We all know beauty starts from within; however, in today’s fast paced world we want results instantly. Anyone knowledgeable about the human body knows a quick fix is often met with risks and regret.

Nevertheless, there are natural and healthy options to give the skin the nutrients it needs to rejuvenate in an efficient period of time and that is utilising the ancient philosophies of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Ageing is a natural physiological process that no one can stop however our choices in nutrition and lifestyle can slow it down or accelerate it. Every sign on the face indicates a dis-eased state in the body. For instance: puffy eyes = poor digestion, darkness under the eyes = kidney deficiency, wrinkles and fine lines = yin deficiency, dull/sallow complexion = blood deficiency.

So when it comes to bringing the body back to a wellness state, these deficiencies can be supplemented topically with herbs that specifically target these signs of ageing.

Which herbs are suitable for different skin presentations?

When people have sensitive skin their epidermis is damaged which enhances the absorption of nasty chemicals deeper into their skin. This can cause a reaction such as redness and sometimes a rash as their skin isn’t protecting them effectively. So in rectifying this, Chinese Botanical Extracts such as Angelica Sinensis, Astragalus, Liquorice, Siberian Ginseng, Chrysanthemum Flowers, White Peony and Tribulus Terrestris can effectively help in assisting the repair of the skin barrier while hydrating the skin.

Those seeking anti-ageing benefits in skincare can find benefit in herbal botanical extracts such as Pearl Powder, Ganoderma Lucidum, Angelica Sinensis, White Peony, Goji Berries, Job’s Tears Seeds, and Siberian Ginseng as they contain vitamins and antioxidants that assist in improving the appearance of ageing skin through adding hydration and nourishment while reducing redness and puffiness in the face.

Finally, acneic skin can receive great benefit through using Chinese herbal botanical extracts too. When applied topically, these herbs are able to clear redness, and pustules. In addition, they nourish the skin and promote hydration to minimise the over activity of the sebaceous glands.

The best thing is that herbal extracts are non-comedogenic and are able to be well received by a variety of acne presentations. Some examples of these useful herbs are Astragalus (improves the healing effects of the other herbs), Forsythia fruit, Honeysuckle flower, and Loquat Leaf (clear heat in the skin and have antibacterial properties), and Hawthorn fruit (reduces the oiliness in the skin without having any drying action on the skin).

The one thing that we all know is Chinese herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years with traditional anecdotes strongly supporting its effectiveness and modern research further supporting it as being a natural alternative to improving health from a variety of health complaints. Its use has survived the test of time since its inception in Asia during the 20^th century BC to now being accessible to all of us world wide. Its topical use dates back as far as the Zhou Dynasty (625AD – 705AD), where Empress Wu Ze Tian would crush fresh pearls into a powder.

About Dr Irene Prantalos (Chinese Medicine)

Dr Irene Prantalos is an expert in Chinese Medicine, and draws from her own experience with psoriasis to treat a variety of patients. Irene’s focus is empowerment, as she believes “it is only with taking your circumstances into your own hands will you be able to create lifelong changes to your health that will initiate the relief of any disease”. Irene is also the founder of Salubre Cosmeceuticals, a skincare brand formulated with the powerful benefits of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Having suffered with erythrodermic psoriasis, her passion around helping others attain healthier looking skin with skincare that is 100 percent natural to improve the health of problematic skin.