Ayurveda Starter Kit: Dosage and Quantities by Product

Once you have the Ayurveda starter kit in hand, the most common question is no longer "what to buy" but "how much to use." The reference amounts below, indicative rather than strict, cover each of the eight products: from the amount of oil for a full massage to how often to scrape your tongue.

Tongue scraper: duration and frequency

A study by Pedrazzi and colleagues, published in 2004 in the Journal of Dental Research and already cited in our article on tongue scraper side effects, shows that a well-executed scraping, once a day, is enough to meaningfully reduce the compounds responsible for bad breath, with no demonstrated extra benefit from scraping more often. As a rough guide:

• Frequency: once a day, on waking, before drinking or eating;
• Duration: 5 to 10 passes from the back to the front of the tongue, roughly 30 seconds;
• Pressure: firm but not forced, without causing bleeding or scraping too far back (gag reflex).

Sesame oil: amount by use

Use	Indicative amount	Frequency
Full abhyanga self-massage	2 to 4 tablespoons, oil lightly warmed	1 to 3 times a week to start
Feet only (in the evening)	1 teaspoon per foot	Daily is fine, without overdoing it
500 ml (17 oz) bottle	—	Covers 1 to 2 months depending on frequency

Spices: proportions for cooking and tea

• CCF tea: half a teaspoon of each seed (cumin, coriander, fennel) per cup of boiling water, steeped 5 to 10 minutes;
• Turmeric in cooking: half to one teaspoon per dish for 2 people, paired with a pinch of black pepper and a fat (ghee) for better absorption;
• Fresh ginger: a 1-2 cm (roughly half-inch) piece, grated, per dish or per cup of tea;
• Cardamom: 2 to 3 crushed pods for a warm milk or chai for 2 people.

Ghee, rice and mung beans: cooking amounts

For everyday cooking, one teaspoon to one tablespoon of ghee per dish is plenty; there's no need to use more to enjoy the flavor. For a kitchari for 2 people, plan on roughly 100 g (about 3.5 oz) of basmati rice and 100 g of split mung beans, soaked for 30 minutes to 2 hours before cooking to improve digestibility and reduce bloating.

Warm water: how much and how often through the day

There's no strict dose: regularity matters more than volume. A simple approach is to fill the insulated bottle in the morning (500 ml to 1 liter, roughly 17 to 34 oz) and sip it in small amounts throughout the morning, refilling in the afternoon if needed.

Evening tea

One teaspoon of fennel, dried tulsi or chamomile flowers per cup, steeped 5 minutes, 30 to 60 minutes before bed.

Precautions

These amounts are indicative and intended for ordinary food or cosmetic use, with no particular health concern. Always start with the lowest amount in the range given, especially for spices, and adjust to your digestive tolerance. Test any new massage oil on a small patch of skin before full use if you have a history of allergies. For the site's full set of precautions, see our safety and precautions guide.