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Why oil is treated as "medicine" in Ayurveda

アーユルヴェーダでオイルが「薬」として扱われる理由

journal — oil as medicine

Oil Was "Medicine"

In Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medical system, oil has long been used as medicine. Ayurvedic classics contain the following description:

Oil heals a thousand diseases. — ayurvedic classics

But why can oil be medicine?


Oil as a "Vehicle to Deliver Medicine"

Just as Western medicine delivers drugs internally by ingestion, Ayurveda uses oil to penetrate through the skin and work on the body's interior.

The key to this mechanism is sesame oil (in Japan, taibaku sesame oil). In Ayurveda, sesame oil is considered the only oil that reaches the deepest layers of the body and begins detoxification within 30 minutes of application. While other oils primarily act on the surface of the skin, sesame oil possesses a unique penetrating power.

This is why Ayurveda developed the method of "infusion oil," where medicinal herbs are slowly extracted into oil. The idea is to dissolve the active ingredients of herbs into oil and then allow that oil to penetrate through the skin, delivering the medicinal effects deep within the body.

This is also why there's a saying in Ayurveda: "What you apply should be chosen with the same standards as what you eat."

アーユルヴェーダのオイル

A Decisive Difference from Traditional Chinese Medicine

Even though both are traditional medicines, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have very different approaches.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Decoction / Internal

The main approach is decoctions. By drinking medicines brewed from plants and minerals, it directly acts on the body internally.

Ayurveda

Oil / External

The main approach is oil. It focuses on external application, delivering medicinal ingredients through the skin.

(Ayurveda also uses decoctions, but often in combination with oils.) Maximizing the use of the skin as an "absorbing organ" — this is Ayurveda's uniqueness and wisdom accumulated over 5,000 years.

The Reason for Taking "Time" with Oil

Ayurvedic treatment first involves applying oil to the entire body and patiently waiting for it to penetrate deep within. Afterward, heat is applied through a steam sauna or similar means to promote sweating, and waste products are expelled from the body in this detoxified state — this is the basic flow of Ayurvedic treatment.

Why this order?

Because the depth of oil penetration directly correlates with its medicinal effects. If it remains on the surface, the medicinal components of the herbs won't reach the necessary layers of the body. Only when the oil has reached deep within does it become meaningful to extract waste products with heat and sweating. While even a short time can be effective, the longer the time, the deeper the action — this is the basic way oil is used in Ayurveda.

Don't rush.
Make time itself a part of the care.

Modern cosmetics prioritize "immediate effects." However, the answer Ayurveda arrived at over 5,000 years was to not rush, and to make time itself a part of the care. This tradition is still being passed down in Ayurvedic practices in India, Sri Lanka, and other regions.