When I was growing up in South India, my mother mostly relied on Ayurveda to address our health issues. Originating in India more than five thousand years ago, Ayurveda may be the most ancient and complete body of medical knowledge in the world. In it, we find the wisdom, simplicity, and harmony to thrive, as well as answers to many of the complex health challenges gripping our modern life.

Growing up, an herbal tincture or an ingestible from herbs grown on our farm worked from the inside out, and a topical worked from the outside in. This “science of life” modality embraced caring for the self as a whole, incorporating all facets that comprise our vitality. Our skin is our largest organ. To care for it properly requires the same mentality: the embrace of the whole self.