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Let's " face" it! 
Greetings!
We all like to look good. We like the idea of feeling attractive and warmly inviting in our friendships, workplace/social relations, and with special others. Nothing communicates "looking good" more than inner radiance meeting up with shiny exterior features. We feel good with luxurious skin, bright teeth, shiny hair, and strong nails that radiate from the workings of a healthy interior.
 Healthy radiant skin begins with our diet and lifestyle choices. When we eat in ways to balance our out-of-balance dosha(s) and make good daily lifestyle decisions, we give ourselves the best shot at awesome health that shines through our radiant skin.When our elimination systems are not functioning well and we do not have regular, healthy bowel movements, or we have sluggish lymph drainage, our exterior features really show the effect.
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Ayurveda has time-tested practices to shine up our outside features by directly nourishing the skin, nails, teeth, and hair, rather than covering over listless hair with shiny goo. Many so-called "beauty products" on the market today actually chemically disrupt our health and true beauty and catch up with us over time.
The summer sun can damage our skin; our summer social eating and late summer nights can adversely affect our skin, hair, and nails.  As with all of Ayurveda, there is much you can do to nourish your skin, but I always encourage folks to just keep leaning into it. Do more this year than last and just keep bending the arc toward greater health and well-being.
Live with radiant intention and be well. Rhonda
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 What Do You Want to Learn?
Quick Survey...Please!!!
I am committed to promoting physical, emotional and spiritual well-being for our community through this Ayurveda newsletter, workshops, and consultations.
Will you help me to better serve your needs by taking a quick survey? I have been sharing the wisdom of the Ayurveda for over 6 years. Your views will help to shape what comes next. Thank you kindly.
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Skin-How It Works
There are 3 layers to the skin: epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous (sometimes named hypodermis). The epidermis is the surface of the skin. New skin cells are made at the bottom of that layer and over a period of 2-4 weeks, for a 14 year old, the new skin cells make their way to the surface as older cells near the top die and flake off. However, by age 60 this process may take 12-13 weeks. These new skin cells give us the "glow". The next layer down is the dermis and it is full of tiny blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to our skin cells and take away waste. The dermis also contains the sebaceous glands that produce sebum oil to keep your skin lubricated and protected. The third layer is the subcutaneous layer and it is made mostly of fat to keep our bodies warm and to absorb shocks when we bump into something. Your skin is smart and its primary purpose, besides holding us all together of course, is to regulate body temperature. The hypothalamus is the brain's inner thermometer. When you exert and get overheated, especially in the summer, your hypothalamus sends a message to your blood vessels to move closer to the surface so they can release some heat. This is why we get red-faced when too warm. Also to cool us down, sweat glands release sweat which evaporates and cools us. Sure, the skin processes work miraculously on their own to keep our bodies warm, moist, and protected; however, in the summer heat or in heated winter homes, we can tax these processes.
For luscious skin,we want to slough off old skin, keep our blood vessels open and flowing, and detox ama from our fat cells. Ayurveda offers skin refreshment for the processes on all skin layers.
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Strategies for Each Layer of Skin
For all layers of skin--a diet that pacifies your out-of-balance dosha and reduces ama is the best overall strategy. You can
take a general inventory [here] and see dosha balancing tips for guidance [here]. Here are some specific good habits to nourish each layer of skin.
Epidermis
We can help to slough off dead skin with a healthy exfoliator so the new skin can be revealed. I used to think exfoliating irritated the skin, but now I understand the great value in helping the skin to release the dead cells so we can see the live , healthy skin cells. - Ayurveda Cleanser - Toner - Exfoliator. This simple recipe, in the right column, is my favorite exfoliator that also nourishes skin.
- Oil daily. Do abhyangha [link] regularly--daily is heavenly but once a week would be great. Copious oil on the skin aids some toxins to seep into the lymph system for removal and brings others to the skin surface to be rinsed off. On days when you do not do a full abhyangha, at least use a few teaspoons of dosha specific oil on your skin after your shower. Recommended is sesame oil - vata and kapha; coconut oil-pitta. All skin, unless irritated, b
 enefits from skin brushing, especially kapha.
Dermis
We want to keep the dermis oxygenated, so movement is the key to a healthy dermis layer. - Daily exercise is fundamental - so of course choose something you like and are likely to do.
- Kundalini and other forms of yoga that involv
 e pranayama (deep and/or rapid breathing) are especially on target for a healthy dermis layer.
Subcutaneous
This is our fat layer and that is where most toxins are stored. These toxins congest the lymphatic drainage of old skin and slow down the skins transit time to present new skin cells.
- A daily detox strategy like drinking hot spice water will serve you well. See recipe to the right.
 - Eating enough healthy fats each day is also critical. Cooking with coconut oil and eating high quality room temperature olive oil on foods is great. An Ayurveda tip is to start your day by eating 1 tsp of organic coconut oil. This signals your body to be a fat burner for the day and keeps the toxins moving out.
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More Tips  Aging and Wrinkles
For prematurely aging skin, color spots, fine lines and wrinkles, look at your diet. We blame the sun, but a diet that is insufficiently nourishing is more the cause. Keep your blood sugar balanced-minimize eating sugars and reduce carbohydrates. When possible eat real, organic food rather than processed foods.
Add micronutrients to your diet. The best natural source is to eat food grown in high quality soils that are rich in a range of micronutrients. Consider planting a garden.
Consume more healthy fats and Vitamin K2 (kale, collards, spinach). Use herbs on skin like Seabuckthorn. Keep hydrated with the purest water you can get. Increase healthy fats (which improves hydration) and also be sure to drink enough water/hot spice water. Eat more omega 3 oils, virgin coconut oil, olive oil, chia and hemp.
Sagging Skin: Increase healthy fats and balance blood sugar
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Ayurveda Potluck
Mark your calendars!
October 19, 2016 at 6pm
1630 Grand Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49006 Here is your evite to rsvp You are invited to my home for a potluck. I will prepare some Ayurveda dishes and please bring a dish, of any sort, to pass.
I am currently working on completing an Ayurveda book. This is very exciting for me. To make sure I stay on task, I am not offering any workshops this fall. The potluck will be an opportunity to gather informally and share Ayurveda recipes, questions, and knowledge. See you then. Rhonda
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Rhonda Egidio Ph.D., R.A.P., [Registered Ayurveda Professional] provides Ayurvedic assessments of primary health, diet, sleep, and lifestyle concerns and offers Ayurvedic recommendations. It's a wise idea to obtain a baseline assessment to help you customize Ayurveda knowledge to your particular needs. Check out assessment and session options.
Dr. Rhonda Egidio, 269-345-2991
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Ayurveda information shared here is for general educational purposes and is not intended to substitute for medical or psychological advice. Please consult with a qualified medical professional in these matters.
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Ayurveda
Cleanser - Toner - Exfoliator
A Simple Recipe - my fave!
1 Tablespoon chickpea flour
Mix into a paste with rose water.
Triphala is made up of 3 herbs and has these benefits for skin:
Amalaki has lots of Vitamin C to support the collagen and elasticity of the skin. Amalaki also reduces inflammation to aid repair and reduce eye puffiness
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Bibhitaki detoxifies and increases micro-circulation into the deeper layers of the skin.
Haritaki is a natural toner that pulls toxins out of the deeper layers of the skin and rejuvenates skin.
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Banyan Botanicals Coupons for October
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and enter AF1016
at checkout.
Get your herbs for fall. Enjoy this big offer!
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"Please keep in mind what we observe isn't nature ... It's nature exposed to our method of questioning.
"Are you asking the right questions ?"  Jason Miney 9/2016
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Hot spice water recipe
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
Vata skin types can add 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds,
Pitta skin types an extra 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, and
Kapha skin types a one-inch slice of peeled fresh ginger root.
Add to boiled water and sip throughout the day.
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More Free Guides
from Banyan Botanicals
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DIY Turmeric Skin Mask
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Homemade No-Fluoride Toothpaste
3 Tbsp. baking soda (mild abrasive)
1 Tbsp. finely ground sea salt (mild antibacterial, whitener and good for the gums)
Optional: 1/2 tsp. finely ground dried sage (sage is antimicrobial, but it has a strong taste) or powdered neem.
Paste- Add softened but not liquid coconut oil.
Directions
1. Grind sea salt in a small coffee grinder, if needed, to make as powdery as possible.
2. Mix dry ingredients
3. For paste (optional) mix in a teaspoon of coconut oil at a time until right consistency.
4. Put into a small, sealable jar or squeezable container and keep in a relatively cool place.
Special Tip to Whiten Your Teeth: Brush with turmeric powder. It's amazing...it will stain your toothbrush and anything else it touches, but it whitens your teeth and is good for your gums.
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Full Disclosure
In the spirit of full disclosure, I do receive some financial compensation when you click through a newsletter link to Banyan Botanicals and order a product
Cheers, Rhonda
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