A Chinese Medicine Doc's Take on Modern Skincare

Most of us think of skincare as jars and bottles; what we apply on the surface. But, in Chinese Medicine, your skin is seen as a reflection of your inner landscape. Your hydration, digestion, stress levels, sleep, and even your emotional state all show up on your face.

Yes, I'm saying that your 2-glasses-of-water-per-day-4-shots-of-coffee-6-hours-of-sleep routine is affecting your skin!

This is why I love approaching skincare holistically. As always with Chinese Medicine, we search for the root of disease by questioning: what has caused the body to be so out of balance in the first place? Your skin issues are a sign of imbalance. That chronic acne, peri-oral dermatitis, or dryness you notice year-round are all little signs from your body that it is struggling.

1. Hydration from the Inside Out

In Chinese Medicine, fluids are precious. They keep your organs nourished, your joints supple, and your skin smooth and hydrated. When we’re stressed or overworked, or when our digestion isn’t at its best, those fluids dry up. The skin then loses elasticity and brightness, showing signs of dehydration and imbalance. Externally, I always recommend starting your skincare routine with water-based serums, like hyaluronic acid, snail mucin or centella. Lock in this hydration with heavier moisturisers or oils. Even if you have acne- don't dry out your skin with intense toners, hydrate it!

Chinese Medicine loves warm, cooked foods like soups and stews. Get extra water in your body by eating it! Use facial tools like gua sha, jade rolling or cupping to promote blood circulation and hydration. Facial acupuncture can also help by moving blood and fluids more efficiently, so your skin receives the nourishment it needs. But, you can also support your skin daily through diet and lifestyle shifts.

2. Facial Mapping: What Your Skin Reveals

Chinese Medicine uses the face like a diagnostic map. Each part of the face tracks back to a different organ system.

Check out my FREE Facial Mapping E-Book for everything you need to get started on decoding your skincare concerns!

For example:

• Forehead → digestion and stress

• Under-eyes → hydration and kidney energy

• Cheeks → lung health and hormones

• Jawline → reproductive health and stress

Using the face map helps to analyse what organs are imbalanced, and what that imbalance could be. Redness in a particular area may signify Heat in that organ; dullness or dryness could be a deficiency; oiliness or pimples could point to dampness.

Diet

Diet is one of the most important things to pay attention to when we are talking skincare. I could write 100 pages on this alone, but I'll keep it simple: eat a diet of varied foods, seasonal produce, ample and good quality protein, healthy fats and fibre. Eat 80% warm and cooked foods to 20% cold and raw. Everything in moderation. Don't eat your meals while stressed, distracted, standing or on-the-go. Take a moment to be present, eat slowly and appreciate the meal you're eating. Big brekky, smaller lunch, smallest dinner.

A little skin-loving recipe

One of my favourite recipes for radiant, hydrated skin is Pear, Goji & Tremella Soup. I learnt about this one back in China while I was working in the Chengdu hospital's dermatology wing. This traditional tonic supports Yin (the cooling, hydrating aspect of the body) and is especially helpful if your skin feels dry, tight, or lacklustre.

Ingredients:

• 1 dried Tremella mushroom (also called snow fungus)

• 1–2 Asian pears, peeled and chopped

• 2–3 tbsp goji berries

• 1-2 Chinese red dates

• Rock sugar or honey (to taste)

• 4–5 cups water

Method:

1. Soak the tremella in water until it softens (about 20–30 minutes), then cut into smaller pieces.

2. Add the tremella, pears, and water to a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 45–60 minutes until the tremella is soft and jelly-like.

3. Add the goji berries in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

4. Sweeten lightly with rock sugar or honey if desired.

This soup is cooling, hydrating, and gently nourishing. In TCM terms, it replenishes Yin and Body Fluids: perfect for dry skin, a scratchy throat, or just when you want that “juicy glow.”

My Acu-facials

Now, if you're over the age of 21, I'm sorry to tell you, but your body's collagen production is declining, and you are losing approx. 1% of said collagen each year.

You may be considering botox or fillers, but using the above tips, alongside acupuncture can really boost up your collagen production and help your skin to feel more youthful again. I pair each facial session with acupuncture points on the body to help treat your imbalances. This means we are treating things at the root and the branches at the same time! Using comprehensive consults, skincare advice, homework, facial mapping, jade rolling, gua sha, cupping and acupuncture needles, we can help move you towards your skin goals.

Unlike quick-fix cosmetic treatments, Acu-facials work with your body, not against it. By gently stimulating specific points on the face and body, these treatments may:

• Boost circulation so fresh blood, water and nutrients reach your skin.

• Support lymphatic drainage, reducing puffiness and dullness.

• Encourage collagen production, helping with tone, lines and elasticity.

• Calm the nervous system, which means less stress showing up on your skin.

Book in for an Acu-facial

Beauty is Balance

Chinese Medicine reminds us that beauty isn’t just about surface treatments, it’s a reflection of inner harmony. You don't need another $70 serum, you need to pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you. Whether it’s through acupuncture, mindful lifestyle shifts, or nourishing foods, the path to glowing skin is also the path to overall wellness.