Herbal Help for Beautiful Skin
Our skin is subject to constant abuse—both internally and externally—and ashwagandha may be able to help protect our skin and keep it healthy and looking its best. Two factors known to substantially contribute to skin damage and skin-aging are free radicals and decreases in sex hormones (whether by age or dysregulation).84-85
Research suggests that chronically high levels of cortisol in the blood can wreak havoc on your skin, hair, and fingernails. It inhibits the production of vital compounds and structural proteins necessary for healthy skin, such as:72
- Hyaluronan—necessary for skin hydration; too little of it can cause dry skin.72,86
- Elastin—an important protein to keep skin supple.72
- Collagen—crucial structural protein needed for skin strength.72,86
These effects are only exacerbated by age and stress-related reduced levels of estrogen and testosterone, and can lead to wrinkled, dry skin.72
How it Works
Ashwagandha is a proven herbal remedy for stress relief and clinical studies show it also reduces the stress hormone cortisol while increasing DHEA, a hormone precursor to estrogen and testosterone.45,72 It also contains steroidal compounds that can increase estrogen levels.55 Research suggests that DHEA and estrogen helps keep skin looking youthful by stimulating collagen production and increasing natural skin oils and hyaluronic acid.86 Ashwagandha’s potent antioxidant properties can also help protect the skin against free radical damage.21
Evidence of Benefit
Lab studies show that a proprietary herbal combination of ashwagandha and Indian gooseberry can inhibit enzymes that break down collagen by over 50% and those that break down hyaluronic acid by almost 90%. 83
In fact, animal studies show that ashwagandha can inhibit free radicals known to promote skin cancer.21 In animal studies investigating ashwagandha’s effects on wound-healing, both topical and oral forms of the herb were found to significantly increase collagen production.75
Specific Uses
Dry Skin. Ayurvedic medical practitioners prescribe three grams, twice a day, to help treat keratitis—a skin condition characterized by dry and rough skin.11
Skin Cleanser. Ashwagandha is added in whole-plant extract form as an antioxidant ingredient to skin cleansing products.87
Skin Toner. To help keep skin glowing with healthy blood circulation, tribes in Central India take the following formula, once a day in the morning:88
- 1 tablespoon dried ginger
- 2 tablespoon dried ashwagandha root
- 1 tablespoon dried ginger
- 1 tablespoon of dried fruits from the Terminalia chebula tree
- 1 tablespoon of dried lemon peel