Chinese Herbal Dermatology: A guide to clear skin
I had painful acne all over my face and Rosacea that burnt, stung & flushed constantly, it was exhausting, you can read about it here. After trying every pill, potion and cream with no luck I was recommended to seek out alternative options and that was when I discovered Traditional Chinese Herbal Dermatology.
Traditional Chinese Herbal Dermatology vs Western Dermatology
The central difference between them is this: Western Dermatology looks at the skin, what it shows and prescribes a pill or cream to remove the symptoms, sometimes a more holistic dermatologist will also give dietary advice. Traditional Chinese Herbal Dermatology looks at the skin as a diagnostic tool, we use Chinese face mapping as a guide into what may be going on internally, we then perform a full holistic health analysis asking questions that may seem completely unrelated to your skin to understand the root causes known as “patterns of disharmony” within the body.
Your skin & your emotions
The skin is affected by our emotions and this is why often skin issues pop up after a very traumatic or stressful time in someone's life. The Lungs store grief and the lungs govern the skin, the saying goes “you can’t treat the skin without addressing the lungs.”
The Large intestine is also connected to the skin and is associated with our ability to “let go and move on”, it is important to recognise that our whole body is interconnected and needs to be addressed as a whole.
The Herbs
Herbs are magical for the skin, whether it’s Zhi Ke “Dried tangerine” for oily skin and digestive issues, Bai Hua She She Cao “Heydyotis” for whiteheads & acne toxins, Pi Pai Ye “Loquat leaf” for Rosacea flushes or Bai Mu Er “Tremella” for dry post menopausal skin, herbs have so much to offer.
The healing journey
Speaking from personal experience & seeing clients today any healing journey is not linear, it is totally normal to see the skin flare up and level out as your body is adjusting.
How long does it take to see results?
The shorter you’ve had the condition often the quicker it resolves, often long term conditions that also have immune elements like eczema or psoriasis require 6 months - 1 year with additional herbs to support rebalancing the immune system. Chinese herbal medicine is not a quick fix as it addresses the root of the issue, usually an imbalance you’ve carried around for many years.
Herbs, lifestyle & dietary advice
You will never see a TCM practitioner and skip over your lifestyle, stress & nutrition. It is central to our diagnosis as it helps us to understand why your body has a tendency to the imbalance in the first palace. TCM nutrition is centered around the balance of yin & yang, keeping the digestive strength strong and keeping the qi moving and flowing smoothly.
The most common imbalance you can improve from home!
Spleen qi deficiency with dampness: Poor diet, too many cold foods like smoothies, iced water, icecream, sugary and processed foods, chronic overthinking and overwhelm, history of antibiotic use, irregular meal times.
Symptoms may appear like: Fatigue and bloating after meals, a feeling of ‘heaviness’ in the body, a swollen tongue with teeth marks, sugar cravings & food intolerances.
Action: Eat small regular meals, eat warm foods and if you want to eat cold foods (purchase the Tao of Healthy Eating by Bob Flaws to understand, cold/warm, damp/dry foods) stew foods, eat them with ginger or eat smaller amounts. Be present with your meals, give gratitude to your food, stop multitasking, eat at regular meal times, have room temp or warm water especially in the morning, eat more above ground vegetables, meats and herbs. Avoid greasy, very spicy, oily foods, try a small amount of ACV in water before meals.
If you are on your journey to healing your skin, know that I totally understand and there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
It just takes patience, dedication and understanding that your skin is your bodies way of communicating an internal imbalance with you.
For more information on Herbs & Dermatology feel free to reach out.
With love,
