairs the skin from sun and pollution damage. If you have irritable and itchy skin, wheatgerm calms and soothes the same. It lifts and evens out the skin tone. It makes room for new cells to replace the dull and old ones, thus lifting your skin. With increased blood circulation, the skin gets a natural glow. It also has anti-ageing properties.
You just have to take a small amount and massage your face gently. The cream takes some time to absorb into the skin completely. The effects are soon visible. With regular usage, you can reinforce skin cells, reduce fine lines and wrinkles to a great extent and increase blood circulation in the skin.
Price: 50g jar costs ₹495.
#5. SoulTree Cleansing Lotion, Aloe & Rose Water With Skin Toning Licorice
Soultree has taken a natural approach to beauty and skincare. This ayurvedic cleanser is an exemplary example of the same.
This face cleanser and makeup remover cleans the skin and the pores efficiently. It is a great combination of Organic Aloe, fresh Rosewater extracted from the wild Indian Rose and healthy ayurvedic extracts of organic Licorice. It is free of parabens and mineral oils.
It not only cleans your skin, but has various other benefits as well. Firstly, it cools down the skin and feels good. It has skin-healing factors. It lightens up the skin, undoing the damage done due to exposure to the sun (suntan). It reduces blemishes and tightens up pores. If used daily, it works even better. It evens out the skin tone and makes the skin smooth and spot-free. The subtle floral scent is soothing as well.
Price: Priced aggressively, ₹395 for 150ml.
#6. Khadi Orange Peel and Tulsi Skin Toner
Khadi is a well-known brand in the cosmetics market. It produces a wide range of products – ranging from haircare to skincare products.
Khadi Orange Peel and Tulsi skin toner is absolute bliss to your skin. It comes with the richness of Orange peel, Tulsi, Neem, Khair (Acacia Catechu) and Anaar or Pomegranate (Punica granatum).
The chief ingredient – Orange Peel is as a natural warehouse of antioxidants. The richness of Vitamin A and C helps to fight off allergens and germs. It also fights many skin problems like acne, blackheads, dead cells, dark circles, dry skin, etc. The toner protects your pores from getting clogged and controls oil secretion, making it a good fit for normal to oily skin. The fresh fragrance acts like the cherry on top. One downside, however, is that you may end up dispensing more than you need (owing to the packaging).
It is indeed a nice approach to Ayurveda kapha skincare and a must use if you have oily skin that’s full of pores.
Price: 110ml tube costs ₹100.
#7. Omved Moisturizing Face Cleanser
Omved, as a brand, values Vedic traditions and teachings. It is as close to traditional Vedic products as you can get. Their products are completely organic, free of chemicals, handcrafted, and biodegradable. They’re mainly made in India.
This moisturizing face cleanser contains the goodness of Indian Soapberry or Washnut or Reetha (Sapindus mukorossi), DM water, aloe vera juice, lavender oil, oils of Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea), Turmeric, Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri), and Juniper Berry or Hapusha (Juniperus communis). It also has salicylic acid, which is beneficial for acne-prone skin.
It is essentially a soft-foaming cleanser with a good pH balance. It cleanses and removes deep-seated dirt and all sorts of impurities. As a result, you’re left with soft, smooth and fresh skin. The best part is that it doesn’t dry out your skin and doesn’t harm the natural oils of the skin.
The cleanser foams up nicely and washes away too without leaving any residue behind. What it does leave behind is a strong herbal scent that refreshes you from within.
Price: Kind of expensive, with ₹599 for 100ml.
#8. Kama Ayurveda Kokum & Almond Body Butter
Kama Ayurveda is famous for its skin, hair and body care products following traditional Ayurvedic treatment procedures. Their products are free of harmful chemicals, artificial colours and fragrance, animal ingredients, and preservatives.
This enriching body butter is one of their most famous products. It contains 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Sweet Almond Oil & Coconut Oil, rich in nutrients and fibre, Vitamin A and E, and minerals. It also contains Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and Kokum Butter. Added Aloe Vera juice works as an antiseptic.
This Body Butter is a great moisturiser. It hydrates and improves skin complexion by bringing about the lost natural glow. It removes dead skin cells, thus brightening up the skin. The natural antioxidants help increase the elasticity of the skin, thus slowing down ageing. The butter blend helps in regeneration of skin cells and are extremely useful in lightening up of stretch marks. Most importantly, it’s non-sticky and has a pleasant fragrance.
Price: It’s priced at ₹1,195 for 250g.
#9. Just Herbs Honey Massage Gel
Often considered a luxury, Just Herbs products are natural and extremely effective. The brand houses many herbal and ayurvedic skincare products. Just Herbs Honey Massage Gel is a skincare gel that rehydrates and nourishes the skin. It is made especially for massage purposes. It suits oily skins which are acne-prone and constantly suffer from breakouts.
It comes with honey, almonds, vegetable glycerine, aloe vera leaf juice, and natural preservatives.
Honey has extreme healing properties. Almonds nourish the skin and banish wrinkles owing to their anti-ageing properties. You can do away with all signs of ageing. The Vitamin E rich extract of almonds fights harmful free radicals, restoring the collagen elasticity and improving the skin’s capacity to retain moisture.
Price: As mentioned before, it’s more of a luxury. 100g jam costs ₹625.
#10. Kandamkulathy Kumkumadi Thailam
Last but not least on this list is kumkumadi oil coming from the house of Kandamkulathy. The Kerala-based firm has a rich history of spreading an ayurvedic way of life on a global level.
The oil is prepared carefully using select herbal ingredients. It is made with:
- Lal Chandan or Red Sandalwood (Pterocarpus Santalinus)
- Manjistha (Rubia Cordifolia)
- Vat Vrikshya or Indian Banyan (Ficus Benghalensis)
- Nilkand /Neel Kamal or Blue Lotus (Nymphaea Stellata), etc.
The herbal composition is blended with Sesame oil and cow’s milk. The entire procedure is followed according to the instructions given in the great piece of Ayurvedic literature – Ashtangahrudayam.
The oil works wonders by nourishing and revitalizing the skin. Pigmentation is reduced to the point that it vanishes. It’s great for acne-prone skin. It removes acne marks, tan, black spots and sunburns. It reduces wrinkles, making you look younger. While other oils leave your skin oily and greasy, this one is just the opposite. Being free from artificial chemicals, there are no side effects.
It’s suitable for dry skin (thus useful for Ayurveda vata skincare) as well as oily skin (thus useful for Ayurveda pitta skincare). The all-ayurvedic composition works on all types of skin.
Price: A pack of 2 (10ml each) costs ₹375.
Precautions & Side Effects
Before using any of the above-mentioned products, some precautionary steps should be taken:
- Read the list of ingredients carefully and verify that you’re not allergic to any.
- Some products may have certain side-effects. Example – for unclogging of pores, you may end up with dried-out skin.
- To reassure that the product is safe for you, apply a little amount on your wrist first. If nothing happens, then only proceed.
- In the case of uneasiness, stop using the product immediately.
- Read reviews from other customers.
