In my quest for authentic Ayurvedic skincare formulations, I spent the past few days poring over multiple volumes of  Ayurvedic materia medica and formulation books. The work was tedious as it involved cross referencing several Sanskrit words for the ingredients in the formulas to the correct volume of the materia medica book to determine the botanical identity. I learned a few very interesting things in this process, one of which is the use of lotus and water lilies in skincare formulation, and the fact that they are two distinct botanical species. One way to distinguish the two is the central part of the flowers, which becomes the seed pod in the lotus, but is absent in the water lily.  

The lotus is the national flower of India and is considered one of the most sacred of flowers. The goddess Lakshmi is depicted sitting on a pink lotus, and the flower is a symbol of beauty, purity, and prosperity. Below is an example of goddess Lakshmi from my alter. 

Lotus and water lily in Ayurveda
Called Kamala or Padma in Sanskrit, lotus belongs to the botanical species called Nelumbo Nucifera in the Nelumbonacae family. It is ironic that from an ecological perspective, the lotus plant may be considered an invasive species. Every part of the plant was used in Ayurveda, from the slush in which the plant grows, to its seeds. Nilikadya Tailam, a hair oil formulation, uses lotus rhizomes, while Triphaladi Tailam, also a formulation for hair disorders, calls for white and pink flowers (Sveta and Rakta Kamala).  
Triphaladi Tailam references an ingredient called Kumuda flower. Kumuda is water lily, botanically known as Nymphaea Nouchali. Another formulation called Kanaka Tailam, indicated for skin issues, calls for Utpala flower. Utpala, also called Nilotpala, is the blue water lily,  Nymphaea Nouchali variety Caerulea. The blue water lily is very often called blue lotus, and is the national flower of the country Sri Lanka. 

It appears that both Nelumbo Nucifera and Nymphaea Nouchali have similar properties. They have sweet, astringent, and bitter pharmacology and cold energetics, and thus highly valued for Pitta disorders, and also Kapha. Lotus is regarded as a Varnya, or complexion enhancing herb, while the blue water lily is referenced as having beneficial action on hair (Keshya), cognition (Medhya), and vitality (Rasayana). 

Lotus (Kamala) and Blue Water Lily (Nilotpala) in Indian Culture
Carnatic music is one of the two ancient forms of classical Indian music that is associated with southern India. One of the renowned composers of Carnatic compositions is Muthuswami Dikshithar, who lived in the late 18th - early 19th century CE. Dikshithar was born in Thiruvarur, which is part of the current Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Of his nearly 500 compositions (or Krithis), there are two sets of compositions, comprising 11 and 9 krithis respectively, dedicated to Kamalamba and Nilotpalamba, both incarnations of goddess Parvati, wife of the god Shiva. There is an ancient temple in Thiruvarur dedicated to lord Shiva (called Thyagaraja) and his consorts, Kamalamba and Nilotpalamba. There is a theory that Kamalamba is associated with the "Yoga" or spiritual aspect of Shiva, while Nilotpalamba is associated with the "Bhoga" or sensual aspect of Shiva. 

I have photographed the blue water lily in various places and had no idea of its history or use in Ayurveda until recently! Nor did I connect the symbolism of these gorgeous flowers to Indian culture and mythology. Hope you enjoyed this read. 

I recently dropped a kid off at college and found myself stressing over how she’d take to adulting. Eighteen years of stability, comfort and organic food given up for a tiny box of a room, unhealthy food, and the freedom to binge on alcohol and god knows what else teenagers binge on. I suddenly seemed to be afflicted with amnesia, unable to recall any risky behavior I might have indulged in when I left home for college. My mom asked me if I’d taught her to cook. I rolled my eyes and said, “There are thousands of YouTube videos that she can watch to cook anything she wants. The correct question is, “Does she want to cook?””. What about managing money? We live in a world of digital currency. No more worrying about cash when there’s Venmo. The question is, what will she spend money on? As this conversation went on, I realized, somewhat triggered by Yuval Noah Harari’s works that I’d been reading, that two important questions to answer on our journey to adulting is “What do I really want?" and “Why do I want it?” As Google becomes our most trusted friend and guide, TikTok and Instagram tell us what we should like, and Amazon tells us what we should buy, do we have free choice anymore? “Know thyself” is age old wisdom but is probably more relevant and important today than it has ever been. 
The oldest seeds of human self awareness can be traced through the hazy maze of history to almost ten thousand years ago. The roadmap for human life lies like a diamond in the rough within the cryptic, archaic Sanskrit literature called the Vedas. Aptly called Purushartha (literally translated to “self meaning”), the Vedas alluded to four objectives of human life: earn one’s living, experience life to fulfill one’s desires, live a life of balance to understand and abide by what’s right, and finally, learn to let go, be “free” of desire. Detailed works expounding upon each of these four objectives were subsequently recorded by various scholars. We can distill some core principles from this ancient wisdom and use them as a compass to help us live with awareness. 

Artha, pursuit of material objectives: The Purusharthas advocate for the pursuit of wealth and material comforts. However, this needs to be done within the boundaries of Dharma. Dharma is a word that is impossible to translate into English. In this context, it implies that the pursuit of wealth must be done without harming others and in an honest manner. The guidance is to work with utmost focus without being attached to the work, or the fruits of the work. Through our work, we contribute our bit to the betterment of humankind. How do we interpret this in modern society? Some thoughts: 

• Understand the meaning of positive contribution; if what you do hurts other beings and disturbs the natural order of things, you will not be fulfilled even if you make a lot of money. 
• Work with utmost sincerity, for its own sake, without expecting to be rewarded for it.
• YOU are not what you do for a living. 
• Do not objectify yourself by valuing yourself based on how much money you make.

Kama, pursuit of human desire: What’s the purpose of pursuing wealth? For one, it is to enjoy the comforts and pleasures of human existence. Another is to give to others, spread our wealth to uplift others in need. Just as there are boundaries around how we earn our living, there are boundaries around how we pursue our desires, again within the dictates of Dharma. Here Dharma implies balance. Excessive pursuit of pleasure leads us astray from the path of fulfillment. Pursuit of our desires is generally accomplished with money. The key is to understand what we will spend it on, and how much we will spend. 

• Understand what you value. What brings you joy? Earn and allocate money to make your real desires come true. 
• Have a system to determine the monetary value of things. Such as a price comparison chart, reviews of the product, evaluation of the alternatives to understand the gap between having vs. not having the thing you desire. Having a system will help clarify your needs vs. wants.  
• Indulge in your passions, desires, and work without harming others, including yourself.
• Once you have taken care of yourself, give what you’re comfortable with to uplift others.

Dharma, upholding the balance in our life: Dharma implies many things; duty, code of conduct, balance, and purpose. We uphold the laws of the society we live in so that we may live freely. Breaking the law comes with the consequence of punishment. This is an obvious example of living according to Dharma. There are also moral responsibilities and our values which dictate our behavior and actions. 

• It’s highly worthwhile to identify your core values. This will help you understand your actions and help align the choices and decisions you make with who you are. (There are quite a few exercises to help you do this). 
• Pay attention to your feelings; some things and people energize us, others drain our energy. Choose wisely!
• Being authentic to yourself is the greatest act of self compassion and courage, and is good for your health. Never hesitate to acknowledge how you feel; with this awareness, comes clarity to take action. Bottling up our feelings comes from fear, destroys balance, and leads to self destructive behavior. Expressing our feelings thoughtfully leads to growth. 
• There are ten qualities that help us align with Dharma: resilience, forgiveness, self control, integrity, purity and hygiene of body and mind, reason, knowledge, truth, and control over anger. Strive to live by these. 

Moksha, freedom from human suffering: Moksha is the most elusive, least understood of the Purusharthas. It is freedom from fear, desire, and suffering to finally know who we really are. There is a concept of a true self; moksha is finding this self, finally knowing the “Truth”. A path to Moksha is through leading a life of Dharma. One can also attain moksha through study or spirituality. Attaining Moksha is considered to be the ultimate purpose of life.

• We cannot attain Moksha without fulfilling the other three Purusharthas. 
• Answering the question “Who am I?” is not defined by our current role in society or the work we do. What we do should be the result of self awareness. 
• Practice checking in with your feelings to identify what gives you true joy. 
• When things look bleak, take a moment to remember that there is a journey worth exploring, that into your own mind, to know who you are. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Do you, or your loved one, suffer from acne? Do you feel like you've tried everything but nothing seems to work? There's good reason why most acne products don't work. The fundamental issues are:

1. There are multiple factors that cause acne.
2. There is no "broad spectrum" one size fits all acne solution. 
3. Different products address specific causes of acne - if your acne is not caused by the factor that a particular ingredient addresses, it won't work for you. 

​This blog post is meant to be educational and it is my hope that at the end of it, you will be empowered to make appropriate choices towards a solution that works for you. 

What is acne?
Acne is characterized as a chronic inflammatory disease. It presents as closed or open comedones - i.e. whiteheads and blackheads - and inflammatory lesions - i.e. pimples, nodules, pustules. Typically acne is prevalent in young adults with girls being affected at a younger age (average 12 years) than boys (average 15 years). Adults also suffer from acne, typically women, due to hormonal issues. Since acne is characterized as a disease, it is a medical condition.

Causes of acne
There are multiple factors that cause acne. Below are a few well known ones:

• microbial colonization with P. acnes - bacterial infection 
• sebum production - sebum is the term for a complex of oils including triglycerides (fatty acids) and fatty acid breakdown products, wax esters, squalene, cholesterol esters and cholesterol that is produced by the skin. Recent research indicates that certain characteristics of sebum is associated with acne, namely, increased sebum production, alteration of lipid composition and the oxidant/antioxidant ratio characteristic of the skin surface lipids. Diet is linked to these sebum characteristics. 
• complex inflammatory mechanisms - inflammation is the body's immune system's response to an irritant. It involves changes in the blood, such as an increased number of immune system cells.
• neuroendocrine regulatory mechanisms - emotional stress induced acne
• diet - linked to sebum characteristics
• genetic factors - there is some research showing evidence of an "acne gene" 
• hormonal factors - androgens, a group of hormones, are linked to adult acne in women. "Androgens like testosterone stimulate sebaceous gland growth and sebum production. Estrogens have the opposite effect, that is, they inhibit the secretion of androgens, modulate genes involved in the growth of the sebaceous gland and inhibit their function. The activity of the sebaceous gland therefore depends on the estrogen/androgen ratio." 

Current treatment for acne
Modern treatment of acne falls under four categories:

1. Topical - creams, gels, lotions, and washes that are used on the skin and contain drugs and active ingredients that treat acne. Active ingredients include benzoyl peroxide, adapalene, retinoids, dapsone, tretinoin, salicylic acid, sulfur, niacinamide, and gluconolactone. 
2. Systemic - oral or topical antibiotics to treat inflammation. 
3. Complementary and alternative medicine - topical products or oral supplements that are herbal 
4. Physical - comedone extractions, laser treatments, cryotherapy
5. Hormonal - treated by synthetic estrogen via oral contraceptives

These treatment modalities are often combined with hyperpigmentation reducing products containing active ingredients like azelaic acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). 
By far, the most common treatment is topical - i.e. products applied on the affected area. 

​The current practice for treating acne combines multiple methods and ingredients in the hope that one or more of them will address the patient's particular acne. 
The major drawback of such an approach is side effects of using too many products, bacterial resistance to antibiotics rendering them ineffective, and expense involved in buying multiple products.

Ayurveda and acne
Given how ancient Ayurveda is, it is quite remarkable how many of the modern acne pathways it covers. Below are various causes of acne that are addressed in Ayurveda: 

• ​Kapha imbalance: Imbalance of Kapha dosha causes sebum issues
• Pitta imbalance: Pitta dosha imbalance causes "blood impurities" - this leads to inflammatory acne
• ​Vata imbalance: Vata dosha imbalance causes blackheads and hyperpigmentation at the site of the acne scar
• ​Improper diet: Certain types of food cause acne - Ayurveda gives practical dietary guidance for acne
• ​Certain activities: excessive sun bathing, excess or too little sleep, and fasting can trigger acne
• ​Emotional factors: Stress, anger, irritation, and behavioral changes cause acne

​Unfortunately, from my study, Ayurveda does not delve much into female hormonal issues in general. So this is a topic that I need to spend more time researching. 

In summary, both modern scientific research and Ayurveda point to multiple factors that cause acne. Therefore the most effective solution is one that is customized to your particular TYPE of acne. While there are many over the counter products for acne, you need to understand the cause of your particular type of acne and the ingredients that are suitable to address it for the products to be effective. The concentration of the active ingredients is also crucial in the efficacy of the products. 

The Ayurvedic approach offers the following benefits:

• To quote from Charaka Samhita, A handbook on Ayurveda edited by Gabriel Van Loon, "[All substances have qualities.] [In reality, all substances will have several qualities.] [By substance, it means food, herbs, weather, music, people, disease symptoms, etc.] [The beauty of this system is that everything in life may be viewed on the same radar screen, as it were, so that cause and effect is easy to see and treatment may be achieved with any substance, so long as it is opposite to the quality of the aggravated substances or pathology. 
• The Ayurvedic approach is inherently a personalized approach - it involves figuring your dosha imbalance, lifestyle, and mental state and thus can be more effective if done correctly. 
• Typically has minimal side effects if done right. 

To learn more, book a consultation with Saroya Natural today!