Supreme Beauty of Skin, Body and Mind

1 Beauty 21

2 Beautiful life
1. A healthy life 24
2. A healthy mind 24
3. A happy life 25
4. A useful life 25

3 Vedanta theory of origin of components of human life
Section I- Beauty Of The Skin

4 Skin (structure, functions and care)
1. General information on skin 31
2. Structure of the skin 32
3. Hair follicles 33
4. Hair on the skin 33
5. Sebaceous glands 33
6. Apocrine glands 34
7. Sweat glands 34
8. Structure of the skin (Ayurvedic concept) 35
9. Hair 36
10. Nails 37
11. Functions of the skin 37
12. Colour of the skin 38
13. Constitution and the skin 38
14. Age and the skin 39
15. Tissues and the skin 40
16. Ideal skin (tvaksara) 42
17. How to maintain the skin healthy? 42
18. Season and the skin 43
19. Diet for the skin 44
20. External applications in different seasons 46
21. Skin tonics 47
22. Improving the comlexion of the skin according to the constitution 48
23. Selection of an appropriate preparation for external applicatio to the skin 49
Sanskrit references 50

5 Oil massage (abhyanga)
1. General information 52
2. Various modes of application of oil 53
3. Advantages of oil massage to the entire body 54
4. Contraindications for oil massage 54
5. Advantages of scalp massage 55
6. Advatages of instilling oil drops in the ears 55
7. Advantages of massage to the legs and soles 55
8. Advantages of sitting with the body immersed in an oil tub 56
9. Advatages of sprinkling or spraying the body with oil 56
10. Oil massage according to the season 56
11. Udgharshan and utsadan 60
12. Samvahan or gatramardan or madan 62

6 Bath
1. Advantges of having a bath 63
2. Temperature of water used for a bath 63
3. Contraindications for having a bath 65
4. Udvartana 66
5. Attire 67

7 Skin diseases associated with beauty
1. Acne 70
2. Dark circles below the eyes 70
3. Medicines which increase the lustre of the skin 71
4. Medicines which impart freshness to the colour of the skin 71
5. To darken the colour of the skin 71
6.To make the skin fair 71
7. To keep cold skin warm 72
8. To prevent wrinkling of the skin 72

8 Hair
1. Role in beauty 73
2. Constitution and hair 73
3. Causes of hair loss 73
4. Exercises for maintaining the hair healthy 74
5. Dandruff 75
6. Ayurvedic treatment 76
7. Seborrhoeic dermatitis 76
8. Lice 77
9. Greying of hair 78
10. Medicines which improve the colour of hair (Kesharanjana) 80
11. Medicines which augment the growth of hair (Keshya) 80
12. Diet beneficial for the hair 80
13. Removal of unnecessary hair 81
14. Nails 81
15. Shampoo 81

9 Baldness
1. Causes 84
2. Treatment 84

10 Local applications in skin lesions
1. Acute eczema 86
a. Wet dressings 86
b. Solutions 87
c. Powders 87
d. Lotions 87
e. Sprays and aerosols 87
2. Subacute eczema 87
a. Creams 88
b. Gels 88
c. Hydrophilic ointments 88
d. Pastes 88
3. Chronic eczema 88
a. Moisturising creams 89
b. Ointments 89
c. Cold creams 89
d. Keratolytic creams, lotions or powders 90
e. Tar preparations 90
f. Antifungal agents 90
g. antibiotics 91
h. Corticosteroid solutions, gels, creams and ointments 91
i. Sunscreens 91
4. Selection of an appropriate preparation for external application to the skin 91

11 Cosmetics
1. Cosmetics and their side-effects 92
2. Cleansing agents 92
a. Soaps 92
b. Antimicrobial bar soaps 93
c. Soap free cleaners-Cleansing creams or lotions 93
d. Abrasive cleaners 93
3. Bleaching agents 94
4. Axillary antiperspirants 94
5. Scented oils and perfumes 94
6. Lipsticks 95
7. Eye shadows and eyeliners 95
9. Bindi dermatitis 95
10. Kumkum (vermilion dot)or bindi 95
11. Hair dyes 96
12. Rinses and tints 96
13. Hair bleaches 97
14. Permanenet waves 97
15. Hair straighteners 97
16. Hair sprays 97
17. Depilators 97
18. Hair tonics and lotions 97
19. Hair conditioners 98
20. Nail lacquers or nail polish 98
21. Nail polish removers 98
22. Artificial nails 98
23. Nail hardeners 98
24. Refresheners 98
25. Lubricants of the skin 99
26. Fragrance 99
27. Medica or mendi or mehendi 99

12 Facial treatment
1. Cleansing 100
2. Facial massage 100
3. Steaming 101
4. Gentle scrubs 101
5. Facial or nutrirional packs 102
6. Toning moistursing packs 102
7. Toners 102
8. Moisturisers 102
9. Mist 103
10. Use of Ayurvedic cosmetics based on the season 103
11. Daily and seasonal regime 103
12. Home remedies to keep the skin of the face healthy 104

13 Groups of medicines acting on the skin
1. Jivaniya gana (group) 105
2. Brumhaniya gana 105
3. Lekhaniya gana 105
4. Bhedaniya gana 105
5. Sandhaniya gana 105
6. Balya gana 105
7. Varnya gana 106
8. Kushthaghna gana 106
9. Kandughna gana 106
10. Krumighna gana 106
11. Svedopaga gana 106
12. Shvayathuhara gana 106
13. Dahaprashamana gana 106
14. Udardaprashamana gana 107
15. Rukshana gana 107
16.Snehana gana 107
17. Svedana gana 107
18. Rakshoghna gana 107
19. Rasayana gana 107
20. Puyavardhana gana 107

14 Diet for skin diorders and spiritual therapy
1. Diet 108
2. Spiritual therapy (karmavipak) 108
Section II Beauty Of The Body

15 Beauty of the five cosmic elements
1. Qualities and action of the five cosmic elements 111
2. Absolute earth (pruthvi) element 111
3. Absolute water (apa) element 112
4. Absolute fire (tej) element 112
5. Absolute air (vayu) element 113
6. Absolute ether (akash) element 113

16 Molecular beauty
1. Kapha 115
2. Vata 118
3. Pitta 121

17 Constitution and beauty based on the three humours (tridoshas)
1. Origin of constitution 126
2. Vata constitution 127
3. Pitta constitution 128
4. Kapha constitution 129
5. Balanced constitution (sama prakruti) 129

18 Diseased constitution due to increase or decrease in vata, pitta and Kapha
1. Causes of increase in vata, pitta and kapha humours (doshas) 131
2. Clinical manifestations of increased or decreased humours 136
3. Treatment of decresed humours (doshas) 139
4. Treatment of excessive increase in humours( dosha prakopa) 139
5. Humours (doshas) and diet 141

19 Healthy and a beautiful body (tissues and beauty)
1. Rasa dhatu (body fluids) 146
2. Rakta (blood) 147
3. Mansa dhatu (muscular tissue) 147
4. Meda dhatu (fatty tissue) 148
5. Asthi dhatu (bony tissue) 148
6. Majja dhatu (nervous tissue) 149
7. Shukra dhatu (reproductive tissue) 149
8. Oja (vital energy) 150
9. Dhatu sara (tissues of a good quality) 150
10. Ideal tissue and the associated quality of the mind 151
Section III- Beauty Of The Mind

20 Impact of the body on the mind
1. Origin of the body from the mind 153
2. Effects of constitution on the mind 153
3. Effects of tissues on the mind 154
4. Humours (doshas) and desires 154
5. Tissues and desires 155
6. Unnatural desires 156
7. Ideal tissues and qualities of the mind 156

21 Four stages of teatment
1. Roga nashini (treatment of diseases) 158
2. Prakruti sthapini [establishing a balanced constitution (sama prakruti] 158
3. Rasayani treatment (administration of tonics to improve the health of the tissues) 159
4. Naishthiki-Mokshadayini treatment (attaining the Final Liberation) 161

22 Soul, mind and body
1. Self-realisation 163
2. Deny the presence of the disease 164
3. Faith 164
4. Love 164
5. Getting rid of your real enemies 164
6. Truth 165
7. Beautiful and ugly 165

23 Beauty of the mind
1. Psychological constitution 168
2. Tamobhuyishtor tamasik (tamapredominant) individuals 169
3. Rajobhuyishtaor rajasik (rajapredominant) individuals 169
4. Sattvabhuyishtor sattvik (sattvapredominant) individuals 169
5. Trigunatit (one beyond the three components) 170
6. Ideal individual (purushottam) 170
7. Diet and the mind 172
8. Qualities of an individual with a healthy mind 174
9. Beautiful life 174
10. Lord Krushna- The ultimate beauty 175
11. Shri Madhurashtakam 176

24 Preparation of Ayurvedic recipes 178

Bibliography 201