Indian Herbs for Anti-Aging Skin: Daisy's 5 Ayurvedic Picks

Fine lines, a sagging jawline and dull, puffy skin are usually treated with creams, serums or clinic procedures. Daisy asked a different question. Could the herbs that expensive brands use as their hero ingredients work better when you take them from within? She found five, all described for anti-aging in the Charaka Samhita, the classical Ayurvedic text. Here is what she says about each one and how she takes it.

Why Daisy takes these herbs internally

Daisy points out that each brand tends to use one herb, only on the surface, and only on the face, neck and hands. A cream reaches the top few layers of skin. She says that when you stop applying it, the dull, uneven skin returns.

Her view is that Charaka designed something different: herbs taken together, by mouth, so they work on every tissue in the body and support each other. Daisy still uses creams. She simply does not want to depend on them alone.

Gotu kola: the “cica” herb

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica, also called brahmi or mandukaparni) is the herb behind “cica” in Korean skincare. Daisy says it is the main ingredient in several top-selling creams. She credits its triterpenes, plant compounds that she says support collagen, skin elasticity and hydration. Her list of what it helps includes crow’s feet, nasolabial folds, scars, stretch marks and sagging.

How she takes it:

• One tablet once a day after breakfast, or half a teaspoon of powder in coconut or almond milk.
• Always with good fats, such as sesame, mustard or olive oil at breakfast, and never on an empty stomach.
• Choose gotu kola extract, not plain dry leaf powder. She says the extract gives greater benefits.

Punarnava: for puffiness and dullness

Punarnava means “that which renews the old body”. Daisy describes it as an anti-swelling herb that stops fluid retention instead of draining it afterwards. She says it reduces puffiness in the face, jaw and body, and that some people see a change within hours.

She also says it supports the liver and kidneys, and that the skin shows this as clarity and radiance. She quotes a lab result of over 93 percent free-radical neutralisation for the root. The recipe card above gives her morning kada. She also mentions capsules, one every morning after breakfast.

Amla: Daisy’s number one anti-aging herb

Daisy calls amla (Indian gooseberry) her top anti-aging herb. She notes that Charaka put it first among rejuvenating remedies, and that it is the main ingredient in chyawanprash. Her reasons are vitamin C, which the body needs to make collagen, and polyphenols and ellagic acid, which she links to collagen support and pigmentation.

Her tips for amla:

• Best fresh and raw: one or two amlas a day, in the morning on an empty stomach or with meals.
• Heat in cooking reduces its effect by about 35 to 40 percent, she says.
• Leave a gap before tea, coffee or milk, which she says block vitamin C uptake.
• If you have a pitta (fire and acid) constitution, try a little first and watch for acidity.

Haritaki (harad): the one to respect

Daisy says Charaka placed haritaki next to amla in importance. She lists five actions: it supports collagen, blocks collagen-damaging enzymes, blocks glycation (sugar damaging skin), blocks pigment formation and offers sun protection. She cites a test where the extract gave an SPF of 26. She also says it helps reverse pollution damage, with early changes in about 2 weeks and full results in 8 to 12 weeks.

Because it is strong, she is careful about how it is taken:

• Start with a quarter teaspoon of haritaki powder on three nights a week. Slowly move to half or one teaspoon daily.
• Mix it in warm water. Take it 1.5 to 2 hours after dinner.
• Match the season: a pinch of rock salt in monsoon, mishri (rock sugar) in autumn, dry ginger in winter, pepper in late winter and jaggery in summer.
• It is a laxative. If your bowels are normal, it may cause loose motions. Do not take it for months together, and speak to an Ayurvedic physician first.

Shatavari: for hormonal aging

Shatavari means “she who has a hundred husbands”, for its hormone-balancing reputation. Daisy says men can take it too. For women over 35, before or after menopause, she calls it essential. She explains that it contains phytoestrogens, plant compounds that act a little like estrogen, and that these help skin stay plump as hormones decline.

She takes one teaspoon in warm milk (dairy, almond or coconut) about 30 minutes before bed. It needs fat for absorption, so not on an empty stomach. With sensitive digestion, start with half a teaspoon. If you take medicine for hormones or any condition, keep your doctor in the loop.

Brahma Rasayana: all five in one formula

For people who prefer one product, Daisy points to Brahma Rasayana. She calls it Charaka’s flagship anti-aging formula, made with the herbs in proportions meant for good absorption. It is sold for brain health and energy, she says, which hides its skin benefits. She takes 1 to 2 teaspoons with warm plant milk in the morning on an empty stomach. She names Kottakkal and Sitaram as genuine brands.

What research says

Most of the studies are small, funded by companies or done in cells, not people. Gotu kola has the most human data. A review of five small trials in 172 Asian women found it improved wrinkles around the eyes and lips. The authors say reporting was weak and extracts were not standardised. Those trials used creams, gels and a lip product, not tablets.

For amla, a lab study on human skin cells found more procollagen and less of a collagen-breaking enzyme. A haritaki extract showed similar effects in cells and in mice exposed to UVB. Shatavari is known mainly for plant estrogens, but its skin effects are not proven. Reviews of the punarnava family say many studies lacked proper doses and controls.

Daisy quotes several specific figures, such as percentages and an SPF value, from her own reading. Not all of them match a study listed here. Ayurveda has used these herbs for centuries, but good human research on swallowing them for skin is still limited.

Daisy’s tips

• Talk to a certified Ayurvedic vaidya before starting any of these herbs, especially if you have a health condition.
• Use the herbs alongside a healthy lifestyle. She does not tell you to drop your creams.
• Take gotu kola and shatavari with fats, never on an empty stomach.
• Begin haritaki at a quarter teaspoon and increase slowly.
• Keep tea, coffee and milk away from amla.
• She says her product links are not sponsored.

Daisy shows every herb and dose in the video above. It takes about 24 minutes.