Silky Skin ’Til Spring Rolls In

The lethal combo of cold, wind and rain, not to mention the pumped heat and multi-layers of clothes in which I defensively swaddle myself, leaves me with a winter skin situation that’s decidedly more lizard than lady. Help!

John Ruhland, Naturopathic Physician, Seattle

For dry skin, I like the fat-soluble vitamins, Vitamins A (or beta carotene), D and E, although too much Vitamin A can cause dry skin as well. Vitamin E may provide the added benefit of reducing the tendency toward wrinkled skin. If you tolerate fish, add fish (with minimal mercury content) to your diet two or three times a week. Or alternate taking a cod liver oil supplement with another oil supplement. The three I usually recommend are evening primrose seed oil, borage seed oil or black currant seed oil. Taking oral supplements gets the oil into the cells where it is needed.

Light (Jyoti) Miller, Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Physician, LA

The most important thing to do is abyangha (self-massage). Pure organic essential oils smell good, but they are strong, so make a solution with 10 to 15 drops of essential oils for every ounce of vegetable oil. Use a skin brush to exfoliate and then apply the oil. My book, Ayurvedic Remedies for the Whole Family, has a chapter on abyangha. This therapy will protect and nourish the skin and insulate the body during the winter season. It also protects our aura and prevents drying, flakiness, cracking and wrinkling of the skin. Different essential oils are recommended depending on your Ayurvedic body type, but essential oils for losing weight include tea tree, spruce and thyme.

Kim Sullivan, Acupuncturist, Chicago

Our bodies get out of balance with change: seasonal changes, dietary changes and emotional stress. Using acupuncture in combination with herbal therapy can balance the yin and yang of the body. The [storage of] moisture and fluids in the body is yin, so when the yin is impaired there’s an imbalance. Also, in Chinese Medicine the lung is the organ that governs the skin, so when the lung gets taxed during the winter season, your immunity decreases and your skin gets out of whack. Acupuncture strengthens the lung.

James Bailey, Ayurvedic Practitioner, LA

Early winter is a classic vata season — a disrupting season. In Ayurvedic medicine, there are three primary doshas (forces) and vata is air and space, which lacks water. Apply oils internally and externally to the body. Use clean organic cooking oils in your diet. The appropriate oils depend on the individual, but most people respond well to olive and sesame oil. They will reinforce the natural fatty acid content in the body. Try a self-massage on the surface of your body by applying a thin layer of sesame or coconut oil before a shower. Or visit an online Ayurvedic supply company like Banyan Botanicals and order vata massage oil.