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As a Pitta dosha, your body and skin match your fiery personality.  You run hot, both physically and emotionally, which means you are the most productive, organized, and Type A of all the types.  You like things to get done, and to get them done your way.  You are passionate about the things that matter to you, and never shy away from a heated debate.  When out of balance (eating the wrong foods, overheating, not managing your stress and perfectionism), you are quite literally inflamed — prone to irritability, digestive issues (IBS, colitis, loose stool), breakouts, rashes, and inflammation of the skin and organs (pretty much anything with an -itis suffix).  Download your Pitta Dosha Guide to learn more about your type and get more tips to bring your body into balance!

PITTA SKIN TYPE

Just like a Pitta-type body, Pitta skin is characterized by inflammation and sensitivity. Combination (in terms of oiliness), fair, and prone to rashes, redness, breakouts and other reactions, Pitta skin needs cooling, calming, and gentle treatments to balance it out and keep it happy.  When in balance, Pitta skin is radiant and seems to glow from within. Other Pitta skin characteristics are:

• a congested T-zone, often with large pores
• oily skin
• reddish skin or blushing easily
• sensitive to the sun and harsh chemicals
• lots of freckles, moles, and sun damage
• sweat easily
• prone to eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and pimples

The number one best treatment for Pitta skin is cooling ingredients and foods like cucumber, aloe, and rose, internally and externally. Keeping cool helps balance Pitta both inside and out, and since Pitta skin is very sensitive to diet and lifestyle changes, keeping cool and soothed needs to be a lifelong mantra as well as a skincare prescription.

Recommended Pitta skincare routine:

AM:

1. Cleanse skin with warm or cool water (if inflamed), or optionally use a lightweight cooling face wash like Greenleaf Naturals Amazing Aloe Vera Cleanser.
2. Follow with a cooling and balancing toner like Thayer’s Rose Petal Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera or Greenleaf Naturals Amazing Aloe Vera Toner.
3. Use a light, oil-based antioxidant serum like 100% Pure Vitamin C Serum to counter sun damage.
4. Apply a cooling, anti-aging eye gel like Eminence Organic Cucumber Eye Gel or Amara Organics Total Repair Eye Gel.
5. Use a soothing BB or CC cream with SPF to protect and soothe skin, and calm redness. I like Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses CC Cream.

PM:

1. Cleanse skin using the oil face wash method — use a jojoba or coconut oil based cleanser like Kindred Skincare Oil Cleanse (my favorite oil face cleanser!).
2. Follow with an anti-aging eye gel and antioxidant serum (like 100% Pure Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidant PM Serum) to counteract sun damage and aging.
3. Top with a soothing and hydrating night cream that targets sensitivity, redness and irritation, like Green Leaf Naturals Amazing Aloe Moisturizer or Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Heavenly Night Cream.
4. A few times a week on alternating days, use a gentle peel like Juice Beauty Sensitive Green Apple Peel and a soothing, hydrating mask like Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Rosewater Mask.

Pitta Holistic Skincare Tips

• Eat cooling and detoxifying foods like dark leafy greens, cucumbers, seasonal sweet fruits, light grains, and mostly plant proteins.  Eat a big green salad and/or a green smoothie at least once a day. Include aloe gel in your smoothie for added anti-inflammatory, cooling benefits.
• Avoid spicy foods, vinegar and other sour foods, fried foods, and red meat, all of which are too heating for Pitta body and skin.
• Use cooling oils like ghee or coconut oil in cooking and external treatments (ghee is amazing for healing most inflamed Pitta skin conditions).
• Drink cool or room temperature water or tea throughout the day.  Cooling teas like peppermint, chamomile or fennel seed are wonderful for pitta as well.
• Make time daily for calming, soothing practices that decrease stress and cortisol levels in the body — yoga, meditation, listening to soothing music, and walks outside in the moonlight or during the cool early morning or late evening are all great options.
• Stay cool! Avoid hot showers, saunas, and being outside during the hottest parts of the day (or stay in the shade). Minimize intentional sun exposure (lying out on the beach is not a great idea for Pittas).  Dress in cool, breathable clothes and keep the AC or a fan on when it gets hot.  Sleep with the window open when you can.
  
• Get to bed (with some chamomile tea if you need help unwinding) before 10:30pm, after which point it will be more difficult to get to sleep and stress levels could rise.
  

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