Organic skin care

Having spent a good part of my life growing up in the hills, I never had to invest in products for skin care. Most of my skin fixes came from the kitchen and the produce of the land. Hours of running under the sun were fixed by haldi (turmeric), gram flour and curd paste. Papaya trees and the cucumber from vines in the kitchen garden served not only our palates, but moisturized the deprived skin too. Aloe Vera was and is to date the go to fix for all skin eruptions. Almost all edible items on the kitchen shelf from sugar, lemon, honey, oranges, tomatoes, milk to even eggs were scrubbed and rubbed on the skin. With too much time on hand, no place to go and frugal lifestyle came the radiant pahadi skin. 

Skin Care in the busy metro life

Now with the busy metro life, gone are the days of self-indulgence. The problem of acne and dry skin patches which I never faced as a teenager are surfacing now. I have always had oily skin but sitting in an AC buildings for hours has made my skin change its status to combination skin with an extremely oily eyelid and T zone. Also, I have lovely freckles, and all the traveling under the scorching sun (most recently Jaipur) and cold mountain winds (here, here, and here) have been a bit too harsh on my pigmentation. To soothe my biasedly treated skin, I was looking for some organic skin care products minus the parabens, urea and artificial additives. After a lot of online searching and comparisons and reviews, I finally settled with Kama Ayurveda, and aren’t I glad I did. 

The skin care products from Kama Ayurveda that I am currently using are as follows:

Kumkumadi scrub

Mridul soap free face cleanser

Pure Rosewater

Rose Lip Balm

Kumkumadi scrub

What it claims – A luxuriant face exfoliator that combines the potent Ayurvedic Kumkumadi oil with a host of other skin repairing ingredients. Kumkumadi Oil is a miraculous beauty fluid created from 12 precious and rare ingredients to help illuminate the complexion, smooth fine lines and other signs of aging while and promoting new cell growth. The finest Kashmir Saffron brightens skin, repairs pigmentation and evens damaged skin with its antioxidant action. Finely ground Sweet Almonds – rich in Vitamins E & D – nourish and nurture while lifting away pollutants and impurities for a glowing complexion.

An exfoliator for me should remove all the dust and layers of dead skin that I accumulate traveling over a period of time. This scrub from kama works perfectly well for me, it has a creamy base is not too harsh. I gently massage it with a spritz of kama Rose water and it leaves my skin feeling fresh and smooth. For the claim of repairing pigmentation, I have always had freckles and am still very much freckled. Freckles are concentrated melanin cells and I am sure a face scrubber can’t repair them but using an SPF when in sun surely is a must. This is an ideal skin care product for me.

Cost- Free sample (otherwise Rs. 1195 for 50 gram) Buy here

Mridul soap free cleanser

What it claims – A luxuriant face exfoliator that combines the potent Ayurvedic Kumkumadi oil with a host of other skin repairing ingredients. Kumkumadi Oil is a miraculous beauty fluid created from 12 precious and rare ingredients to help illuminate the complexion, smooth fine lines and other signs of aging while and promoting new cell growth. The finest Kashmir Saffron brightens skin, repairs pigmentation and evens damaged skin with its antioxidant action. Finely ground Sweet Almonds – rich in Vitamins E & D – nourish and nurture while lifting away pollutants and impurities for a glowing complexion.

what works for me is that it cleans away all the impurities and pollutants and doesn’t strip the skin of its natural oils. It leaves my skin cleaned and not in need of an immediate moisturizer. I use it with the Kama Rosewater. It can also work as a gentle scrubber, that is also ideal for daily use. 

Cost – Rs 525 fro 40 gm. Buy here

Pure Rosewater

What it claims –  A wonderful Rose water that is made from the roses of Kannauj – a region in North India, rich in white soil conductive to roses’ growth. The Kannauj rose is considered special due to its similarity to the Bulgarian rose. The steam distillation process used to create this water ensures a high level of hygiene and unmatched purity. Rose water is a natural astringent that balances and restores skin’s PH level, helps tighten pores and acts as the perfect alcohol-free toner for the oily or acne-prone skin. It’s light cleansing and clarifying action helps in removing cleanser residue while readying the skin for further skincare treatment. A refreshing spritz that can be used to refresh the skin at any time of the day.

Definitely one of the best products from Kama Ayurveda collection. It is one of the most popular products of the brand. The Rose water is alcohol-free and does not comprise of any artificial fragrance. It has a mild Rose fragrance which lingers for a while. Not only do I use it in face packs and with the Kama cleanser and the Kumkumadi scrub, but also as a spritz that refreshes and perks up my skin instantly. I usually carry the small travel-friendly bottle of it with me which makes it convenient to use anywhere and is very soothing to the skin and the mood. 

Cost – Rs. 250 for 50 ml. Buy here

Rose Lip Balm

What it claims – A luxuriant lip treatment that combines a rich blend of butters and oils to rescue parched and dehydrated lips. Organic Beeswax forms the nutrient rich base that forms a protective barrier and helps to seal in moisture. Exquisite Rose extract balances and restores lips to healthy hydration and health. An emollient blend of Coconut Oil, Castor Oil and Organic Almonds treat damaged skin and also lock the natural oils in to keep lips protected and beautifully soft.

I have extremely dry lips that have the tendency to look parched if not provided with adequate moisture. The Rose lip balm even though consisting of all the butter and oils don’t do much for my dry Lips. It could work for people with moderate to not so dry lips. And, I prefer my lip products to be non-scented even if it is a Rose. So if you don’t mind a mild Rose scent and don’t have extremely dehydrated lips, the lip balm could be an ideal product. 

Cost – Rs. 595 for 5 gm (Expensive) Buy here

Also, your skin is not just what products you use but what you eat. Drink plenty of water and fresh coconut water, eat lots of fresh fruits and green vegetables and keep your skin clean. Be active, healthy and happy; and most of the skin issues will resolve. And for the luxurious skin pampering go organic. 

Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Ayu’ meaning ‘Life’ and ‘Veda’ meaning ‘Knowledge. Kama Ayurveda was started in 2002 and provides high-quality organic products. For some holistic, safe and eco-friendly skin care visit Kama Ayurveda in store or check out their website here.