How to Nourish Your Skin Year Round with Ayurvedic Skincare and Self-Care

My first interaction with Ayurveda wasn’t in a clinic or from a book, it was through touch.

Nearly 30 years ago, while traveling through South India, I was invited to be a receiver for a student studying Ayurvedic massage. Every day for two weeks, I experienced the rhythmic, oil-infused strokes of traditional Ayurvedic massage, and with each passing session, I felt a deeper sense of balance. My body moved with greater ease, my yoga practice improved, my skin glowed, my digestion felt lighter, and there was an undeniable shift in my mood...calmer, clearer, more grounded.

That experience changed me. I spent years reading everything I could on Ayurveda, attending talks, and weaving its wisdom into my own life. But as life shifted - deciding to study nutritional therapy and starting a family - lengthy retreats for treatments became a thing of the past. What remained, however, was ritual: small, daily practices that helped me feel nourished, no matter how busy life became.

For those unfamiliar, Ayurveda is an ancient system of holistic healing from India. Its teachings revolve around living in harmony with nature and balancing the unique energies within our bodies. While it might sound complex, it’s rooted in practical, timeless wisdom that feels surprisingly modern, especially when applied to skincare. 

When we listen to the seasons and adjust with them, our skin thrives...healthy, resilient, and radiant at every stage of life.

The Three Doshas: How They Shape Your Skin & Well-Being

Ayurveda views the year as a cycle of seasons, each dominated by one of the three energies known as doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These energies exist in both nature and within us, influencing not just our health but also how our skin changes throughout the year.

• Vata (Air & Space) – The Wind 
  Think of crisp autumn leaves or a cool winter breeze, light, dry, and constantly shifting. Vata governs movement, creativity, and change, but when out of balance, it can feel like chapped lips, fine lines, or restless energy that won’t settle. In the skin, Vata excess leads to dryness, flakiness, and a weakened barrier, especially in cold, windy weather.

• Pitta (Fire & Water) – The Sun 
  Imagine the midday summer sun, hot, intense, and transformative. Pitta governs digestion, metabolism, and vitality, but too much heat can burn. When Pitta is aggravated, the skin shows redness, irritation, breakouts, or sun sensitivity. Think of Pitta as your internal thermostat...when balanced, it gives you a healthy glow; when overheated, it flares up.

• Kapha (Earth & Water) – The Steady River 
  Picture a slow-moving river, cool and steady, providing nourishment and stability. Kapha is hydrating, grounding, and protective, but when excessive, it can become stagnant...leading to congestion, puffiness, or sluggish circulation. It’s why skin may feel oily or dull in damp, heavy seasons like spring.

Seasons are not the only thing that shift our doshas, age and hormonal changes do too. Just as our skin responds to changes in weather, it also evolves through different life stages.

Your Ayurvedic Skin Type & Midlife Hormonal Changes

Ayurveda teaches that everything in nature, including our skin, is governed by three energies, or doshas. These doshas shift with the seasons, but they also change as we move through life.

How Ayurveda & Hormonal Changes Shape Midlife Skin:

• Oestrogen decline in midlife leads to Vata-like dryness. This means skin loses its natural lipids and ceramides, making it more prone to dehydration and fine lines.
• Pitta increases during perimenopause. This can lead to unexpected breakouts, redness, and heightened sensitivity, even if you’ve never had these issues before.
• Kapha dominance post-menopause. Skin may feel thicker, sluggish, or prone to dullness and puffiness as metabolism slows down.

Understanding these shifts means we can care for our skin more intuitively, adapting not only to the seasons but also to the changing rhythms of our own bodies.

Spring: Revitalising Dull, Stagnant Skin (Kapha Season)

Spring is a season of renewal, but for the skin, it can mean lingering winter dryness and sluggish circulation. Kapha’s cool, heavy nature dominates, leading to dullness, puffiness, and congestion.

How Skin Changes in Spring:

• Kapha Skin (Oily, Congested, Prone to Puffiness) → Can feel heavier and more prone to breakouts.
• Vata Skin (Dry, Thin, Prone to Fine Lines) → May still feel parched after winter but starts to regain balance.
• Pitta Skin (Sensitive, Prone to Redness & Flushing) → May feel imbalanced after winter’s harshness.

Spring Rituals for Skin & Body:

• Introduce gentle exfoliation to refresh dull winter skin.
• Eat bitter seasonal greens like kale and dandelion - these help clear out winter sluggishness, supporting the liver and brightening the skin.
• Support lymphatic drainage with facial massage or dry brushing to de-puff and improve circulation.

Why bitter greens? They help flush out excess Kapha (moisture and heaviness) and support detoxification, which translates to clearer, more radiant skin. 

Summer: Protecting Against Heat & Inflammation (Pitta Season)

Long, hot days increase Pitta energy - fiery, intense, and drying. Midlife skin, already thinner due to collagen loss, can become more reactive, flushed, and prone to hyperpigmentation.

How Skin Changes in Summer:

• Pitta Skin (Sensitive, Prone to Breakouts & Redness) → Overheats easily, leading to irritation and sun sensitivity.
• Vata Skin (Dry, Barrier Weakened by Heat) → Struggles with dehydration, losing elasticity faster.
• Kapha Skin (Oily, Prone to Congestion) → Can feel extra greasy in humidity.

Cooling Ayurvedic Rituals:

• Eat hydrating, water-rich foods like cucumber, coconut, melon, and fresh mint to cool the body from within.
• Avoid overly spicy, fried, and salty foods, which can increase internal heat and lead to inflammation. Instead, favor naturally cooling spices like fennel, coriander, and cardamom.
• Use facial mists and lightweight hydration to prevent water loss and keep skin refreshed.
• Take cooling foot baths, soaking feet in cool water reduces internal heat and calms the skin.

Why cooling foods and rituals? Pitta’s fire increases in summer, making the skin more prone to redness, irritation, and dehydration. Hydrating foods, cooling skincare, and avoiding excessive heat help prevent inflammation, balance oil production, and keep the skin calm.

Autumn: Strengthening the Skin Barrier (Vata Season)

Autumn’s dry, crisp air accelerates moisture loss, making it a crucial time for barrier repair. Vata’s light, dry energy dominates, and for midlife skin, weakened ceramide production makes fine lines and dehydration worse.

How Skin Changes in Autumn:

• Vata Skin (Prone to Dryness & Fine Lines) → Needs intense hydration and barrier repair.
• Pitta Skin (Post-Summer Sensitivity & Hyperpigmentation) → Still recovering from sun damage.
• Kapha Skin (Balanced, but prone to dullness) → Benefits from extra nourishment to prevent sluggishness.

Grounding Autumn Rituals:

• Eat warming meals with ghee and root vegetables to build moisture from within.
• Slow down - swap high-intensity workouts for restorative yoga or slow walks.
• Barrier repair is key - ceramide-rich oils help restore the lipid layer that keeps moisture locked in.

Why ceramides? They’re the natural fats in your skin that keep it strong and supple - essential for mature skin as it becomes drier.  Strengthening the skin barrier prevents moisture loss and protects against seasonal dryness.

Winter: Repairing & Fortifying (Kapha-Vata Season)

Winter’s cold, dry air depletes skin’s moisture levels even more, making barrier protection a top priority.

How Skin Changes in Winter:

• Vata Skin (Prone to Flaking & Roughness) → Needs intensive ceramide and lipid replenishment.
• Pitta Skin (Sensitive & Prone to Redness) → Needs extra protection without clogging pores.
• Kapha Skin (Dull & Sluggish) → Benefits from massage to boost circulation.

 Winter Self-Care Rituals:

• Drink warming herbal teas with cardamom and ashwagandha.
• Practice Abhyanga, an Ayurvedic full body self-massage with warm oil, to lock in hydration and strengthen circulation.

Why herbal teas and oil massage? Winter increases Vata’s dryness and Kapha’s sluggishness, making skin feel tight, dull, or depleted. Warming herbal teas support circulation and digestion, while Abhyanga (self-massage) with nourishing oils helps lock in hydration, improve skin elasticity, and restore vitality.

SOW & CULTIVATE: Adapting to the Seasons

Skincare should be intuitive and adaptable, just like the seasons themselves. hux+mū SOW Prebiotic Cleansing Jelly and hux+mū CULTIVATE Active Facial Serum work in harmony with your skin year-round, providing deep nourishment, barrier support, and resilience no matter the climate.

Why These Ingredients?

Both hux+mū SOW Prebiotic Cleansing Jelly and hux+mū CULTIVATE Active Facial Serum are enriched with coriander seed oil and pequi seed oil, carefully chosen for their ability to:

• Hydrate and Restore Dry Skin → Essential fatty acids in pequi oil help fortify the skin barrier, reducing moisture loss.
• Soothe and Calm Sensitivity → Coriander seed oil is rich in anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce redness and irritation, leaving the skin comfortable and resilient.
• Support a Healthy Skin Microbiome → SOW Prebiotic Cleansing Jelly gently cleanses while maintaining the skin’s natural balance, preventing over-stripping and dryness.
• Provide Antioxidant Protection → Both formulas are packed with polyphenols and vitamins, defending against environmental damage and premature ageing.

How to Use Them Through the Seasons:

🌿Spring & Autumn → During transitional seasons, skin can fluctuate between dryness and oiliness. Use SOW Prebiotic Cleansing Jelly to refresh without stripping, and adjust your use of CULTIVATE Active Lipid Serum based on daily needs, some days, an extra layer may be just what your skin craves.

☀️ Summer → For lightweight, breathable hydration, apply CULTIVATE Active Lipid Serum to damp skin after cleansing and before your sunscreen. This locks in moisture without heaviness, keeping skin fresh and radiant.

❄️ Winter → As colder temperatures strip the skin’s moisture, layer CULTIVATE Active Lipid Serum under a balm or moisturiser for extra protection. SOW Prebiotic Cleansing Jelly gently cleanses without stripping, leaving your skin fresh, balanced, and deeply hydrated.

By listening to your skin and making small, intuitive adjustments, your skincare routine can flow with nature, ensuring deep nourishment and protection in every season.

Final Thoughts

By tuning into your skin’s changing needs, you can keep it radiant, resilient, and deeply nourished at every stage of life. With SOW and CULTIVATE, your skincare naturally adapts, ensuring barrier repair, hydration, and balance all year long.

A Note from Me

At hux+mū, I believe that skincare is more than just what we put on our skin - it’s a reflection of how we nourish and care for ourselves on a deeper level. My approach is rooted in Ayurveda’s wisdom, modern skincare science, and my own journey of working with the skin, body, and mind.

This guide is designed to help you connect with your skin’s natural rhythms, understand how the seasons affect its needs, and make small, intuitive adjustments that support long-term skin health. Ayurveda teaches us that each person is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. I encourage you to listen to your skin, explore what feels right, and embrace skincare as a ritual of self-care, not just a routine.

The insights shared here reflect my personal views and experiences, drawn from my self-study of Ayurveda and exploration of respected Ayurvedic teachings, including those by Dr. Robert Svoboda, Dr. Vasant Lad, and Dr. David Frawley. This content is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. If you have persistent skin concerns or underlying health conditions, I always recommend seeking guidance from a qualified dermatologist or Ayurvedic practitioner.

hux+mū products are formulated with care, using nurturing, bioactive ingredients to restore balance, protect the skin barrier, and enhance resilience - without disrupting the skin’s natural harmony. Gentle yet effective, they are designed to work with your skin, not against it.

Shim x

💛 Ready to nourish your skin year-round? Discover how SOW Prebiotic Cleansing Jelly and CULTIVATE Active Facial Serum work together to restore balance, protect your skin barrier, and adapt through the seasons. Explore the full hux+mū signature ritual.

 

References & Further Reading

To ensure accuracy and depth, this guide is informed by:

Ayurvedic Foundations

• Svoboda, R. E. (1988). Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution. Lotus Press.

A foundational text for understanding the doshas and their role in Ayurveda.

• Lad, V. (2002). Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles. The Ayurvedic Press.

Explores the seasonal influences of Ayurveda and balancing practices.

• Frawley, D. (1997). Ayurveda and the Mind: The Healing of Consciousness. Lotus Press.

Discusses ojas, agni, and seasonal self-care in Ayurveda.

• Banyan Botanicals. Understanding Ayurveda & The Doshas
• The Ayurvedic Institute.

Midlife & Skin Health

• Welch, Claudia. Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life. Da Capo Lifelong Books.
• Pizzorno, Joseph E. The Toxin Solution. HarperOne.
• International Journal of Women’s Dermatology.

Ingredient Science & Barrier Repair

• Rawlings, A.V. Skin Moisturization. CRC Press.
• Loden, M. The Role of Ceramides in Skin Barrier Function. Dermatologic Therapy Journal.
• Studies on Coriander Seed Oil & Pequi Seed Oil in skincare for anti-inflammatory, barrier-supporting, and antioxidant benefits.