Ayurvedic Kapha Massage Oil 200 ml

An oil for heavy mornings

The alarm goes off for the third time, and your body still doesn't want to get up. Your skin is oily rather than dry, and all your energy only shows up somewhere around lunchtime. In Ayurveda, this is Kapha, the dosha of earth and water: stable, calm and strong, but in excess heavy, cold and sluggish. Another heavy layer of skincare won't help with heaviness. What helps is warmth, movement and an invigorating aroma.

Kapha Oil is based on light sesame oil infused with herbs of a warm, pungent character: tulsi, ginger and licorice. Mint, eucalyptus and lavender give it a fresh, distinct aroma that works like opening a window in the morning.

Kapha in the Ayurvedic tradition

In Ayurveda, Kapha is believed to be balanced by what is warm, light and pungent, the exact opposite of its nature. That's why abhyanga for Kapha looks different from abhyanga for the other doshas: less oil, vigorous strokes toward the heart, and a massage in the morning rather than in the evening. Tradition often complements it with a dry massage using herbal powders (udvartana).

Tulsi, or holy basil, is such an important plant in India that it grows beside homes and temples. In Ayurveda, it is valued for its warm, cleansing character. Ginger is called vishwabheshaja, the “universal medicine,” and is one of the basic warming herbs.

You can read more about this constitution in the article Kapha dosha: everything you need to know about it, and about choosing an oil in the guide massage oil for the Kapha dosha.

Who it's for

For normal and oily skin that needs a boost, not heavy oiling. For people who find it hard to get up in the morning, who feel sluggish and need a kick-start. It works well in spring, when according to Ayurveda Kapha increases, and on cool, gray mornings. If Kapha is your dominant dosha, this is your everyday oil.

Active ingredients

Sesame oil: the warming base of Ayurvedic oils.

Tulsi (holy basil): one of the most important plants in Ayurveda, with a warm, cleansing character.

Ginger: in Ayurveda, the “universal medicine” and a basic warming herb.

Licorice: softens and balances the more pungent ingredients of the formula.

Mint and eucalyptus: a fresh, invigorating aroma for the morning.

Lavender: a gentle note that rounds out the blend.

Spread a small amount of oil (10 ml, approx. 1 tablespoon) over your whole body, massaging until most of it is absorbed into the skin. You can oil your body every day, before a shower or bath.

Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Powder, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Stem/Root Powder, Zingiber Officinale Rhizome Powder, Mentha Piperita Leaf Powder, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Powder, Terpineol, Pinene, Carvone.