🧴 Ayurvedic Body Oil - How-to, Tips, and Tricks

Ayurvedic Body Oil

How to use body oil plus some tips and tricks to get the most out of your daily rituals

As the seasons change, it’s time to prepare ourselves for the dry weather ahead. One of our favorite ways to keep our skin hydrated as well as practice some self-care is by using body oil and performing Abhyanga (a self-massage with herb-infused oils). It’s one of our favorite ways to care for both our skin and also support our mental health by helping to ease and calm the mind from life’s stresses.

Not sure how to use oil or looking to make the switch from lotions? We’re sharing some tips and tricks on what body oil can do for your skin, how to use it, and some tricks we’ve learned along the way.

Where should I keep my bottle of body oil?

In the shower for shaving
We highly recommend using the oil to help with shaving as it will help hydrate and keep your skin calm

By the toilet for morning application before you shower
First thing in the morning, while waiting for nature to call, sit on the toilet and apply your body oil before hopping into the shower. This will allow enough time for it to sit before having the warm water take the oil deeper into your skin providing optimal moisture. Plus it’s a good use of time!

By the kitchen sink
Applying oil to your hands before you wash dishes will help protect them and keep them from drying out.

Bedside table
Did you know that oiling your feet before bed will help to reduce the qualities of Vata at the end of the day? Keeping the skin on your feet hydrated is important to the overall health of your body as it’s the gateway to the digestive tract as well as all of the other muscles and systems in our bodies. Oiling your feet at night can help you get a better night’s sleep by pacifying the nervous system. People who are primarily of the Vata dosha constitution tend to have drier skin during the fall and winter, so keeping them hydrated and oiling at night will help prevent dryness and discomfort during the day. Yoga International says it best – Your feet are the unsung heroes of your body.

"According to Ayurveda, when we suppress these emotions, they crystallize in the body and eventually accumulate in the soles of the feet. This is not healthy, of course, because we end up walking, running, jumping, and twisting on our unresolved emotions, causing certain areas of our feet to become tender and painful, and burdening our body with additional stress. According to Lad, ayurvedic foot massage can alleviate psychological imbalances—including anxiety, nervousness, and depression—because it breaks up these emotionally related crystals, reduces stress, and relieves foot pain."

How often should I use body oil?

If you have extremely dry skin, use it every day until you feel like it’s under control. If you’re not seeing scales and cracks and flakiness, then use 1-2 times a week for prevention.

Oil up before the shower

If you apply lotion or moisturizer after the shower, you’re just working to combat dry skin, not prevent it. If you apply body oil before you wash, you’re actually helping to prevent dryness. The oils have a chance to absorb deeper into your skin and tissues when applied prior to the shower or bath.

Ideally, you’d want the oil to sit on your skin for 15-20 mins before the water hits it, but any amount of time is helpful; even 5 minutes works!

Take a warm shower, not hot!

Warm water helps to take the oils deeper into the tissues and really hydrate whereas hot water will only dry your skin out more. You should try to take a short shower so there is a slight bit of oil left on your skin and pat dry. There is no need to reapply after the shower.

Exfoliate

Before you apply, it’s best to exfoliate the skin gently, with gharsana gloves or use a very soft dry brush. If you use a brush with hard bristles and too often, it can toughen the skin.

What kind of body oil is right for me?

Our Ayurvedic Body Oils are one of a kind for many reasons, but the biggest difference is… Ghee! Our Ayurvedic body oils all contain ghee – the most superior oil for hydrating all of the body’s tissues, both inside and out. Ghee is also an excellent carrier oil, meaning that the benefits from the herbs that we infuse into our body oils are easily absorbed into the skin for optimal results. Farmtrue offers three different scents of body oil that have been created to align with the seasons and doshas. Body oils are available in two different sizes now – 4 oz and 8 oz.

Ground
Nourishing and Grounding
Scent Profile: Vanilla, Vetiver, and Citrus
Dosha: Vata
Season: Fall/Winter
Our Ground Ayurvedic Oil is formulated with heavier oils and infused with calming herbs that deeply nourish the body and mind and alleviate light, dry, and cold qualities of the fall/winter season, or Vata dosha. Ground oil is beneficial if you are feeling: restless, depleted, cold, and dry.

Revive
Cleansing and Invigorating
Scent Profile: Lemon Balm and Tulsi
Dosha: Kapha
Season: Spring
Our Revive Ayurvedic Oil is formulated with lighter oils and infused with invigorating herbs that help revive the body and mind and help alleviate the heavy, damp qualities of the spring season or Kapha Dosha. Revive oil is beneficial if you are feeling: heavy, sluggish, lethargic, uninspired, cold.

Refresh
Cooling and Hydrating
Scent Profile: Lavender and Blue Tansy
Dosha: Pitta
Season: Summer
Our Refresh Ayurvedic Oil is formulated with cooling oils and infused with Ayurvedic herbs that help soothe body and mind and alleviate the heat and intensity of a summer or pitta dosha. Refresh oil is beneficial if you are feeling: hot, agitated, and dry.

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Our friends at Kripalu have a lot of great content on how to perform Abhyanga. One of our favorite videos to help get things started is this guided how-to-practice with Larissa Hall Carlson.

What other questions do you have about body oils? Drop them in the comments or tag us at @Farmtrue on Instagram.