How To Take Care Of Your Skin In Winter With An At-Home Oil Massage
Your skin needs you!
getty It's important to learn how to take care of your skin, especially in the upcoming cold months.
We come from the earth, so everything we need to take care of ourselves also comes from the earth. Besides fruits from nature, all you need is some daily discipline, patience, and self-acceptance as you adopt a new way of living.
According to Ayurveda, one of the oldest healing modalities, there are three body types and corresponding skin types. So, when it comes to caring for your skin, oil treatments are unique to each type.
Yet, skincare for cold, dry winter months is like that one black dress. For the most part, it works — except if you have a skin condition that demands medical attention.
Here are 11 quick and easy steps to Ayurvedic oil self-massage to get you started.
1. You must have a warm space.
It could be a warm bathroom or a small room without any air draft coming in.
2. You will need a towel and a gown.
Place the towel on a stool for you to sit on while you massage yourself. The gown is for you to slip into after your self-massage.
3. Have space for your oil.
If your room or bathroom does not have countertop space, then use a table or a steady, taller stool to place your oil on.
4. Use pure sesame-seed oil.
Put some pure sesame-seed oil in a glass bottle.
5. Use a mug that won't melt when you pour hot water into it.
Generally, a porcelain mug holds heat for longer than a metal mug. Next, put the bottle of sesame seed oil in it and allow it to warm.
It's best for the bottle of oil to remain in the hot water throughout the massage. Furthermore, make sure the hot water is just enough so the bottle of oil stands in your mug. This keeps the oil from spilling into your hot water.
6. Pour some oil into one of your palms.
Using your little finger of the other hand put a drop of oil in each nostril and inhale it — this cleanses your nasal passages.
Likewise, put a drop of the same warm oil in each ear and let it flow into your inner ear. Take another drop and apply it to your outer ears. This is said to cure and prevent cold symptoms and seasonal bugs.
Of course, if you have a viral infection, you will need to do more than an oil massage.
7. Using your fingertips, apply some oil to your scalp.
Massage it gently with a circular motion. You can pull on your hair mildly. This strengthens the root follicles and encourages new hair growth. This is also good for dandruff prevention and removal.
After this, apply some oil on your face and neck with long, upward strokes. This tightens your face and neck muscles, exfoliating and moisturizing your skin.
8. Take care of the rest of your body.
Using long strokes to massage the warm oil on your body from your neck down to the tips of your toes. The strokes must always be from top to bottom, inside to out.
You may also massage the bottom of your feet and toes individually. Also, massage your wrists, palms, and fingers with strong strokes.
Massage all your joints for at least 30 seconds.
9. Stay warm.
The entire process takes 20 minutes.
After your massage, slip into your gown and let the oil soak into your body for an hour.
As a rule, try to stay as warm as possible. Drink some warm tea — ginger tea with lemon and honey is excellent. In fact, tea made with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and fennel is even better.
You could do your yoga routine sitting, but don't try any standing yoga routine with oily hands and feet.
10. Before stepping into the shower, apply shampoo on your hair only.
As a rule, after applying oil, you don’t shampoo your scalp. During the shower, the excess oil will wash away from your hair and body, leaving them soft and nourished.
11. Pat your body dry.
Usually, when you apply oil on your skin before a shower, you don’t need to moisturize your body.
Soon your skin will be soft like a baby’s.
Other oils to use.
- Almond oil is also good for this treatment.
- Sandalwood oil added to almond oil will make you feel regal.
- Mustard oil makes the body warmer. (Ordinarily, I use this for my massage.)
At the end of the day before bed, you can wash your face, hands, and feet, and then oil them.
Certain essential oils may be added to your massage oil, especially rose, lavender, geranium, sandalwood, gardenia, and ylang-ylang.
You can also use a mild fragrance in your oil to calm and soothe your nerves.
Your skin is a multi-functional organ.
- Regulates your body temperature.
- Prevents the loss of essential body fluids and the penetration of toxic substances.
- Protects your body from the harmful effects of the sun and radiation.
- Excretes toxic substances with sweat.
- Holds everything that is within together, thereby providing mechanical support.
- Responsible for touch sensation.
When you know your body type, you can use Ayurvedic herbal oils that are correct for your body type. Above all, these herbal oils are formulations made with your body type in mind.
You may use them as recommended by your Ayurvedic counselor or practitioner. If you have certain afflictions, an Ayurvedic physician will personalize your herbal oil. Such formulations help alleviate your conditions.
For winter, using warm sesame-seed oil is all you need. Plus, it's easily available and inexpensive. Also, this practice helps you save on body lotions and conditioners for your hair.
The only thing you have to make sure it's pure sesame-seed oil and contains no additives. When you do this every day, your entire body grows stronger and healthier over time.
Lastly, if you keep up this practice, you won't need any medications for respiratory afflictions like allergies, colds, and even the flu.
Keya Murthy was born and raised in India. She is the founding owner of the Ventura Healing Center in Southern California, and works as a hypnotherapist, healer, NLP Coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and an Ayurvedic counselor. You may reach her by visiting her website and find her books on Amazon.