Traditional Chinese Medicine is at the forefront of clean beauty. As the momentum of clean beauty gains, people are sourcing unique yet effective options to add in their skincare routine that are natural and chemical-free. 

Traditional Chinese medicine (also known as TCM) dates back over 2,500 years. An ancient system of health and wellness focusing on balance, harmony, and energy with a broad range of practices including herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (tui na), exercise (qigong), and dietary therapy.

When talking about skincare and beauty, we look to achieve healthy and younger-looking skin. TCM is all about balance; addressing the roots of the problem rather than just the symptoms, bringing skin back to its balanced state, helping to improve the skin’s natural defence system. A primary foundation of TCM is preserving your energy or “qi”. 

So what is Qi?

Qi has been translated as "life force”, "vital energy", or “Breath”. 

Qi can even be material matter. The ancient Chinese believed that everything in the Universe is made up of Qi energy, including you. In pathology, when Qi flow slows and stagnates (stops flowing), lumps, masses, tumours and more can appear. In skincare, stagnated Qi can be responsible for anything from inflammation, acne, eczema, rosacea and other skin conditions. At Naked Klay we focus on ways to promote and maintain the flow of Qi through carefully selecting ingredients vital to improve and enhance your skin health. In addition to Qi, TMC is based on the balance of Yin and Yang. 

The importance of the balance of Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang are opposites: Yin is female and Yang is male, Yin is darkness and Yang is light, Yin is matter and Yang is energy and so on. It can also be represent in physical states like acid and alkaline. The skin has a mildly acidic surface area at the ideal pH of 5.5 “the acid mantle”. This is designed to protect our skins outer layer from attack and invasions. External factors including pollution, soaps, skincare that is too acidic or too alkaline for your skin can alter the pH balance, thus weakening the skin's natural defences. When skin becomes more alkaline, this results in a variety of undesirable changes and skin disorders ranging from wrinkles to pigmentation and even acne.

The Naked Klay Balance

Chinese herbs are often used in combination with many herbs, and these herb blends are considered to have a powerful action when combined together. At Naked Klay we have combined our knowledge with Traditional Chinese herbs and modern science to create a skincare range targeting your skin concerns. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on the view that all symptoms are related and the body is interconnected. For example, acne could be related to diet, stress, emotion or other factors. These lifestyle imbalances can cause all health complaints. Therefore in relation to skincare it’s not only vital to look after the largest organ of our body “our skin” it’s equally vital to be mindful of obtaining a balanced diet, get adequate rest and relaxation, exercise and have a good mental attitude. In Chinese medicine, the mind and body are seen as interrelated therefore cannot be treated separately. What is good for the body is good for the mind, and vice versa. The importance of balancing your Qi energy between yin and yang leads to good emotional and physical health. Therefore, when Qi moves out of balance of excess or deficiency of yin and/or yang this leads to health issues. Traditional Chinese medicine practices, such as acupuncture, acupressure, pharmacology (herbs), massage and qi gong further work to maintain a balanced flow of Qi throughout the body. Often, especially in today’s generation, we have become more mindful or our diets, skincare routine and mental health but one thing we have noticed is that we forget about the way we move. Remembering the importance of our Qi flowing throughout our bodies; we need to be mindful of what parts of our body we aren’t moving and what we can do about this. For example, how often do you “exercise” your face? We smile, we laugh but do many of us stimulate the face physically? For example facial massage? Improving your blood flow and circulation and will result in healthier, younger looking skin. You can consider daily facial massage as your “cardio” for your face. It’s working on the areas that haven’t moved around in a while, leaving it stagnated and leading to pre-mature ageing etc. The bonus is, incorporating facial massage can improve the penetration of nutrients of your skincare products into the epidermis and dermis layers of your skin. We often say to our customers, if you don’t have a Gua Sha or a facial roller to massage your face, simply massage with your hands; to get the blood moving. For those who feel time poor make it a routine, even a short massage in the shower is better than none at all. 

The benefits of facial massage

• Allows your skincare products to penetrate deeper into the skin for better absorption
• Helps to move lymph fluid out of the body and increase circulation
• Tension relief (e.g. TMJ, headaches)
• Tightens and tones the skin, enhancing elasticity
• Reduces puffiness and dark circles around the eyes
• Helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles

Never forget ‘where there is balance, there is beauty” and there is beauty in all of us just waiting to blossom. Consider Naked Klay as your beauty bible to enhance the natural beauty we all have with vital ingredients used in our skincare products to help balance and energise your skin.