Ayurvedic skin care is derived from medicinal practices that began over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda practices the belief that there are three basic principles (or humors) born out of five basic elements that exist in nature. These principles are known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These principles are believed to work together in harmony to make up the entire body. For each dosha (or physical type), symptoms tend to appear in groups, because the body-mind responds to imbalance as a whole: