Skin15 min
Malai, oil and a warm-bath routine for dry winter skin
Tight, flaky, itchy skin in winter is a textbook vata imbalance. Fresh malai for the face, a quick oil massage before bathing and lukewarm (not hot) water can turn things around within days.
The Ayurvedic view
Vata is cold, dry and rough — exactly what winter air, hot showers and harsh soaps do to the skin. Ayurveda's daily abhyanga (oil massage) is meant to counter this, and Indian homes have long used milk cream (malai) as a face softener. The logic is simple: put back the oil and moisture the season takes away, and stop stripping what is left.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon fresh malai (milk cream), with a pinch of turmeric if you like
- 1–2 tablespoons sesame, coconut or almond oil for the body
- A mild, soap-free cleanser or besan-milk paste
How to prepare
- Take the malai out of the fridge 10 minutes earlier so it isn't icy.
- Warm the body oil slightly by placing the bottle in hot water.
How to use
- Face: massage malai gently for 2–3 minutes, leave for 10 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water. Use every other day.
- Body: rub warm oil over arms, legs and back 15–20 minutes before bathing.
- Bathe with lukewarm water, pat dry and apply a little oil or moisturiser while the skin is still slightly damp.
Helpful habits
- Keep baths short and not too hot.
- Drink warm water and include ghee, sesame, nuts and seasonal vegetables in winter meals.
- Use cotton next to the skin if wool feels itchy.
Precautions
- Malai can clog pores in acne-prone or oily skin — use aloe vera gel on the face instead.
- Avoid almond oil if allergic to nuts.
- Very itchy, cracked, red or weeping patches may be eczema or a fungal infection — see a dermatologist rather than oiling them.
