Lepam

What it is

Lepam comes from a Sanskrit word that simply means to smear or to coat. It is a paste. Powdered herbs are mixed with a moist binder until they hold together, and the paste is spread on the skin over the part that needs it.

It is the plainest of the external treatments in Ayurveda, and one of the oldest. Long before there were oils and complicated procedures, there was the idea of grinding a herb, wetting it, and laying it on the body. The classical texts kept that idea and made it precise: which herbs, which binder, how thick, how long, and when in the day.

What it is used for

Ayurveda groups treatments into those taken inside the body and those applied to the surface. Lepam belongs firmly to the second group, the bahir-parimarjana or external measures. The texts reach for it when the concern is local and on or near the surface: a joint, a patch of skin, a swelling, the face.

The thinking is direct. A paste held against the skin keeps the herb in contact with the part far longer than a quick rub would. The skin is warm and moist under the paste, and the tradition holds that this softens the surface and lets the qualities of the herb settle into the tissue beneath.

How it is made

A lepam has two parts: the herb powder and the binder that turns it into a paste. The choice of binder is not an afterthought, because the binder carries its own qualities into the mix.

For dryness and the cold, restless quality the texts call Vata, a warming, oily binder is chosen, often sesame oil. For heat and the sharp quality called Pitta, a cooling binder is used, such as ghee, milk or buttermilk. Honey is added where a little binding and a gentle action are wanted. Plain water or a herb decoction makes the lightest paste of all, suited to the heavy, damp quality called Kapha.

The powder must be ground fine, so the paste spreads smooth and does not scratch. It is laid on in an even layer, about the thickness of a wet leaf, and worked gently over the area. The classical writers are careful about the rest of it too: a lepam is applied in the cooler part of the day, left for a set time rather than forgotten, and washed off with warm water before it dries hard and cracks. After it is removed the skin is patted dry, and an oil may be applied if the treatment calls for it.

Good to know

A lepam is a local treatment. It is matched to the part and to the person, which is why the texts give so many recipes rather than one. The same herb in oil, in ghee or in buttermilk becomes three different pastes for three different situations.

This entry describes the classical Ayurvedic understanding of the practice. It is not medical advice, and anyone with a health condition should speak to a qualified practitioner.

Frequently asked

How is lepam different from an oil massage? A massage with oil, abhyanga, is movement: the oil is worked over the body and the action comes partly from the rubbing. A lepam is still. The paste is laid on and left in place, so the action comes from long, quiet contact rather than from movement.

Why does the binder matter so much? Because the binder has qualities of its own. Sesame oil warms, ghee and milk cool, water lightens. The tradition picks the binder to suit the person and the season, so that the whole paste, not just the herb, pulls in the right direction.

Is a lepam left on overnight? Usually not. The texts have it washed off before it dries and cracks, which for most pastes means a set time of minutes to a couple of hours, not a whole night. A paste left to harden on the skin is considered to have done its work and to be past its use.