That summons the power of Ayurveda...

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Whenever I’m in need of help, with anything, I tend to do 2 things:

1) actually ask for help (a lesson that took me a long time to learn)
2) wave my arm in front of me as though I were in possession of an all-knowing magic wand

My skin doesn’t raise a white flag of surrender very often, but a routine that finds me at home in front of a computer more often than not had left it looking a bit lackluster. So I decided to employ my #1 and ask for help.

Michelle Ranavat, founder of Ranavat Botanics, was quick to come to my rescue… and with a REAL LIFE magic wand, to boot. What were the chances??

But, before we delve much deeper into this newfound gift, let’s talk a bit about Ayurveda, the “science of life” on which the benefits of the Kansa Wand are based.

Ayurveda is a 5,000 year-old Indian healing modality, rooted in the practice of establishing and maintaining balance. In Ayurveda, we can be any combination of 3 different energy types, or doshas:

• Vata, the energy of movement
• Pitta, the energy of metabolism
• Kapha, the energy of structure

Basically, Ayurveda helps us to determine how much vata, pitta and kapha we have in our bodies, and then goes a step further to actually show us how to create equilibrium in and between them -- through diet, stress management and mindfulness. (You can find many online tests to learn your dosha levels -- I took this one.)

Ayurvedic practices are more common than you might think: yoga, meditation, dry brushing, body massage, certain herbal supplements. But what about Ayurveda in skin care?

That’s where Ranavat comes in. A recipient of 2 engineering degrees, Michelle welcomed the influence of Ayurveda in creating her botanical formulations, a modern twist on classic ingredients like saffron, manjistha, ashwagandha, and gotu kola. Same goes for the Kansa Wand itself.

Kansa, which is the copper and/or tin metal used on her teak-handled wand, was originally used to make drinking vessels and plates that would balance the acidity of food and water placed in or on them, and it’s from this that the concept of “alkaline water” originated. Ranavat reimagined this metal as part of a facial massaging tool, utilizing the metal’s inherent benefits to balance pH levels in the skin by increasing lymph flow, which works out subcutaneous toxins that ultimately encourage dosha imbalance.

The rules of the Kansa Wand are simple -- use it as often as you like. Michelle advised me to start with clean, dry skin, and try to dedicate 10-15 minutes to each session in order to achieve optimal results. The wand also works best when paired with an oil base so as to avoid dragging it too hard against the skin.

I can vouch for my first date with the Kansa, third-wheeled by Ranavat’s Radiant Rani facial serum (made with brightening saffron) -- my skin felt softer, tighter, and looked more alive than what I was sporting fresh off a week’s vacation. And all I needed to do afterward was wipe my skin with a clean cloth (simplicity is always a big plus in my world), though you can also wash as you normally would and continue on with your personal skincare routine.

Pro Tip: In some cases, you may find that the serum takes on a light to dark grayish cast as you massage it into your skin. Do not panic! This is a result of both your serum oxidizing with the Kansa and possibly detoxifying your skin, which easily comes off post-ritual.

The wand is easy to hold and maneuver, and created a sort of meditative escape for me as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, massaging and watching Ranavat truly work its magic.

Can Ranavat please make a wand for everything?

Lead image by Mandy Madd and Heather Gildroy, with thanks to Michelle Ranavat.