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Tri-Dosha
Who are Tri-dosha and what do they do?
Ayurveda literally translates to "The Science of Life" (Ayur = Life. Veda = Knowledge). Tri-Dosha was founded by its creative director, Sunita Passi, in 2005 to teach the Tri-Dosha system of ayurveda. Sunita began developing the range of products in 2007. Inspired by her love for India and all ancient teachings, she first experienced the power of ayurvedic herbs in her grandfather's clinic when she was just seven years old. Sunita continues to study with ayurvedic masters in India, and she has taught ayurveda in the U.K, Ireland, Malta and the Caribbean.
They Say:
"We are an energetic and fresh-thinking brand eager to inspire a naturally healthier way of living through our skin care, spa treatments and Ayurvedic training… with the authenticity of Ayurvedic wisdom at our core, we care deeply about the wellbeing of all our customers, connecting conscience in everything we do."
We say:
"Plainly packaged in basic brown with full ingredient disclosure, the Tri-Dosha range aims to create a bespoke skincare routine for all types. A skincare analysis questionnaire is used to determine if your skin type is mostly vata, pitta or kapha. Great for people who want to go organic and cut out chemicals and artificial preservatives from their skincare."
Tri-Dosha Products - What have we tried?
Kapha face cream 60ml, RRP £35
Single Spy:
A face cream suited to your dosha? What's that then? Your "dosha" is your unique mix of vata, pitta and kapha energies, the basis of the ayurvedic approach to health. A person's dosha determines the sorts of food they should eat, the exercise they should do, and, of course, what creams they should apply to their skin.
At the Tri-Dosha website, you can fill in a consultation form to find out your ayurvedic skin type. Thus I was prescribed the kapha "balancing cream". The product packaging is quite downbeat: a brown glass jar with a brown label. Once you open the brown lid, however, the scent of the light, white cream is instantly uplifting.
I found the cream easy to use, good for moisturising when travelling, and instantly absorbed - my skin drank it in instantly and called for more. The Kapha face cream is a little on the pricy side, but the product left my skin feeling "balanced", as promised. I also like this cream because it contains, among other things, Pippli extract, from an aromatic shrub also called the Indian long pepper. Applying Pippli extract in the mornings always makes me smile.
Verdict: An uplifting, versatile cream designed to love your skin for a fair price.
Kapha face cream 60ml, RRP £35
Salubrious Spy:
Before trialling the Tri-Dosha kapha face cream, I completed a short questionnaire to try to ascertain my dosha. The answers I gave suggested I try kapha face cream for combination skin. This sounded about right as my skin is prone to dry areas, especially in a cold/centrally heated winter, but oilier areas are prone to clogging with heavier products.
First impressions were good. Simple, non-blingy packaging in keeping with its ayurvedic positioning. The cream comes in a glass screw-topped brown jar with an apothecary-esque feel. On opening the jar, I was greeted with a pleasant, light citrusy scent. The white cream was smooth, light and quickly absorbed by my skin, leaving my face feeling soft with a matt sheen: perfect for my combination skin. I was impressed.
The cream promises to restore balance and reduce shine – apparently due to the magic of mulathi and pippli. My skin certainly seemed less shiny when using this product and also less congested than usual The fresh scent made it a pleasure to use and it was relatively affordable at £35 so I would certainly consider buying another jar once I've finished this one.
Verdict: Good light moisturiser, pleasantly non-greasy.
Pitta face cream 60ml, RRP £35,
Sassy Spy:
After filling in the questionnaire, I was diagnosed as a predominantly "pitta" skin type. Pitta skin tends to be sensitive, oily, red, inflamed, or have a severe hormonal imbalance. I have what I'd class as normal-combination skin with hormonal break-outs.
The thick white cream was much lighter than I expected. I couldn't smell anything when I opened the pot and it wasn't until I applied the cream that a delicate hint of lemongrass and mint came through. Then I could smell sandalwood and a tiny hint of something floral; the different levels of fragrance just kept on coming. What a feast for the nose!
I started to use this face-cream in winter time when my nose was quite red raw from a cold, and winter sensitive. I was fearful that the cream would sting on application but it didn't. It did exactly as it said and soothed and calmed my irritated skin within a couple of days. I am happily continuing to use this product and am a firm believer in its wonderful qualities. I will definitely buy this again.
Verdict: Really impressed. Instant calm for red skin.
Vata face cream 60ml, RRP £35
Sedate Spy:
After filling in a questionnaire to assess my skin type, I got a vata face cream for dry and/or mature skin (both of which true). The cream claims to be "a deeply intensive moisturiser which is quickly absorbed". However, I found that the cream was thick and sticky. Despite massaging it into my skin in small circles as indicated on the pot, it felt as though an extra layer had been left on my face which wasn't a very pleasant experience. Also somewhat disappointingly, despite the addition of the ayurvedic herb ajwain to help regenerate the skin's structure, and gokru for moisturisation, my skin stayed stubbornly pretty much as before.
The silver lining for the cream is the scent, which is very pleasing. Its list of entirely natural ingredients is also very impressive. I would recommend asking for a sample of this cream to try before you commit to buying it.
Verdict: Not keen.
Replenishing lotion 250ml, RRP: £16.00
Salubrious Spy:
The Tri-Dosha replenishing lotion comes in a brown plastic bottle and has a slightly 70s feel. The white cream is quite thick and has a rather unusual scent which wasn't exactly unpleasant, but wasn't entirely pleasant either.
It was quite hard to get the cream out of the bottle. I had to bash it a few times ketchup-style before getting a result. Unlike its fresh-scented face-cream cousin, this body lotion smelled a little worthy. It also took a fair amount of rubbing in before it was absorbed into my skin, making me look as though I was about to attempt a cross-channel swim during the interim.
The cream was quite heavy duty and left my skin feeling quite greasy and slightly sticky. It felt more of a barrier cream than a lotion. I liked the fact that the lotion is free from artificial fragrance, petrochemicals, parabens and SLS, but this product seemed more akin to the old-school natural beauty products than new-age ones. Plus, the plastic gave the lotion a more down-market and unnatural feel than the glass jar of some of the other products in the range. I won't be buying this product.
Verdict: Disappointing. Too thick, and unpleasant smell.
Danwantari Oil 100ml, RRP £22
Sassy Spy:
On opening the brown glass bottle, I was struck by the herbal waft from this oil, followed very closely by camphor, clove, then orange and ginger. I also detected cinnamon. The smell is Christmas-y and not something that I would necessarily want to use year round, as it can get a bit sickly.
The side of the bottle states that "Danwantari" is known as the God of Ayurveda, in Indian mythology, and that this oil heals all body types and nourishes the soul. Can this godly oil really possess these amazing powers?
The oil is absorbed quickly but with another dash it can become too much and takes much longer to soak up. As a massage oil, that's fair enough, but if you're using it as a body oil, be advised to not go too crazy with it.
I was shocked by the massive list of ingredients on the label! However, I do like the ethos of the Tri-Dosha brand. This oil left my skin conditioned, smooth, and scented, but I'm still waiting for a sign to see if my soul has been nourished.
Verdict: Possibly for seasonal use only!
Balancing face scrub 60ml, RRP £22
Sedate Spy:
Although I found the face cream a little disappointing I'm pleased to report that I found the scrub much better. It promises, with its range of 43 ayurvedic herbs, to "visibly refresh dull, tired looking skin to deliver instant and long term skin radiance, and additionally to reduce skin toxins and cleanse the skin of impurities". All of which sounds very impressive.
The scrub is creamy with a light, fresh scent which gently exfoliated even my quite sensitive skin (battered from the weather, central heating and the over-indulgence of comfort foods!). The scrub certainly did cleanse my skin and remove the impurities that had gathered around my t-zone, too.
Finally, my face was left feeling smooth and not at all raw. My personal experience is that the claims to radiance may be a little strong ( having tried a lot of scrubs, I have been left looking more radiant), but I am being picky. This is a lovely everyday (well, twice a week!) scrub that is suitable for all skin types and that uses all natural ingredients which is certainly something to shout about.
Verdict: Loved it.
Neem and Sariva face mask 60ml, RRP £22
Sustainable Spy:
Any product which promises to "…help improve skin firmness and sweep away impurities" has my attention. I also love that Tr-Dosha use certified organic ingredients wherever possible and the whole range is free from artificial fragrances, petroleum/mineral oils, alcohol, cosmetic agents, SLS, and parabens.
The grey-white and rather gloopy cream was incredibly easy to apply, felt calm and soothing and didn't dry to cracking point. I first tried the cream as a pre-bedtime treat but realised, as I lay in bed, that I could actually feel my skin tightening up. Too good to waste on my pillow!
According to the incredibly-hard-to read-tiny instructions, my sensitive skin meant I had to wait a week to try again. The day dawned and yes - the cream definitely delivered on its promises. My skin felt smooth and "toned to the touch". Admittedly, no one else noticed but I felt great.
Verdict: The perfect pre-party brightener.
Palmarosa and Grapefruit Cleanser 200ml, RRP £20
Smiley Spy:
I’ve never favoured cream cleansers, finding that they never manage to make a noticeable difference to my skin. But this cleanser was brilliant!
I loved the scent; zesty and sweet. It felt like I was using something really special. I couldn't stop taking a sniff when in the bathroom. It is a strong smell but not overpowering.
The cleanser has a really nice consistency. It is thick, creamy and slightly sticky (in a good way) and you don't need to use a lot. I used it with a muslin cloth for a little exfoliation. The cleanser clung to my skin in a satisfying way and it felt like the ingredients were doing something positive.
The moisturising palmarosa soothed the irritated areas of my skin, and the grapefruit and lemon really perked my skin up. My previously dull complexion was a lot brighter and my skin felt clean, fresh and moisturised after every wash; an effect I have been searching for and so far never found!
Other cleansers have not been able to match this one since using it and it has converted me to using more natural products.
Verdict: I'm a believer!
Where can I try Tri-Dosha products?
Where can I buy Tri-Dosha products?
See also:
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