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Rating: 
Summary: Aaaaaaah
Review: Absolute Beauty is an absolutely beautiful read the first time through, and it continues to be one of the most frequently used books on my reference shelf. It's so wonderful to be able to skip all of the hype associated with women's cosmetics, secure in the knowledge that everything I need to care for myself is in my kitchen. I have saved untold time and money since implementing the self care recommendations of this book -- and my skin has never ever looked better. I credit Pratima Raichur with putting the sparkle back in my eyes!
Rating:
Summary: I love this book!
Review: Absolute Beauty is an absolutely beautiful read the first time through, and it continues to be one of the most frequently used books on my reference shelf. It's so wonderful to be able to skip all of the hype associated with women's cosmetics, secure in the knowledge that everything I need to care for myself is in my kitchen. I have saved untold time and money since implementing the self care recommendations of this book -- and my skin has never ever looked better. I credit Pratima Raichur with putting the sparkle back in my eyes!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely amazing book & philosophy
Review: I highly recommend this book! It's like an encyclopedia for the skin, health and lifestyle. Pratima goes where no one else has before and provides us with valuable ancient knowledge. She is more knowledgeable on the skin than any dermatologist I've been to. This book is much more than just a "how to make your own product" book. It's learning about your constitution, what to eat according to your 'dosha', what products and herbs are more beneficial for you, nutritional therapy, what exercise and lifestyle you should lead, foods for your skin type, how to remove stress, how to do your own facial and body exercise, how to reduce toxins in your body, daily & seasonal routines, what makeup is appropriate, aromatherapy, making your own scents & mood oils, breathing therapy & more. I had severe acne & eczema and after trying dr.'s for many years with no success, I had the fortunate experience of seeing Pratima at her spa clinic in NY and within a month my entire skin began to clear and my overall health & energy improved as well. Pratima herself is an example of what she teaches, she looks amazing & radiant! and all her products are completely natural (not sure what one of the reviewers in this website was talking about when she says that Pratima is a hypocrite & her products were full of chemicals - she must've been confusing them with another line, because it is so not true). I hope more people benefit from this book & Dr. Pratima.
Rating:
Summary: A Bible for alternative Skin Care
Review: I love this book. I could not stop reading! It is so interesting and fascinating! I love Ayurveda and I have read many books on the subject, and I find this one is a must for people who want to take another look at this Science of Life. It is very complete and Pratima provides you with alternatives to comertial skin products. And they work! She has her own company but I do not feel she is trying to sell you her products; quite the oposite, because she shows you how to make your own ones at home!They may seem hard to find at the beginning, but once you have them, they last for a long time. The essential oils are expensive, but you only use a small amount so you do not really finish them inmediately. It is a lot of fun to do your own skin products!
And it is not only about skin from the outside, but also from the inside. She shows you how to change your life style to improve your skin and your body...And your life. A complete guide to massage, color theraphy, yoga poses and exercise, cooking...Wonderful book!!
Rating: 
Summary: not for me
Review: I naturopath recommended Ayurveda as we looked for a way to heal my acne. I liked making my own products and getting out of the gloss-advertisement world of the beauty industry. But my copy eventually ended up in a used bookstore.1)It's expensive to start. One bottle of rose essential oil is $... and many mixes call for more than one kind of oil. If the directions in the book work for you, then you're set, since a little goes a long way.
2)Like many others, I had to run all around town to find ingredients.
3)I learned I like skin products with preservatives. Too often I would open my facial cleanser (which had lemon zest in it) to find it moldy and stinky, even though I made small batches and tried leaving it in a cool place or the fridge.
4)The products were really no better or worse than anything else I used. It finally took Accutane to clear my skin. The silver lining: in the past, if I bought a beauty product that didn't work for me, I gave it to someone else, used it anyway, or threw it out. This time I could the avocado oil to cook with, eat the barley cereal, scent my house with the oils, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: Pratima is a HYPOCRITE!
Review: I read her book and she stresses that you shouldn't put anything on your skin that you can't eat. In her book she gives her own 100% natural recipes for a natural body care routine. So I looked at her ingredients on her own product line and surprise, surprise... Her products are chock full of multi-syllabic chemicals that I can't pronounce. I was SHOCKED! It was hard to take her seriously after seeing these glaring contradictions.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Comprehensive
Review: I really like Ms. Raichur's detailed and thorough approach to Ayurvedic philosophy. I've been very pleased with the results of the homemade products. I have been using the sensitive skin recipes, and have been getting a lot of compliments on my glowing skin. Plus, I used the concoctions while I was pregnant with very good results. I highly recommend this book. I also like being liberated from buying expensive skin care products and their wasteful packaging. I should also note that while she does mention her own line, everything in the book can be made very easily at home. I probably will try purchasing the liposomes that the Bindi line offers, though...I was puzzled that one reviewer noted that she couldn't find amber colored eyedropper bottles, and the basic ingredients for the potions--many are straight from the food store (like orange peel, bananas, milk powder, almond powder--or you just buy almonds and grind them up in a coffee grinder) or the health food store (essential oils, bottles). Some of the ingredients are from Indian grocery stores (like chickpea or lentil flours). You can always order stuff off the web if you don't live near a good health food or Indian grocery store. I should note that I did not care for the body cleanser (milk powder & chick pea flour) because it clogged up my tub drain...otherwise everything else has worked beautifully.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Comprehensive
Review: I really like Ms. Raichur's detailed and thorough approach to Ayurvedic philosophy. I've been very pleased with the results of the homemade products. I have been using the sensitive skin recipes, and have been getting a lot of compliments on my glowing skin. Plus, I used the concoctions while I was pregnant with very good results. I highly recommend this book. I also like being liberated from buying expensive skin care products and their wasteful packaging. I should also note that while she does mention her own line, everything in the book can be made very easily at home. I probably will try purchasing the liposomes that the Bindi line offers, though...I was puzzled that one reviewer noted that she couldn't find amber colored eyedropper bottles, and the basic ingredients for the potions--many are straight from the food store (like orange peel, bananas, milk powder, almond powder--or you just buy almonds and grind them up in a coffee grinder) or the health food store (essential oils, bottles). Some of the ingredients are from Indian grocery stores (like chickpea or lentil flours). You can always order stuff off the web if you don't live near a good health food or Indian grocery store. I should note that I did not care for the body cleanser (milk powder & chick pea flour) because it clogged up my tub drain...otherwise everything else has worked beautifully.
Rating:
Summary: Pratima is a HYPOCRITE!
Review: I was very interested in ayurveda and how it can make your skin look and feel better. After reading many reviews and researching the topic a bit, i decided to buy this book. And was very dissapointed. The information in the book itself is very good and useful but the style in which the book is written is horrible. Getting through the first chapter alone was impossible. In fact I only read 2 complete chapters of the book. After that i skimed the book... it was the only way i could stay awake. Also the book seems to advertise the author's products. That is not the job of a book. All in all i would never recommend this book to anyone ... i considered it a complete waste of money. Lets face it if u can get a book with the same information plus a better and more interesting writing style, why not get it? Why stick to this book? my advice: move on, look at the other books.
Rating: 
Summary: very comprehensive
Review: This book is more than advice on skin care. It is a comprehensive guide to Ayurvedic living The author covers everything from nutrition to exercise and body care, explains why the body gets out of balance, how each of the three doshas reacts differently, and how we can regain health. She includes special elimination therapies, fasts, and breathing techniques, and helps you discover your skin type through a variety of quizzes.
The major part, of course, deals with body care and has simple recipes for homemade shampoos, conditioners, cleansers, baths and much more. In fact, so much more that I recommend you give up your job and hire two servants if you intend to follow her daily beauty regimen. Raichur recommends morning exercise (45 minutes), body self-massage (20 minutes), scalp massage (5 minutes), facial care (up to 15 minutes), saunas (or home alternatives, which she describes), nasal rinses, meditation, yoga, and, well, you name it. Although not all procedures need to be done every day, just following her basic daily routine takes more time than most mothers have.
Like other Ayurvedic specialists, she does not explain how people with two dosha imbalances should handle the diet recommendations. She does, however, bring good lists with dietary suggestions for each skin type, and these lists include herbs, food, and cosmetics. (According to the author's principle: "If you can't eat it, don't rub it on.")
Raichur also has her own cosmetics line which is available on the Web. When I discovered that some cosmetics listed the ingredients while others did not, I took out her book again. I was not surprised to see that she includes ingredients in her own cosmetic products that she brands as possible carcinogens or allergens in her book. Again, theory differs from reality.
But in general, her book is a thorough introduction to Ayurveda with lots of advice for healthy living and natural home-made cosmetics.
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