Welcome to Ayurvanna Skin Rehab,
the old-new way to better skin.
Welcome to Ayurvanna Skin Rehab, the old-new way to better skin.
It's no secret that beauty is inside out. Our Gut health is the inner root of health and this extends to our skins appearance. Inside your body is where beautiful skin is made. Just like paying attention to the ingredients of foods we put in our bodies, we should also be attentive to the ingredients we are putting on our skin. Remember your skin serves as a protector and a barrier, and also absorbing chemicals which can activate an inflammatory process and force the immune system into a battle, working overtime to eliminate toxins from the body. We should always be attentive to the ingredients we are putting on our skin and aware of their affect.
Our skin functions best when it is slightly acidic, with a pH of about 5.5. When we have elevated levels of stress or clean our faces with harsh or chemical-based ingredients we change our skins natural pH balance.
We have helped many people with skin conditions who felt they could never find an end to their misery and grief caused by skin itchiness, rashes, acne and other undiagnosed conditions. Helping to find a way - by looking beyond the general topical skincare approach and diving deeper into the lesser known world of inner health and gut flora.
Your skin is what you eat! If you don’t have the inner workings right, a $700 facial serum will not help. We need to focus on the inner structure of the body while treating & maintain the outer skin. Anti-aging and skin vitality start with what you eat.
To keep it simple and clean our founder Kym Vana has created a seasonal guide to help you discover the best foods to add to your day, grown and made locally and organically.
"Lets call it the Skin Rehab edit” she's also included all of her friends & New Zealand brands like Ayurvanna that are trusted leaders in their field. Enjoy discount codes of must have products kindly created for us just to get you started on your inner skin therapy rehab today!
We promise you – if you incorporate these foods daily in your diet you'll see a noticeable difference in your skins appearance!
Here in New Zealand we are deep into the cold months of winter. This edition of skin rehab is all about adding omega fats, foods rich in healing properties with a focus on gut health and high doses of Vitamin C (but not of the synthetic kind). If you're somewhere else on earth reading this you don’t need to be in the cold to start.
Lets get started! First up it’s time to add something that will help detoxify the Skin, nothing will do this better than the amazing, incredible, antioxidant rich wonder known as green Spirulina.
Spirulina
Spirulina is an organism that grows in both fresh and salt water. It is a type of cyanobacteria, which is a family of single-celled microbes that are often referred to as blue-green algae.
Our green friend facilitates faster cell turnover that helps skin heal faster. It wards off free radicals and eliminates toxins from the skin to increase skin metabolism. It also prevents candida overgrowth that can cause acne breakouts! Nice! Its important to purchase good quality, organic spirulina.
Applied topically to the skin, this super food also works wonders and is known to boost the overall health and radiant appearance.
Rich in nutrients, vitamins and both fatty and amino acids, Spirulina decreases inflammation, helps tone the skin and encourages cell turnover to promote a more youthful looking complexion.
Ayurvanna sacred plant range contains this wonderful super skin food.
We love Lifestream Spirulina Powder - Its Organic, non-GMO, sustainable and grown in pure mineral Rich water, Visit Healthpost.co.nz to learn more
From green healing water algae now we look up to the beautiful white clouds and dream of the next must have in our edit - Start to drink Keifer yoghurt daily! Your complexion (and gut flora) will thank you for it.
Kefir! Make your gut happy!
Skin problems and dull, tired skin can be a sign of an unhappy, inflamed gut biome. The largest organ of the body (our skin) is often the first to show signs of poor health when the bodies internal health is out of balance, this is the philosophy of Ayurvanna's holistic approach.
By restoring the natural balance of your gut with probiotics and living food (full of the “good bacteria” that everyone talks about) many skin disorders like acne, eczema and rosacea diminish and even disappear entirely after an increased intake of daily probiotics over time.
Kefir is a great start for anyone trying to incorporate good bacteria into their diet. It is one of the greatest probiotic-rich foods, filled with good bacteria which will help to reduce inflammation of the gut which in turn will help your body absorb more nutrients from food and increase the bodies efficiency in removing unwanted toxins. Containing twice as much friendly bacteria as yogurt, kefir is an easy way to reduce inflammation, get clearer skin and boost your body’s overall immunity.
It takes around one month consuming Kefir daily to see a visual difference in the skin. Our favourite New Zealand brand is The Collective.
They are just so cool! Not only do they have amazing Kefir flavors including coconut, they have dairy free options making it vegan friendly and are free of any nasties.
They also do their bit to tackle climate change and improve our environment by planting native trees! Every bottle of their Kefir pourable helps contribute to greater biodiversity, cleaner waterways, thriving industries and stronger communities. For more info head over to - https://kcc.org.nz/
Activated Maca Powder
The vitality secret of the Inca, Maca is a treasure from the Peruvian Andes that promotes energy and endurance. New research shows that maca also has efficiency on the skin. Maca contains, among other molecules, macaene and macamides. The activity of purified extracts of maca was evaluated showing a significant increase of the synthesis of components of the ECM and cell surface receptors that mediate various intracellular signals. Maca helps to reduce the effects of ageing and gives new strength to the skin. We love New Zealand brand Seleno health (which is also the source of the Activated Maca Powder in our sacred plant range).
Seleno follow all the ancient traditions of Maca preparation and sacred ceremonies to ensure our maca has medicinal and healing properties. They scientifically analyse and standardise every batch to bring you the most premium Maca.
It was through one of their seminars I learnt the importance of only consuming correctly dried Maca, as many Maca products on the market have traces of Mold due to shortening the drying process to increase profitability. Maca must be thoroughly dried before being consumed. Despite being a close relative to our common garden radish the Incan people never really consumed maca fresh after harvest. When asked why not, the shamans of the region always answer ‘because she is not medicinal until she is dry.
For this reason fresh Maca is used only as a source of carbohydrate, while dried Maca is boiled and cooked into teas, porridges, soups and stews to in-still therapeutic benefits to those who consume it. Science has now shown us that the Inca were correct as dry maca is actually 10x more potent than fresh maca!
You can read more in detail here - themacaexperts.com
Our buddies at Seleno health have given us a discount code to share with you –
Use “ayurvanna10” on Seleno Healths website! Start your journey with the best dried medical Maca on the NZ market from a proudly NZ company.
Boring but effective! Lemon water on an empty stomach each morning is such a simple but efficient way to boost the skins appearance. As much as it's important to detox your skin on the outside, its also an inside job. Lemon water helps eliminate harmful toxins that can display external damage on your skin. Think of it as flushing out all the bad stuff. Within a week my pores were less visible and felt a lot less clogged.
Lemon juice is a natural antibacterial agent. Drinking it can internally banish harmful bacteria or toxic materials from your bloodstream. Because lemon water has such a high vitamin-C content count on it to brighten things up.
We all desire an even skin tone and the last thing we want to deal with is dark spots or hyper-pigmentation. I've always had a difficult time correcting dark spots with topical products, but drinking lemon water has helped make my complexion look more radiant.
A must before your morning smoothie, coffee, or hot Maca cocoa drink.
Tip: Fill a jug with water and cut lemon, leave it sit overnight for the smoothest drink you'll ever taste.
Sauerkraut
Your gut and your skin are both intricately connected to one another. If something goes wrong with your gut, the symptoms will inevitably make themselves known on your skin.
As well as helping to boost your gut health, sauerkraut is also incredibly rich in another substance – vitamin C! In fact fermented cabbage is thought to contain up to 20 times more vitamin C than raw cabbage, with estimates putting it at around 700mg per cup in some cases!
If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you’ll know that vitamin C is essential for a healthy complexion, bolstering your production of collagen and protecting your skin from free radical damage! Our favourite brand is Be Nourished! They make small batches working closely with their organic New Zealand growers. The result is amazingly powerful raw Fermented raw Kimchi & sauerkraut. They even have raw Gut shots!
Turmeric Probiotic Tonic which help to Populate and re-balance your gut flora with a quick and easy GUT SHOT of their organic raw sauerkraut juice.
Flaxseed
Your skin is your first-line defense against the outside world. Taking care of your skin helps you stay healthy from head to toe. Flax seeds are a good source of healthy fats, antioxidants and fiber as well as protein, lignans, and the essential fatty acid ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). As a matter of fact flaxseed is the richest plant source of ALA in the world, with anywhere from 40-60% of its total fat profile being made up of ALA. It’s also high in other valuable fatty acids such as palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids that are beneficial to the body.
Flaxseed will help Soothe skin irritation! Highly concentrated antioxidants found in flaxseed help protect skin against free-radicals and UV rays. Its anti-inflammatory properties help reduce redness and irritation and encourage skin cells to heal more quickly.
Improved digestion -
Gorgeous skin starts in the gut. Luckily flaxseed is loaded with both soluble and insoluble fiber which can help improve digestion (one of the body’s main detox pathways) and promote regularity. It also helps promote digestive health by feeding the good bacteria in the gut.
Add daily to your smoothies, yoghurts, baking and salads.
Manuka honey, the queen of skin repair!
Used for centuries for its skin-saving and wound-healing properties, it's a top-notch pick in the world of effective, natural ingredients. A unique type with greater benefits than any other honey.
Manuka aids in wound healing due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It draws moisture into the skin, can soothe irritated skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis and offers antioxidant protection against skin-damaging reactive oxygen species (caused by exposure to free radicals) making it beneficial for anti-aging purposes. "Manuka honey is a natural humectant due to its sugar component, meaning it helps draw in and retain moisture in the skin."
Not all types of honey are created equal (it's why if you go to the grocery store you'll find a variety of different coloured honeys on the shelf all with a slightly different flavour). "Manuka honey is produced by honey bees that feed on the Manuka tree in New Zealand."
Recently you may have noticed Manuka honey for much cheaper prices than you're use to. Be aware that a new trend in 2019 seen many brands simply add a tiny amount of Manuka honey to ordinary honey without the full properties of Manuka and label it as Manuka to fool consumers. To ensure you are getting the real deal for ultimate wellness, always buy the highest UMF™ rated Manuka honey. We trust and look no further than our friends at Three peaks!
Every jar of Three Peaks Manuka honey is special and they stand by its quality and authenticity. They are members of the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) which means every batch of Manuka honey is independently laboratory tested and certified as being authentic true-to-label Manuka honey.
They trace their honey from beehives on remote hive sites on New Zealand farmland, all the way to the jar and place its purchased. They make sure every jar can be traced so you can trust the purity and authenticity of Three Peaks Manuka honey. Purity and authenticity is their promise, and their commitment to creating the world’s best Manuka honey.
Mānuka honey has been scientifically proven to contain antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Genuine Mānuka honey contains over 200 compounds not found in other honey. The medicinal trilogy of leptosperin, dihydroxyacetone (DHA) and methylglyoxal (MGO) are the signature compounds that are measured in the UMF™ rating given to each of Three Peaks Mānuka honey. The higher the UMF™ rating, the higher the proportion of unique signature compounds found in that honey, the better it is for you.
Yoga for the skin
Yoga can do wonders for your skin as well as your muscles. By detoxifying and reducing cortisol levels it helps prevent pimples and acne and gives you that lovely healthy glow. It also increases the skins flexibility and helps you get rid of wrinkles. Just take note of how glowing you look after your next yoga or meditation session!
Ayurvanna loves yoga so much one of our best sellers is our Before Practice spray, created to enhance your daily rituals.
Use to cleanse and ground your space before yoga practice by spraying the room or use on your body to centre and aid deeper focus and meditation. Also perfect as a skin refresher or to enhance any intimate or sacred space.
Perfected in time to create our most popular spray with a signature scent to emulate a grounding effect and create a sense of balance and harmony.
Hemp Hearts
With anti-aging properties, hemp oil can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles as well as prevent the development of ageing. The linoleic and oleic acids found in hemp oil can't be produced by the body but can play a crucial role in skin health. They are important nutrients to add to the diet. Our Everything oil (New Zealand's number 1 multi-use oil) contains Hemp seed oil, chosen for its wonderful skin loving qualities.
Making your own hemp milk for smoothies is easy -
Hemp hearts are the raw shelled seeds of the hemp plant, a sustainable crop cultivated for centuries for its nutritional value. These small, creamy seeds have a light, nutty flavour and are versatile to use. They can be eaten raw, toasted, ground into flour, enjoyed as cereal or as a dessert topping or used in sweet and savoury baking. Blend with water and vanilla for a vegan hemp milk or add to smoothies and shakes for an extra boost of easily digestible protein.
We know the cutest New Zealand owned organic shop in Foxton. Petal & Bee grocers owner, Peta has hand picked all her favourite products for their premium quality including Ayurvanna skincare.
Support local businesses - Get your hemp hearts in-store or from their online shop. Visit www.petalbeegrocers.co.nz
To wrap things up for this seasons edit, beautiful skin starts within. Ayurvanna is here to change the narrative of what we've been taught about skin health and help make informed decisions about how we live to start cleaning up the industry. With clear and transparent information, clean skincare ingredients, and foods sourced from only the finest your best skin awaits.
Additionally here is our gift to you - 15% off our entire skincare range, use code "rehab"
Sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page so you don’t miss the next Skin Rehab Spring Edition where we will be focusing on detox to rid the body of impurities and toxins and other tips, tricks and recommendations to achieve better health and skin.
Share this rehab edit on your social media. It might just help someone suffering from skin issues and also support our amazing New Zealand businesses that are leaders in their fields. They've all been so kind to offer discounts for our readers to help you kick start your gut health and start your journey towards the best skin and health possible!
Shop local. Shop the best.
Tip: An easy way to incorporate these foods into your diet is in a smoothie!
We love hearing from you so let us know how you go introducing the skin foods from this seasons rehab edit. We look forward to seeing your beautiful radiant skin!
