How Can You Treat Skin Rashes With Ayurveda?

Ayurveda believes health is managed by 3 components i.e. pitta, vata and kapha dosha. The type of skin that a person has also depends on which of these is predominant. Accordingly, in people where pitta is dominant, it is warm to the touch and more prone to breakouts and moles and freckles. In people where vata is dominant, the skin is thin and remains cool, gets dehydrated easily and is easily affected by dry weather. In people with kapha dominance, the skin is thick and greasy and is more tolerant to sun exposure.

Allergy is when the body responds adversely to a component which might have reached the system either through air, food or contact. Various substances cause allergies and with most allergies, skin rashes are common, can be of mainly 4 types:

1. Contact dermatitis: When the skin comes in touch with an allergy-causing agent, the skin breaks out into a rash. The inducing agent could be rubber, chemicals, metals, pets, etc.
2. Bites and stings: When insects such as bees or other insects sting or bite, the surrounding area develops a rash.
3. Warm weather: When the weather is too warm, there is prickly heat effect, which produces a rash.
4. Food induced: When certain food items like peanuts or eggs are consumed, some people develop a skin rash.

Whatever the reason, the mode of management would be to try to achieve a balance between the three components.

1. Poppy seeds: A paste of poppy seeds powder mixed with lemon juice and water can help get rid of rashes.
2. Buttermilk and baking soda: Use a cotton swab to apply a mixture of buttermilk and baking soda on the affected skin area and see the rashes disappear. The soothing effect and relief will be felt immediately.
3. Basil leaves, garlic and olive oil: Crush some basil leaves and add some garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil to form a smooth paste. Apply over the skin rash for 1 to 2 days until the rashes disappear.
4. Oatmeal bath: Adding a cup of uncooked oatmeal into the bath water and using this water for a bath after 5 minutes is a great way to get rid of rashes and their redness and itching.
5. Essential oils: Almond oil, chamomile oil, and tea tree oil can be mixed in equal proportions to get relief from rashes of almost all causes.
6. Cold tea bags: Using cold tea bags on the skin helps relief of the rashes through tannin contained in the tea, which has great healing properties.

Just as skin rash is very common, so is the treatment. These substances are readily available in the kitchen and so treating a skin rash is very easy.