Keeping the Skin Young
- Herbal remedies keeping the skin young
- Healthy eating to keep the skin young
- TCM External beauty remedies
- Massage, acupuncture and moxibustion for skin health
The appearance of our skin is a strong indicator of overall health. Healthy lifestyle such as well-planed diet, good sleep habit, work rest balance, stress free, limited time in the sun, and regular exercise is the premise to keep our skin looking and feeling best. TCM has another interpretation for this, every life activity consumes essence stored in the kidney, we can either nourish or deplete it through our behavior and lifestyle. Regular and harmonious lifestyle helps storing up essence in the kidney, while unhealthy lifestyle accelerates the depletion of kidney’s reserves, which can result in weakness as well as premature aging.
Internally, the spleen is the source for nutrient production, and the lung is responsible for disseminating the nutrient to the skin, these two organs support and nourish the skin constantly, and so ensure its renewal cycle. Other organs also attribute to the plentiful of blood and qi flowing over the skin, and so keep the skin radiant and firm. Along with natural aging process, the organ functioning will be less effective, and a sluggish metabolic rate and an excess of waste products will inevitably lead to malnourished skin, causing dullness, transparent, loss of the elastic tissue, rough, dryness, pigmented, grey hair and hair loss as well as brittle and deformed nails. In fact, the changes in skin condition are part of the overall aging signs. TCM claims that the texture and elasticity of skin can be improved by:
• Replenishing blood and activating its circulation
• Nourishing yin and moistening dryness.
TCM beauty management is achieved by the following practices:
1. Herbal remedies keeping the skin young
TCM uses herbal remedies to enhance skin tone and smoothness, relieve wrinkles and spots, and treat skin problems. The herbs are mainly selected to regulate lung, kidney and spleen functioning, promote blood production and nourish yin and qi (vital energy). Common ingredients include ginseng, Solomonseal rhizome (huang jing), wolfberry fruit, fiveleaf gynostemma (jiao gu lan), ginkgo leaf, dates, raspberry fruit, angelica root, fleece flower root, fragrant Solomonseal rhizome (yu zhu), black sesame, Ganoderma lucidum (ling zhi), Siberian ginseng (ci wu jia), pollen and donkey-hide gelatin. They are beneficial for maintaining a softness, luster and spotless skin. Some ingredients are also selected to eliminate pathological problems that due to accumulated metabolic wastes, such as giant typhonium rhizome (bai fu zi), peach kernel, peach blossom, dahurian angelica root (bai zhi), ledebouriella root (fang feng), pearl powder, dried tangerine peel, common bletilla tuber (bai ji) and biond Magnolia flower (xin yi), so as to solve specific beauty problems.
Traditionally, people would consult a physician for a customized beauty prescription. A considerable amount of ingredients (at least two-month's dosage) are selected and prepared as a concentrated decoction for long-term regular consumption, in which certain amount of honey, rock sugar or sugar are added and make into a syrup or gel-like extract. They are known as "enriching soft extracts", which are easy to consume and sweet to the taste.
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| Siberian ginseng (ci wu jia) | fiveleaf gynostemma (jiao gu lan) | ginkgo leaf |
Some simple ancient remedies help to promote complexion and brightness of the skin:
- Dried tangerine peel (30g), wax gourd kernel (50g) and peach blossom (40g), grind into powder mixture. Take 3 times a day, each time 2g. The remedy moistens dryness, resolves phlegm, activates blood and benefits skin beauty.
- Wax gourd kernel (40g), peach blossom (30g) and willow root bark (15g), grind into powder mixture. Take 3 times a day after meal, each time 3g. The remedy enhances skin tone and radiance.
- Chinese arborvitae kernel (150g), wax gourd kernel (150g), Chingma abutilon seed (150g, fried and ground into powder mixture. Each time, take 8g mixture and mixed with certain amount of warmed wine and serve, 3 times a day after meals. The remedy is also suitable for individuals with acne and constipation.
- Collect fresh peach blossom from the blossom tree directly, sun dried and grind into powder. Add in the food as seasoning, 3 times a day, each time 3g. This is beneficial to spotless and smooth skin.
- Mulberry leaf (480g), black sesame (120g), honey (360); grind and mixed together and prepare as pills. The amount is for 4 weeks, taking in the morning and evening, serve with mild salty water.
- Dried ginger (480g), red dates (240g), liquorice root (90g), fennel seed (120g), salt (60g) and clove (120g), grind into powder mixture. In the morning, take 10 -15g of this powder and serve as hot tea.
- Milk (240ml), ginger juice (120ml), red pepper powder (0.3g), poria (15g) and ginseng (15g). Grind the two herbs into powder; heat the milk and ginger juice first, bring to a boil and then add in the other ingredients, simmer on low heat until the liquid turns thick. This amount for one week, serve before breakfast.
- Hawthorn fruit (20g) and rhemannia root (12g); prepare as a tea and add brown sugar to taste. This is beneficial to keep silky and pink skin.
2. Healthy eating to keep the skin young
A well-planed diet provides additional nutrient elements to help the skin to repair and regenerate itself; in other words, eating what our body needs as we age can assist the skin to function as if we were younger. Common foods recorded in ancient books for "beauty", "anti-aging" and "rejuvenation" purpose are sesame, honey, mushrooms, daily products, pumpkin seeds, lotus root, wax gourd, cherry, wheat and radish. Foods that modern TCM recommends for skin health are white fungus, lily bulb, Chinese wolfberry, red dates, bird's nest, sea cucumber, fish sound, oyster, conch, soft-shelled turtle, eels, pig skin, animal bone marrow and pond loach, which are mostly collagen rich ingredients and are claimed can nourish yin and promote blood production.
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| White fungus | Lily bulb and lotus seed | Mung bean |
Sample of recipes that can enhance skin condition:
- Dried persimmon fruit one or two per day is said can improve skin tone.
- Fresh cucumber (500g) and garlic (25g). Wash and crush the ingredients, season with soybean sauce, sesame oil and red pepper to taste. This is also suitable for obese individuals.
- Wolfberry fruits invigorate the liver and kidney, and replenish blood and qi. It can be served as a tea; use 120g (fresh) or 30g (dried) daily.
- Strawberry milk 200ml per day, for 10 to 20 days. Each time, ground 5 to 10 pieces of strawberry, and mix with 200ml of boiling milk.
- Soybean milk (200ml), walnut (30g) and black sesame (20g). Grind the two ingredients together, and boil with soybean milk for 5 minutes. Add rock sugar to taste, serve warm in the morning.
- Prepare a juicy mixture by celery (100g), tomato (200g), pear (150g) and lemon juice (15ml). Drink it once a day, good for itchiness, facial brown spots and acne.
- Bird's nest (6g) and rice (60g). Prepare the bird's nest by soaking fully in warm water and discarding impurities; put the two ingredients in a pot with 1000ml of boiling water, simmer until the liquid turns thick. The porridge is then served warm; add rock sugar to taste.
- Red dates (10 pieces) and rice (100g), prepare as porridge, add brown sugar to taste and serve warm in the morning.
- Coix seeds (30g), lily buds (10g) and rice (60g), prepare as porridge, serve warm in the morning. This is beneficial to skin problems like wart, acne and freckles.
- Carrot (200g) and rice (100), slice the carrot, and then cook with rice and water, make into porridge and serve warm. This can improve skin tone.
- Kelp (10g), mung bean (30g), apricot kernel (9g), rose bud (6g), cook with water to make porridge, add brown sugar to taste and serve warm. This is suitable for frequent outbreak of acnes.
- Some beauty wines that brewed from Chinese wolfberry, peach blossom or other tonics are often recommended for regular consumption.
3. TCM External beauty remedies
TCM external remedies can be in forms like creams, jellies, lotions and masks as well as powders, which aim at promoting blood circulation, regulating meridians, lubricating and relieving the localize skin problems. Commonly used ingredients for beauty purpose are such as pearl, notoginseng, motherwort herb, aloe, common bletilla tuber (bai ji), dahurian angelica root (bai zhi), almond and ginseng etc.
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| Pearl powder | Notoginseng |
Common bletilla tuber
(bai ji) |
Ancient beauty remedies:
- Mask: prepare almonds (100g) by soaking in warm water, removing the brown coat and ground into a cream; then mix with one egg white. Put on the face and leave overnight. Next morning, clean the face with liquid that has been used for washing rice. This is effective for removing the dull color, brown spots, acne and fine wrinkles on the face.
- Mask: collect the fine inner coating of chestnuts, grind and mix with honey. Apply on the face regularly can help smooth out wrinkles.
- Mask: prepare a paste with pearl powder and egg white. Every night after cleaning the face, cover for 30 minutes, then wipe off with honeysuckle flower water.
- Herbal bath: prepare mung beans, lily buds and borneol (10g each); talc, monkshood, Dahurian angelica root, sandalwood and resin (30g each). Grind all the ingredients and pour directly into warm water (around 38 °C); soak for 30 minutes.
4. Massage, acupuncture and moxibustion for skin health
Acupoints are the sites through which the qi (vital energy) of organs and meridians can flow to the body surface. Stimulation of these points can regulate the function of organs and meridians, and enhance the circulation in the skin.
When massage is used on specific body regions, the stimulations acting locally can promote blood and qi flowing, remove stagnations, and speed up skin renewal cycle. Two simple massage techniques are recommended for promoting good facial skin:
- On waking in the morning, use the hands to rub the ears and pull them slightly; then massage the scalp and comb the hair with the fingers; finally, rub hands together to heat up and then sweep from the forehead down to the chin for 14 times.
- Every morning before putting on facial cream or cosmetics, meditate for 1 minute; then blow out the cheeks and gargle for 1 minute; rub the hands together to warm them up and then sweep them over the face once.
Acupuncture is a physical stimulation, which creates a cascade of positive changes inside the body to promote physiological functions, self-regulation and encourage the body’s own healing abilities. Acupuncture is often applied in anti-aging management. For skin beauty therapies, the most important acupoints are along the Gallbladder Meridian, Kidney Meridian, Liver Meridian, Stomach Meridian, Triple Burner Meridian, Large Intestine Meridian and Small Intestine Meridian. Physicians will select the points according to individual needs. For example, acupuncture for removing facial wrinkles will choose the following acupoints:
- Major points: si zhu kong (Sj23), cuan zhu (Bl2), tai yang (Ex-Hn5), ying xiang (Li20), jia che (St6), yi feng (Sj17);
- Assist points: zhong wan (Cv12), he gu (Li4), qu chi (Li11), zu san li (St36), wei shu (Bl21), guan yuan (Cv4), lou gu (Sp7).
Each time, stimulate 2~4 acupoints for 8~16 minutes in one side, 10 times as one cycle.
Facial points for beauty therapiesMoxibustion is also a good method for skin beauty; points that are commonly selected include shen que (Cv8), guan yuan (Cv4), qi hai (Cv6), zhong wan (Cv12), ming men (Gv4), da zhui (Gv14), gao huang (Bl43) shen zhu (Bl23), wei shu (Bl20), zu san li (St36), san yin jiao (Sp6), qu chi (Li11), xia lian (Li8). Each time, select moxa stick or cone based on individual needs, target on 1~2 of the above acupoints, and heat for 3-5 minutes. Apply on a daily basis.
