With A-listers like Oprah and Gwyneth Paltrow touting its benefits, the ancient tradition of Ayurveda suddenly looks new again. Evidence of its up-to-the minute cachet is popping up all over, including inside the glamorous swag bags that will go to this year’s Oscar nominees. Among the highly coveted loot included in the bags is a Daily Ritual Kit from the newly launched Ayurvedic skincare line Purusha Botanicals. The company’s founder, Kathy Jo Staheli, AD, offers some insights into how products based on a 5,000-year-old Indian healing system acquired 21st century star power in the West.
What exactly is a Daily Ritual Kit and how does it fit into an Ayurvedic lifestyle?
The kits consists of six custom products that work together as a complete daily skincare ritual. Ayurveda teaches that self-care rituals, known as dinacharya, foster balanced health by aligning the rhythms of the body with daily cycles of nature. As a form of dinacharya, Ayurvedic skincare routines are designed to nurture the physiological equilibrium that manifests in a radiant complexion. Ayurvedic practitioners recognize that the exact balance of nutrients, hydration, and lubrication needed to achieve that youthful glow is unique to each person. That’s why all the formulas in our kit are tailor-made for the individual who’ll be using it.
How do you account for the current surge of interest in Ayurvedic beauty treatments?
Today’s discerning skincare consumers have become way more skeptical about “overnight miracles.” They’re also super-health conscious and borderline-phobic about toxic ingredients. The result has been a shift towards natural, wellness-based skincare practices that have stood the test of time. Ayurvedic beauty traditions have persisted throughout Southeast Asia for countless generations. In the meantime, modern science is waking up to the value of ancient Ayurvedic wisdom. Mainstream medicine is increasingly embracing holistic approaches that, like Ayurvedic skincare regimens, integrate individualized diets, yoga, and meditation. Mounting research on herbs and botanicals is also boosting the credibility of Ayurveda’s claims about their anti-aging effects.
What does an Ayurvedic skincare line offer that people aren’t necessarily getting in products they buy from a drugstore?
More and more people are looking for personalized solutions. Ayurvedic practitioners pioneered the idea that there are no one-size-fits-all remedies. They’ve always based their protocols on a deep understanding of the individual’s distinctive combination of biological energies that governs that person’s skin. Purusha’s online consultation process provides us with a view of the customer’s skincare requirements and advance software helps makes an analysis based on these enduring principles of Ayurveda to determine the exact blend of ingredients that best aligns with their skincare needs. This customization method grew out of my guiding belief as an Ayurvedic practitioner: Ayurveda is one of the greatest gifts we can share with the world. With the creation of this company, we can extend that gift far beyond the doors of our wellness center.
Kathy Jo Staheli, AD, is a NAMA recognized doctor of Ayurvedic Medicine, specializing in Panchakarma, the Ayurvedic science of detoxification and rejuvenation. Her passion for sharing Ayurveda inspired her to found the Purusha Ayurveda Wellness and Panchakarma Center in Malinalco, Mexico, as a destination where people can deepen their experience of Ayurveda through residential wellness programs. She is currently an integral part of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and speaks globally on Ayurvedic philosophies and practices.
About Purusha Botanicals
Purusha Botanicals is committed to broadening access to authentic Ayurvedic skincare solutions. All our formulas are individualized, 100% plant derived, cruelty-free, and made to order with the utmost dedication to the health of the earth and all living things.
Instagram: @purushaayurveda and @purushabotanicals