Exploring the role of Shrikamya Rasayana in enhancing skin health: A critical review

Background: Beauty is a divine gift that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind. It is the quality of being attractive. Ayurveda emphasize beauty in terms of physical, mental, social and spiritual elements. Skin health solely depends on various extrinsic and intrinsic factors which enables an everlasting adaptation and acclimatization. Various unrealistic concepts and images of beauty lead to a lower self-esteem, and lower self-confidence. Shrikamya Rasayana is a unique anti-aging therapy explained by Acharya Sushruta for improving skin complexion and prevents various skin disorders. The study aimed to review the importance and utility of Shrikamya Rasayana in the present era in order to attain a healthy skin. Objective: To evaluate the role of Shrikamya Rasayana in enhancing skin health Methods: Screening of the available published literature related to Rasayana, cosmetology and pharmacological actions was conducted through an online search using Boolean operators such as AND, OR, NOT. A manual search was also done in Ayurveda classical texts and college libraries to collect unpublished information. Identification of scope of Shrikamya Rasayana is done initially followed by compilation and critical interpretation with respect to different assessment criteria for skin type. Conclusion: Shrikamya Rasayana mentioned in Ayurveda classical textbooks have potential role in improving the skin complexion and prevent various skin related disorders. Scales such as Fitzpatrick Skin Photo type, Luschan’s chromatic and CLBT scale can be used for standardized Ayurvedic assessment of Chaya, Varna and Prabha. This article highlights the utility, importance, and scope of Shrikamya Rasayana.