Absolute Beauty: Radiant Skin and Inner Harmony Through the Ancient Secrets of Ayurveda Paperback – January 27, 1999

Anyone interested in Ayurveda should read this book. More than anything, this gives a beautiful explanation of some of the fundamentals of Ayurveda and gives some easy to follow guidelines for following a more Ayurvedic lifestyle. It goes way beyond skin and invites readers to look at their entire lifestyle. The skin is just one organ but it is a powerful communicator of the state of your health. Whether you're just hoping to rid yourself of acne or slow down the aging process, this book will help you learn that your skin is an outward expression of what's going on within and will give you easy to follow tips to heal from the inside out. I know it sounds like a cliche but before even reading this book I was able to heal my stubborn hormonal acne not with any cream or antibiotic but by changing my diet. I've incorporated many of the lifestyle changes from this book and feel much more balanced and look more rested.

Absolutely LOVE this book! (& actually I haven't yet finished reading it!) haha... I'm already experimenting with coconut oil on my face, tho, and FEELING the supple difference!It's a very thorough read for anyone sincerely searching for a natural solution to their skin problems. There's no way that it could be harmful, only helpful.Love the theory that everything you put on your skin is 'food for your skin'! So if you can't imagine eating it, you shouldn't be putting it on your skin! :-O ^_^I really like the profiles of the different doshas and I love that it explains the common temperaments, etc. It really is about learning to de-stress in order to de-wrinkle! I really really could go on forever about how much I love this book :)It's just been the answers to so many questions I had been searching for in terms of clearing my face and also gives me such great incentive to work towards clearing my worrying thoughts whenever they do creep up ^_^Not only for the sake of facial beauty but for entire body and mind health!Oh, I would love to be this woman's apprentice. She has obviously really done her research and there is a LOT of amazing facts from modern studies there to back up all the ancient wisdoms.

This book is packed with information about Ayurveda and selfcare!! 1000% recommend!

This book is not for the faint of heart. It is very comprehensive, large, and a bit intimidating, but I highly recommend reading the whole thing. It is well worth it. Yes, there are recipes for skincare based on your dosha type, but Mrs. Raichur's solution is not just about what you put on your face, it is also about what you eat, exercise, and how you live your life. While I do not think you have to adopt an Ayurvedic lifestyle to see results, just be aware that you may not see the results you ultimately desire if you only use the skincare recipes and are not open to making other changes as well.Pros:- Very comprehensive overview of Ayurvedic principles and background.- Simple recipes for skincare. I was able to order what I needed from Amazon and Mountain Rose Herbs online as I live in a place that doesn't have a great selection of anything. If you live in a bigger city or near a Whole Foods type store, you can probably find everything there.- I especially appreciated that there is one basic regimen for each dosha (yes, she does include extra treatments for specific problems). I never buy other natural skincare books because I don't want to have to jump between 20 recipes to find one that works for my skin. Mrs. Raichur made this super simple.- The recipes work! I am a Pitta and have ALWAYS had difficulty in finding products that work for my skin. I have been using the nourishing oil for a week and the cleanser for two days, and just made the moisturizer today. My friend asked me this morning what I had done because my skin looked gorgeous and glowing. I had not told her that I had changed my skincare routine, so I was really happy that the change in my skin wasn't just wishful thinking on my part. I was a bit hesitant to use the nourishing oil since I have super oily skin, but my skin has actually been less oily and less red. I haven't had any breakouts and my makeup is going on beautifully. I love the smell of the rose and sandalwood oils and have overall been very pleased with the recipes. As a side note, I feel awful for the poor reviewer with Pitta skin who said she had terrible results. I'm not sure what happened with her, but I know that it is working for me. So, please don't hesitate to just give it a try. Again, read the book first and make sure that the ingredients you purchase are organic and for cosmetic purposes. I knew what my dosha was prior to reading the book, but read through things anyway and am glad I did. For anyone who has used Lush products, the Pitta cleanser actually reminds me of Angels on Bare Skin, but much, much gentler. If you don't use anything else, try this. Angels on Bare Skin always dried me out too much, but the Pitta Cleanser is divine. I have been using Philosophy's Purity Made Simple which I do love, but the Pitta Cleanser has been just as good and leaves my skin soft and moisturized.- Recipes are easy to make. Although the cleanser can just be stirred together, I put everything in my blender and love the consistency of it as I prefer a fine powder and wanted to ensure that everything was evenly mixed.- I found the products relatively inexpensive to make. Yes, there is an initial investment, but I already spend quite a pretty chunk of money on my Philosophy skincare, so I felt that spending less overall for stuff without potentially harmful chemicals was well worth it. Sorry Philosophy.Cons:- I am used to having a moisturizing cream that is, well, a cream. After making the cream this morning, I had to put it in a glass salad dressing container I have rather than the pretty cobalt blue jar I had ordered for it because it will have to be shaken and poured when I want to use it. I am a little annoyed, but can get over it if my skin continues to glow like it is.- The body cleanser recipe is nice, but I'm not a huge fan of the smell of chickpea flour. However, that is easy to get over. Another reviewer said it clogged her drain. ??? I'm not really sure how since mine was a very fine powder and I mixed a bit at a time to get a fine paste to rub all over. When I rinsed off, there was no sediment on the floor of my shower and it easily went down the drain without difficulty. I actually liked that I didn't have any residue in my tub like I normally do with soap.- It would be nice if the book were organized into sections for each dosha and then recipes. As it is, it is all arranged together more or less. It is nice while reading, but when it comes to making things, it is slightly frustrating to have to weed through the chapters to find what you need for your dosha.Overall, if you have had issues with your skin or are just looking for natural alternatives, I cannot recommend this book enough as a good starting point. It may just be the only natural beauty book you buy. :) I really liked the book and am happy I ordered it.UPDATE: July 2013- The first time I made the moisturizer it did not set and ended up separating and then ended up molding quite quickly. The second time I made it, I followed the instructions precisely (only add one drop of the rose tea at a time. Seriously.) and then used a really small jar to store some of the moisturizer in my bathroom and the rest of it I stored in the refrigerator. This seems to have been the perfect solution. My moisturizer has stayed as a cream and has not molded.My skin is still looking the best it has ever looked and I am definitely going to continue making my facial products. We went on a short vacation and I decided to take some of my face products that I used to use that I still had in travel sizes. After three days, my skin was looking dull and lifeless. Two days after getting home and using my homemade stuff, my skin was glowing again. Yes, making everything is a bit of an inconvenience, but having beautiful skin for the first time in my life is worth an extra ten minutes of my time.On a final note, I have noticed that when using the nourishing oil and the moisturizer, my mineral powder foundation goes on much better and doesn't look powdery but I also don't look oily either. I now love using oils on my skin and have noticed such a difference as I am actually less oily than I used to be. Bottom line, please read and try the basic skincare recipes in this book.

I have had this book since 1998, bought at BookPeople in Austin(great bookstore). I still use much of the recipes today, and do as she suggests and "feed my skin." I did not do every step and recipe in the book, but found so many tools all over the book that I decided to try and ended up incorporating. This book has nothing to do with religion, but is a science book based on centuries of skin, hair, and body care. One of the best tools I learned is finding out which personality trait I am most prevalent, and trying to balance it. Then at the very end the best part is to seek absolute beauty within yourself and spend time on spirituality, of whichever you choose, to give you that shine from within. Really good book that explains things so well, and is so different from Deepak Chopra, which I am emmensely grateful for, as his books do not suit me. Pratima knows her work, and I am in so much gratitude to her for writing this book, so others can gain help and knowlegde.

This is an extensive guide not only to naturally obtaining physical beauty, but also to living a beautiful life. It is thoughtfully written, clearly organized, and delightful to read. It's prescriptions are not extreme; Raichur advocates balance in all things, self-awareness and awareness of your world, and living according to your own personal physical and emotional attributes. The book encompasses advice on beauty (most of the "treatments" she recommends are comprised of things you probably already have in your kitchen), food, and emotional well-being. It's a lovely guide for all aspects of life, and one well worth having.