Ayurvedic method of body scrub (उद्वर्तनम्)

Udwartana (उद्वर्तनम्) literally means “rubbing or kneading” the body. Conventional rubbing of body with medicated powders is called as udwartana. To some extent it is similar to the body scrub therapy. Udwartana is believed to be therapeutic as well as health promoting therapy in Ayurveda. It is included under the daily regime or Dinacharya (दिनचर्या) described in Ayurveda and known to promote the health of skin.

परिभाषा॥ Definition

Udwartanam is essentially defined as the therapeutic procedure of rubbing or kneading the body.

उद्वर्तनं गात्रमर्दनम्| (Dalhana, Sush. Samh. 24.51)

This kneading or rubbing of body is not done bear handed but with the help of herbal powders or a paste of herbs.

Therefore udwartana is actually a special type of body massage which needs to be done using some herbal mixture/powder.

दिनचर्यायां उद्वर्तनम् ॥ Udwartanam in Daily routine

Udwartanam therapy is described in various Ayurveda (आयुर्वेदः) treatises under the section of dinacharya (दिनचर्या) i.e. daily regimen. It is placed after the Abhyangam (अभ्यङ्गम । theraputic oil massage) and vyayama (व्यायामम् । Exercise) and before snanam (स्नानम् । Bath). It is to be practiced as a daily skincare regimen.

उद्वर्तनस्य कार्यम् ॥ Role of Udwartanam

Udwartanam is not only beneficial for skin but also helpful in reducing excess fatty tissue accumulated in body under skin. It helps to balance kapha and vata doshas (दोषाः). Acharya Sushruta has narrated the effect of udwartana and its types in depth.

उद्वर्तनं वातहरं कफमेदोविलापनम् ||५१|| स्थिरीकरणमङ्गानां त्वक्प्रसादकरं परम् |५२| (sush. chik.24. 51-52) Meaning: Udwartanam removes excessive kapha dosha, vata dosha and helps liquify meda dhatu (मेद धातुः | fatty tissue). It helps in stabilizing the body parts and enhance the skin tone & texture.

So basically, Udwartana is a type of massage or body scrub that helps to improve the health of skin and also has action on accumulated fats.

Action of udwartana in short is as below,

• Improves skin complexion and texture and overall health of skin.
• Helps burn fats
• Helps tone and strengthen body parts.

भेदाः ॥ Types

Udwartana is classified in two types based on the ingredients used in it.

It mainly relies on the inclusion of fatty/ unctuous substance like oil or milk in the herbal powder mixture used as scrub.

The 2 types are

1. Udgharshana (उद्घर्षणम्) and
2. Utsadana (उत्सादनम्)

उद्घर्षणम् ॥ Udgharshana

Rubbing the body with dry herbal powder i.e without mixing it with any unctuous liquid like oil, milk or even water is udgharshana.

Udgharshana cures and prevents various vata dosha related disorders, reduces itching and certain skin related disorders.

Used material : Powders of brick and sop nut were used traditionally to perform this type of udwartanam. As per the desired result different herbal powders can also be used for this.

उत्सादनम् ॥ Utsadana

Utsadana is rubbing or massaging body with paste of medicated churnas (powders).

In this procedure, herbal powders are mixed in oil or ghee or any liquid like milk to the form of paste.

It performs 2 actions,

• Moisturizing &
• Scrubbing

Thus, it brings about lustre and radiance or glow to the skin.

उद्वर्तन क्रिया ॥ Procedure

Depending upon the type of udwartanam, either dry herbal powders (one or more in mixture) or herbs mixed with unctuous liquids like oil or milk are rubbed on the body parts in a specific manner. This method is similar to scrubbing done in cosmetology and beauty treatments done in todays time. However, udwartanam is therapeutic body scrub. In multiple aspects it differs from normal scrubs in multiple aspects. The pre and post udwartana precautions in udwartanam are not essential in body scrubs. The time to perform this is also different.

योग्य कालः ॥ The right time for Udwartanam

Udwartana being a part of dinacharya (daily regimen) is to be done daily, after oil massage and exercise but before snana (bath). It can be considered as the daily morning body-care regime.

उद्वर्तनयोग्य पूर्वस्थितिः ॥ Prerequisites

Before udwartana bowel and bladder must be empty or cleared.

Udwartana works best after abhyanga and vyayama is done.

The increased blood flow and circulation in the periphery due to massage and exercise must be getting helpful for proper absorption of herbs used during udwartana.

Scrubbing on dry and not stimulated skin might not give desired results and instead may damage the skin. Therefore these points must be carefully considered.

पश्चात कर्म ॥ Post Udwartanam

After the procedure a minimum of 15 min rest is essential for the churna (powder) to get absorbed.

After rest, warm water bath is recommended.

उद्वर्तनलाभाः ॥ Benefits or Effects of Udwartana

There are various health benefits of udwartana therapy which are valuable in the health and wellness segments. These are listed below,

1. Udwartana helps in cleansing the skin pores, improving the circulation and promoting nourishment of skin.
2. It helps in increasing the agni of twak (absorption capacity and glow)
3. Body rubbing with oily herbal pastes enhance the lusture of the skin by giving it flowless, clean, younger looking complexion.
4. Udwartana of dry nature is specifically helpful in the treatment of various skin disorders which lead to development of itching, hives, redness etc.
5. It removes excess of oiliness, dirt, sweat and faul smell from the skin.
6. Udwartana is being successfully used by Ayurveda vaidyas in the weight loss therapies.
7. Traditionally, in Bharatiya festival of diwali/deepavali (दीपावली), powder with aromatic fragrances are used as one of the rituals of abhyanaga snanam (अभ्यङ्ग स्नानम्). This fragrant herbal powder is popularly know as Ubtana (उबटन) . Udwartana described in Ayurveda is the basic concept behind this ritual.

Massage, Body scrub, Exfoliation and Udwartanam : Similarities and differences

Rubbing or kneading the body parts is the literal meaning of the term udwartanam. In this reference udwartana is similar to body massage therapies wherein pressure is exerted on various body parts and massage is done. But udwartana involves use of medicinal powders or pastes which are actually rubbed on body parts. Therefore, in this reference it shares similarity with modern day body scrubbing or exfoliation procedures practiced under cosmetology segment. To sum up, we can consider the Udwartana therapy as combination of body scrubbing and massage.

How Udwartana therapy brings glow to the skin?

The key attribute of a youthful, healthy-looking complexion is radiance. Radiance is determined by light reflectance from the surface of smooth skin. With age, radiance diminishes as the epidermal cell turnover rate slows down. This results in the buildup of dead keratinocytes in the stratum corneum and follicular ostia, creating the appearance of rough, dry skin, enlarged pores, and poor light reflection. Exfoliation, through chemical or physical means, is the process of removing excess corneocyte buildup, which in turn stimulates cell turnover, resulting in a more polished, smoother, translucent surface. Over the past 2 decades, exfoliation has gained in popularity because of its almost immediate demonstrable benefits and the ease and variety of available products. In Udwartana exfoliation is done with the help of herbal fragrant powders that along with exfoliating bring healing properties.

Udgharshan and physical exfoliation

Physical exfoliation is available for consumers in a wide range of products as an alternative to or in combination with chemical exfoliation; these products include topical cleansing scrubs containing a variety of abrasive solid particulates, mechanical facial brushes, sonicating devices, and mildly abrasive cosmetic tools such as microexfoliating rollers. Physical exfoliation induces an immediate desquamation, which in some cases can produce a temporary disruption of the skin barrier, resulting in increased transepidermal water loss.

There is a general consensus that ex-foliating the outermost layers of the stratum corneum (the stratum disjunctum) results in improved skin texture, and a reduction in fine lines and hyperpigmentation.

Precautions

Before using any exfoliating products, they should be tested on the skin to see if the type of exfoliation suits the individual skin type. Rubbing any exfoliating products on the face should be avoided. It loosens the facial skin and can cause wrinkles. Dabbing is a safer way to apply and rinse exfoliating products. Hot water should not be used directly on the face. It can harm the skin and dries it out too quickly. Lukewarm or cool water is recommended for rinsing the face. The skin should be exfoliated in the evening. Exfoliation of skin gives better results during summer than winter. Exfoliating the area around the eyes should be avoided since the skin is very thin and sensitive in this area. After exfoliation a good moisturizer containing nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants should be used to supply the required supplements to the skin lost in exfoliation. However, all these precautions should be taken when a chemical or synthetic scrub is used. While using Ayurveda's herbal scrub abhyanga i.e. oil massage is a prerequisite. It balances all other possible side effects that might arise with use of chemical scrub alone.