BEAUTY
BEAUTY
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
What Your Skin Can Tell You
BREAKOUTS ON THE
CHEEKS AND NOSE
Image credit: Dawolf
F
or thousands of years, Eastern medicine has been using the face and skin to discern
what imbalances are happening in our internal organs and body. Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda believe that skin analysis, along with tongue and pulse,
can display early warning signs of disease. Like the relationship between acupuncture or
marma points and the different organs, face mapping uses different areas on the face
to address internal imbalances. This way we can start to understand our skin, what is happening within and the root cause of our blemishes!
THE FOREHEAD: CLOGGED PORES AND DRY ACNE
The forehead and upper face is known to reflect the health of the colon and the state of
our circulation. Those of us with poor circulation often find clogged pores and dry blemishes isolated to our forehead area. Many of us think that these breakouts and congestion are from excess oil, but actually it is an accumulation of lymph and stagnation which
causes these blocked pores. It isn’t oil reduction we need, but to boost circulation and
lymphatic drainage to clear up these deposits. Comedones here are from excess air and
relate strongly to dryness of the colon. The air element in Ayurveda (Vata) governs stress
and anxiety which will tax the colon.
But not all forehead breakouts are stress related. TCM touts that acne in different areas of
the forehead can also indicate different dysfunctions. For example, frown lines are liver
related, which is why Botox injections can be so deeply harmful from an eastern perspective too! Acne here needs liver cleansing and pacifying excess yang. So, pile on the leafy
greens and dandelion tea for some liver love!
The middle part of the
face is governed by heat
and fire energy (Pitta),
which leads to inflamed
breakouts. Those with
excess heat in their bodies will naturally flush
and blush easily and, in
extreme cases, acquire
Acne Rosacea. Traditional Chinese Medicine says
that the heart relates to
the small intestine, opens
through tongue and is in
charge of capillaries. This
means that acne and
dilated vessels here reveal a taxed heart and,
in turn, small intestine.
But the heart does not
simply pump blood;
according to TCM, it is
also part of the mind.
Thoughts, emotions and
feelings come from the
heart, which is why facial
expressions and the state
of our minds can be seen
in the face. Repressed
anger and a weighted
heart can be seen in the
form of angry acne or
redness. It is important
for those with high heat
to stay away from alco-
holic beverages. Alcohol
is very heating, and high
alcohol intake not only
results in permanent redness and vascular damage on the nose, but also
acne in this area.
ACNE AROUND THE
MOUTH
The area above the lips
relates to our reproductive organs. The corners
of the mouth are a place
of heat, so pimples here
can indicate internal
heat. In Ayurveda the
lips display the healthiness of the stomach and
intestines; in TCM, it is the
state of the stomach and
spleen. To relieve acne in
the mouth region, increasing cooling, hydrating fruits and vegetables
along with drinking more
fluids will help calm inflammation in our digestive system.
growth and reproduction. Breakouts on the
chin and jaw line are
often deeper and cystic. This hormone-related
acne is the most difficult
to clear up. Excess hair
growth in this area is also
due to hormonal imbalance as many women
with PCOS and women
going through menopause see excess hair on
their chins. Decreasing
foods with high earth is
extremely helpful. Heavy
foods like dairy, heavy
starches, and fats should
be avoided. Stimulating
earth with cardio exercise
also will help clear up the
chin and jawline.
Clear skin depends so
heavily on being healthy
and vibrant. So next time
you look in the mirror, look
past the superficial and
see yourself inside and
out.
THE CHIN AND JAWLINE
CYSTS
The lower part of the
face is governed by the
earth element (Kapha).
Earth is responsible for
Kristen Ma is the co-owner of Pure + Simple Inc., a group of Holistic
Spas with its own line of Natural Skincare and Mineral Make-up. She
is an Ayurvedic Practitioner who has studied in Canada, the United
States and India. She