Almost every Indian household has used a lepa without calling it that. Turmeric paste on a cut, sandalwood on a heat rash, neem leaves ground for an itch. Lepanam is the clinical version of that instinct: a herbal paste ground fresh for a specific skin condition, applied in a specific way, and removed at a specific moment. Sushruta places it first among the treatments for inflammatory swelling, and it remains one of the most widely used external therapies in Ayurvedic dermatology. At Chithrakoota Ayurveda in Kundapura, Udupi district, Lepanam is prepared largely from herbs grown in the centre's own garden and is used within skin programmes rather than as a stand-alone beauty treatment.

What Is Lepanam Therapy?

Lepanam (also written Lepana or Lepa) comes from the Sanskrit root for smearing or anointing. Fresh herbs, dried powders, or a mix of both are ground with a liquid chosen for the condition: water, a herbal decoction, rose water, buttermilk, honey or ghee. The paste is spread over the affected skin, left for a defined period, and washed off.

Sushruta's chapter on external applications (Sushruta Samhita, Sutrasthana 18) describes three forms, and choosing between them is the first clinical decision.

The same family of treatment appears elsewhere under other names. Mukhalepa is Lepanam on the face, used in our Ayurvedic facial and skin beautification therapy. Shiro Lepa is a paste on the scalp. Warm pastes for painful joints are also a form of Lepa. This article covers its use in skin disease.

Which Skin Conditions Is Lepanam Used For?

Lepanam is used for many common skin complaints, with the herb base changed to suit each one. These are far from cosmetic issues: in 2010, fungal skin infections and acne were among the ten most prevalent diseases worldwide (Hay et al., Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2014), and both are conditions where Lepanam is routinely used.

How Is a Lepanam Session Done?

1. Assessment. The physician examines the lesion, decides whether it is wet or dry, hot or cold, and chooses the form and formula. A small test patch is applied first if you have reacted to plants or cosmetics before.
2. Preparation. The herbs are ground fresh, on the day, to a smooth paste. A paste ground the previous day has lost much of what the texts value it for.
3. Cleansing. The skin is cleaned with lukewarm water or a herbal decoction and gently dried.
4. Application. The paste is spread against the direction of hair growth. Sushruta's reasoning is that this lets the medicine enter through the hair follicles and sweat pores. Thickness follows the classical guide of roughly that of a moist buffalo hide, a few millimetres.
5. Resting time. You rest while the paste works, usually somewhere between twenty minutes and an hour depending on the formula and the skin. It is removed as soon as it begins to dry.
6. Removal and aftercare. The paste is softened and washed off with lukewarm water or decoction. No soap, no scrubbing, and no direct sun on the treated skin for the rest of the day.

Courses usually run daily for one to three weeks, alongside the rest of the treatment programme.

Why Is the Paste Removed Before It Dries?

This is the rule most often broken at home, and it is the one that most often causes trouble. Sushruta is clear that a lepa should not be left on once it dries, because a dry paste loses its effect and irritates the skin. In practical terms a drying paste shrinks as it loses water and pulls at the skin, which is exactly what inflamed, fragile skin does not need. On eczema and psoriasis this can create micro-cracks that sting and invite infection.

The other classical rules follow similar logic. A fresh layer is never spread over an old one, since the old layer blocks the new medicine. Pastes are generally not left on overnight. And the same paste is not used for every person or every stage of disease, because cooling herbs that soothe burning skin will aggravate cold, dry, cracked skin.

Does Lepanam Work on Its Own?

Sometimes, for a mild or short-lived problem. For eczema at least, the one controlled trial we know of and the classical teaching agree that it works better as part of a wider plan. In the 2018 eczema trial at the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, 60 patients completed four weeks of treatment: half received a leaf paste of Aragvadha alone, and half received the same paste plus a daily mild herbal purgative. The combined group did better on itching, discharge, burning, eruptions, discoloration, pain and oedema (Talekar, Mandal and Sharma, Ayu, 2018).

That matches what we see in practice: Lepanam calms the lesion, while internal treatment works on why new inflammation keeps appearing. Our guides to Ayurvedic treatment for psoriasis and Ayurvedic treatment for eczema and dermatitis show how the two halves fit together.

Who Should Be Careful With Lepanam?

• Anyone with a history of reacting to plants, herbal cosmetics or hair dye. Plants are a real cause of contact dermatitis, so a test patch comes first.
• Weeping, oozing eczema. A paste can trap moisture; drying washes are usually used first.
• Infected skin with pus, spreading redness or fever. That needs medical treatment before any external therapy.
• Skin close to the eyes, unless the formula is specifically made for it.
• Home remedies with lemon juice, slaked lime (chuna, the paste eaten with betel leaf), raw garlic or strong spices on broken or inflamed skin. These can cause chemical burns.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding, infants and young children, and large areas of broken skin. Some formulas contain ingredients, such as camphor, that are unsuitable here.
• Any reaction with swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, wheezing, faintness or difficulty breathing. That is an emergency: go to hospital immediately.

Lepanam Therapy at Chithrakoota

Chithrakoota Ayurveda began in 2010 as a single-room clinic in Chittoor village, Kundapura taluk, Udupi district, and now runs as a hospital, a pharmacy and a residential wellness centre together. It is led by Dr. Rajesh Bayari (BAMS, ALN Rao Memorial Ayurvedic Medical College, Koppa) and Dr. Anulekha Bayari (BAMS, SDM College of Ayurveda, Udupi).

The practical advantage here is freshness. Many of the herbs used in Lepanam grow in the centre's garden of over 150 medicinal plants and are ground on the day of use, and the formulas are adjusted as the skin changes during a programme. Lepanam is usually prescribed within a residential skin programme, though short external courses can be arranged as daily visits for people nearby. See all procedures on our treatments page, or read more about the centre.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do Lepanam at home?

For minor problems, simple well-known pastes have been used at home for generations. For a diagnosed skin disease, get the formula and the method from a physician first, because the wrong paste, or the right paste left on too long, can make inflamed skin worse.

Will turmeric-based pastes stain my skin?

Turmeric can leave a faint yellow tint, more visible on fair skin, that usually fades within a day or two. It does not cause lasting discoloration, though turmeric can occasionally cause an allergic rash.

How many sessions will I need?

Most courses are daily for one to three weeks. Acute rashes may need only a few days; chronic eczema and psoriasis plaques need the full course alongside internal treatment.

Does Lepanam hurt or sting?

It should feel cool, neutral or mildly warm, depending on the formula. Burning or increasing itch is a sign to remove the paste and tell the therapist, since it may mean a reaction.

Where in Karnataka is Chithrakoota located?

In Aloor, Kundapura taluk, Udupi district, Karnataka, PIN 576233. It is reachable from Mangaluru, Udupi, Shivamogga and Bengaluru. Directions and timings are on the contact page.

An Old Method That Still Needs the Rules

Lepanam looks simple, and in a sense it is. What makes it work is everything around the paste: the right formula for the stage of the disease, the right thickness and timing, and internal treatment running alongside it. Done that way, it remains one of the gentlest and most useful tools in Ayurvedic skin care. For more on related treatments, read our guide to Panchakarma rejuvenation therapy.

Please note: this article is for general information about Lepanam therapy and is not a diagnosis or a prescription. Herbal pastes can cause allergic and irritant reactions and should be prescribed by a qualified Ayurvedic physician after examination. Infected skin, fever or rapidly spreading rashes need prompt medical care. Do not stop or alter any medication prescribed by your doctor without speaking to them.