The deep dive
The 3,000-year-old science is ‘new’ again, and it’s got some very modern surprises
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L et’sstart with what Ayurveda is not. Despite what your feed may tell you, it’s not a trend, it’s not a fad and it’s definitely not a novel idea. What it actually is: an ancient science, specifically the science of life (in Sanskrit, ‘ayur’ means ‘life’ or ‘vital power’ and ‘veda’ means ‘science’ or ‘knowledge’), that’s been studied and practised in Indian culture for millennia. ‘Ayurveda is a holistic way of looking at life that’s now being more widely recognised and practised in the western world, especially in the beauty space,’ says dermatologist Kiran Mian. Some tenets: your outer beauty is a mirror for what’s going on internally, encouraging you to look deeper and treat issues such as breakouts or rashes not just at the surface, but also at the root, where triggers such as seasonal changes, diet or the constant stress of today’s world can create imbalances in your system. ‘When someone comes to me with acne, I’ll write them a prescription, but I’ll also help them adjust their daily habits to help reduce inflammation,’ Dr Mian says.
But you don’t need to go to a derm to do some Ayurvedic exploration – Sephora’s coolest new brands (the likes of Ranavat and Fable & Mane) are based on holistic principles, while traditional Ayurvedic herbs and plant-derived ingredients such as turmeric, bakuchiol, gotu kola, rose water and ashwagandha are quickly becoming mainstays. In a few years, the Ayurvedic beauty market is expected to be valued at a whopping £13bn globally.
‘I believe that Ayurvedic beauty is becoming more mainstream in western culture because we’re starting to, through these times of global health crisis, return to nature for health, healing and beauty,’ says Ananta Ripa Ajmera, a yoga instructor, spiritual teacher and adviser of wellness retreat Ayurveda at The Well. Wellnessfocused beauty has been a thing for years now, of course, but the cultural component hasn’t been talked about as much, says Michelle Ranavat, founder and CEO of skin and haircare brand Ranavat. ‘Now the two things are coming together – you’re really getting the full picture.’
How does this play out in your products? Balance. Turmeric, for example, is now being combined with retinol
