Ayurvedic, Organic Skincare. A Review.

Last week (whilst at CAM Expo) I came across two Ayurvedic, organic skincare brands that I found very interesting. These were; Pukka Skincare and Ayurveda Pura.
I must confess I don't have much knowledge of Ayurveda but I am interested to know how these two brands fit into the organic skincare market and what makes their products so unique.

What is Ayurveda? Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India, which originated over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda focuses on restablishing balance in the body through diet, lifestyle, excersise and body cleansing. Ayurveda is a whole medical system, meaning that is based on theories of health and illness and methods of preventing and curing health conditions.

What are Dosha's? According to Ayurveda, everything is composed of five elements: air, water, fire, earth, and space. These elements combine to form the three doshas, vata, kapha, and pitta, or metabolic types. In Ayurveda, doshas account for some of our individual differences. The vata dosha is a combination of space and air. It controls movement and is responsible for basic body processes such as breathing, cell division and circulation. Vata body areas are the large intestine, pelvis, bones, skin, ears, and thighs. People with vata as their main dosha are believed to be quick-thinking, thin, and fast, and are susceptible to anxiety, dry skin, and constipation. The kapha dosha represents the elements of water and earth. Kapha is believed to be responsible for strength, immunity, and growth. Kapha body areas are the chest, lungs, and spinal fluid. People with kapha as their main dosha are thought to be calm, have a solid body frame, and are susceptible to diabetes, obesity, sinus congestion, and gallbladder problems. The pitta dosha combines fire and water. It is thought to control hormones and the digestive system. Pitta body areas are the small intestines, stomach, sweat glands, skin, blood, and eyes. People with pitta as their primary dosha are thought to have a fiery personality, oily skin, and are susceptible to heart disease, stomach ulcers, inflammation, heartburn, and arthritis.
 An imbalanced dosha is believed to interrupt the natural flow of prana, or vital energy. The disrupted energy flow is then thought to impair digestion and allow the build up of body waste, or ama, which further impairs energy and digestion.


Both Pukka and Ayurveda Pura have developed their skincare brands using the above Ayurevdic principles. So how did they stack up against other luxury, organic skincare brands?

PUKKA SKINCARE
Firming Face Oil 30ml £38
Rating: 8/10

My skin has been all over the place lately (I think this is due to the wet, warm weather). It has been dry and is in need of some nourishment. I found the lovely Pukka stand at CAM Expo. I am a huge fan of their tea's and have been meaning to try their skincare line for a while.
I tried a few of their testers and decided to buy the Firming Face Oil because I felt it has a good consistency and had a light, floral scent. I wasn't keen on the scent or consistency of their Deep Moisture Day Cream, which smelt earthy (something the Pukka rep said was caused by the herbs used in it, and yet she didn't specify what these herbs were or why they were good for my skin). It also felt too heavy for my skin.
The Firming Face oil is really lovely, it's very nourishing but doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy. It contains organic starflower, arnica and rosehip oil and these mysterious 'ayurvedic herbs' which help tone and condition aging skin. I have been using it for  just under a week in the evenings and my skin looks great, really dewy.

Positives:

• Smells of neroli (light and fresh).
• Contains Rosehip and Starflower (great for anti ageing).
• Arnica is used to rejuvenate and protect.
• Love the luxury glass packaging and lovely branding. All 100% recyclable
• 99% Organic and free from nasties. (Soil association certified)
• Winner at the Natural Health Magazine Beauty Awards 2012.

Negatives:

• I wish Pukka would give their consumers more detail about the 'Ayurvedic herbs' and the principles behind Ayurevda. As a consumer, I want to know the following: 
• What are the Ayruvedic herbs used in these products? 
• Where are they from? 
• Why they are so great for my skin?

I also came across the Ayurevda Pura line whilst I was at Cam Expo. Like Pukka, they make wonderful teas that I have bought from Tri Yoga on a few occasions. I had no idea they had a skincare line, I was really excited when I saw all their products.
Ayurveda Pura is a Spa in Greenwich Village which was founded by  Dr Deepa Apte. They had fully trained consultants as their reps at Cam Expo, who were incredibly helpful and even took my pulse and checked my tongue to see what Dosha I was. They decided I was Vata and then introduced me to the most suitable products. I wanted to try their whole line but in the end bought the Herbal Face Mask and the Replenish Face Cream. What struck me most about their products was their authenticity, they detailed all the herbs, why they were good for my skin and everything is sourced from India. The products smelt incredible! The scent evoked luxurious, warm, balmy evenings in India and my memories of the time I spent in India came gushing back.  I love that Ayruveda Pura haven't shied away from their roots and have 100% embraced where they are from and what makes them so unique. I really am a convert. I am even thinking about doing some of their Ayurvedic workshops and visiting their spa soon.

AYURVEDA PURA. Holistic Essentials, Daily Replenish Face Cream. £20.71
Rating: 9/10

Positives:

• Soaked into my skin and kept in nourished all day.
• Amazing natural scent using rose, neroli, orange, peach.
• Uses Manjistha and Neem to help replenish and moisturise.
• Good price
• 89.3% Organic but not certified by the soil association.

Negatives:

• Packaging and branding is pretty underwhelming. It feels cheap. The products are so luxurious they need packaging to match!

AYURVEDA PURA. Holistic Essentials, Anti-Ageing Herbal Face Mask £29.13

Positives:

Rating: 6/10

• Smells amazing (like a beautiful incense). 
• Contains sandalwood and rose to give younger and more radiant looking skin
• Dried quickly
• Skin felt deeply cleansed afterwards.

Negatives:

• For me it felt a little too heavy and made my skin feel tight afterwards. 
• It was very messy to apply.
• Underwhelming plastic packaging.
• It left a small red rash on my neck for about 45 mins after I had washed off. Which I didn't like and wasn't sure what in it had caused a reaction. I think it was probably the Koolin (china clay).