Last updated on August 21, 2024 by Dr. Subashri Thanigaivel

The FRIENDS sitcom show taught us about understanding life, love, relationships, sex, career, and family. But, did you also notice that each of them had a very unique taste in food, and it had a lot to do with their personality. 

If you look at each of them via an Ayurveda lens, they prefer food from their Dosha imbalance. The food they eat, be it Joey’s deep love for pizza or Phoebe’s obsession with her oatmeal-raisin cookie  also reflects in their skin. Let’s see how small changes to diet & routine can help our sitcom stars to keep their skin pristine.

Ayurveda Perspective On Diet & Dermatology : To understand your skin better, look at your plate and palate. The foods we love are a reflection of our innate constitution which in Ayurvedic terms is classified as Vata, Pitta & Kapha.  

Joey Tribbiani – pizza & oily skin

Joey’s love for food is a universally known fact. His epic refusal to share grapes with Emma is the indicative sign of Kapha Dosha. Over-eating white meat like turkey, lots of junk food are the factors that form imperfections  on his skin.

Joey needs everyday cleansing and regular exfoliation. He should try a Red Sandalwood Face Pack. .

Chandler Bing’s Cheesecakes 

The king of sarcasm is a big-time lover of cheese and cheesy jokes. Let’s not forget his mischievous behavior of eating the stolen cheesecake straight in a row for three days. Also, his coffee order at Central Perk has been mostly black. Chandler is suffering from Pitta Dosha and so does his skin. Pitta dosha results in skin sensitivity, redness, and sudden acne breakouts too.

Chandler needs a rejuvenating Abhayangam with Nalpamaradi Thailam (natural pitta pacifier). The secret bubble bath he took in the episode “The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath”, with Monica’s Epsom salts and essential oils also does good to his skin. Chandler should be eating juicy, mildly sweet fruits and stay away from cheese. 

Ross Geller Should Eat Home Cooked Meals  

Probably the nerd of the gang with a picky taste for food, Ross prefers fine dining over anything. His restaurant orders sound like a classic French movie name. Ross conceals his food cravings by pouring a fancy sauce over it – KAPHA DOSHA alert. He often prefers slightly raw, grilled, dry, and crunchy food. The sandwich obsession that got him suspended from work also confirms his Vata dosha. Yes, Ross has Vata & Kapha dosha, and he can’t keep it to himself. 

Ayurveda can help him lower this neurotic stress on his skin through KumKumadhi serum –an elite elixir enriched with saffron that can keep his skin moist at night and control the excess oil during the day. 

Also, he can use some food choices like muskmelons, water gourd, and well-cooked apples. A home-cooked meal is always better than fine dining for him. He also needs to borrow some thick body butter during winter from the girls.

Monica Geller Is Ideal

Since she is a Geller, the sister also shares the same disorder with her brother Ross. However, her slightly different taste saves Monica from developing acne breakouts. She prefers sour food like Mint cookies and decaf. Monica is a big fan of home-cooked meals that saves her skin from inflammation. Well, she is a perfectionist in everything, so her diet choices are flawless. 

Monica could use Nalpamaradi thailam to maintain her natural skin health. Like her husband Bing, a self-rejuvenating facial massage puts her Pitta fluctuation to peace.

Phoebe Buffay & Vegan Diet

The artist in the group is the idealist for diet choices and lifestyle. Her vegetarian diet is visible in her long thick voluminous hair. If you zoom in slightly Phoebe has a spot-free face. In the Central Perk, you will rarely find her sipping coffee. Although the environmentalist holds the top rank in the diet class, she prefers earthy and crunchy food more. We suspect there might be some imbalance in her oil secretion occasionally causing skin dullness. 

Phoebe could include some herbal bath powders in her skincare routine to balance the oil secretions. 

Rachel Green’s Combination Skin

Lastly, we have our queen bee Rachel. The fashionista is a poor cook and snacks right through  the show. We suspect her combination skin is affected by excess oil secretion on the T-zone and dryness around the cheeks. It is a result of Vata and Pitta dosha. 

Ayurveda suggests Rachel adds Amla Detox powder to drinking water to reduce the inflammation caused by all the starving. She needs regular Vitamin C intakes to keep her skin hydrated.

Conclusion

Phoebe made the famous comment  – Öh I wish I could but I don’t want to 

We all want healthy skin and wish we could get it easily. The obstacle between you and gorgeous skin is understanding how your constitution skews your food preferences and makes you eat stuff that is not healthy for your skin. Take a few minutes to take our Prakriti Quiz. Once you know your Prakriti we will help you figure out what is good for you and your skin.