A Literary & Pharmacological Review of Vatapatradi Lepa

Abstract

Lepa are the topical medicament meant for external application. Various references of Lepa are mentioned in text as per their disease condition and their Dosha predominance. The facial skin is most sensitive and is prone to conditions such as acne, pigmentation, dryness, tanning etc. Though Ayurveda puts them in category of ‘Kshudra’  i.e., minor diseases, they can bring about large psychosocial turmoil in one’s life. In Sharangadhara Samhita, many Lepa for enhancing beauty as well as curing facial skin ailments have been described. In this review, such a Lepa with promising potential, viz., Vatapatradi Lepa has been studied. It has been mentioned for treatment of Mukhadushika (acne), Vyanga (melasma) in Sharanghadhara Samhita. The reference from Sharangadhara Samhita was considered for this literary review. All the contents derived from the reference were studied thoroughly. Their information, properties and usage were studied from major texts of Ayurveda. The review of their pharmacological properties and research works was done from  published  literature  in  journals  available  online.  This  literary  review  provides  a  basic framework for future pre-clinical and clinical studies.