中医美容的秘诀：中草药

 小竹

人命至重，有贵千金，一方济之，德逾于此。

中国历史上伟大的医学家和药物学家被人们称为“药王”的孙思邈在《千金药方》写下了这句名言。孙思邈享年一百零一岁。 唐朝时， 唐高宗请50多岁的孙思邈进宫，惊讶地发现他貌似18 岁，皇帝便问“你如可保持青春？” 孙思邈答道：用中医养身。一百岁时，乃耳聪眼明齿坚。孙思邈非常重视妇女儿童健康。 现代医学专门研究《千金药方》收录的妇人面药当归根的化学成分， 发现了200多种化学物， 20 多种微量元素， 维生素A, E, B12, 和多种氨基酸。在抗衰老的中药方中当归是主要成分，可补血活血， 有抗氧化，抑菌，促进血细胞生长，促进免疫和心血管功能，提供营养，调节体内激素平衡多种功效。常用于治疗色斑，湿疹，酒糟鼻等。

当归只是众多美容中草药的一味，中草药调节全身平衡以护肤美容。中草药有热，温，凉，寒，平五性，酸，甜，苦，咸，辛五味。寒热性的中草药代表阴阳两面，热温性中草药治寒疾，辛味中草药舒筋活血通气，甜味中草药调养滋补，酸味中草药保留体内气血津液，苦味中草药清凉解毒，咸味中草药有软化机体功效。

人们常注重皮肤保养，直接使用中草药霜，膏，油剂产品涂于皮肤， 通过直接吸收药方中的有效成分，促进局部血脉流通，润肤光色，去斑除皺。中医美容也可以治本为主，中草药可沿经络进入内脏调节机体平衡。中草药疗法非常的个性化，准对个人体质而选药，当归性温微甜辛，补血补气，白芍性凉味苦酸，养血益气，人参性平味甘，补气养阴， 珍珠性寒味甘，安神定心，解毒生肌。中草药的副作用相对较小。

Natural Beauty and Health (3): Chinese Herbs

Human life is of paramount importance, more precious than a thousand pieces of gold; to save it with one prescription is to show your great virtue.

Sun Simiao, known as the King of Prescription in China, wrote above lines in his book entitled “Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold”. Sun Simiao lived for 101 years (581-682) and was the most influential Chinese physician to have ever existed. During the Tang Dynasty, the Emperor Gaozhong invited Physician Sun to his palace. The Emperor was surprised to find this physician looked like an 18-years-old man. When the Emperor knew that Physician Sun was already over 50 years old, he astonished “Could you let me have youthful looking and live longer?” Sun Simiao strengthened his own boy through TCM ways in his life. At age of 100, he still had good vision, hearing and teeth. He paid a great attention to women and children health.

Modern scientists studied cosmetic prescriptions described in the Chapter of Prescription for Women of Sun’s books, and selected an herb “Dang Gui” (Angelica sinensis) for chemical analysis. More than one hundreds chemical composition, twenty minerals, Vitamins A, E and B12, and certain essential amino acids were detected in Gand Gui root. The intensive research on Daong Gui was carried out. It is found that Dong Gui has effects anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, production of blood cells, immono-regulation, and cardiovascular system.

In TCM, Dong Gui is held in high esteem and is a major ingredient in Chinese youth preserving formulas. Dong Gui is used as a superb blood tonic to benefit the complexion by improving blood circulation and providing natural nutrition, and treat skin conditions like pigment, eczema and rosacea by detoxifying. Dong Gui also helps to slow down the aging process, regulate hormones and maintain one’s youthful beauty.

Dong Gui is one example among cosmetic herbs. Chinese herbs play an important role in maintaining natural beauty. The beautiful skin reflects natural health of the human body. Chinese herbs are used to rebalance the patterns of internal organs. Chinese herbs have the properties of four natures (hot, warm, cold and cool) and five tastes (pungent, sour, bitter, salty and sweet). Hot and cold herbs are opposite in nature correspond to the Yang and Yin. Hot and warm herbs are used to warm the body and treat cold conditions. Pungent herbs promote Qi movement, blood circulation and water metabolism, open the meridian and reduce stagnation. Sweet herbs tonify and nourish the body, Qi and blood. Sour herbs stabilize the Qi, blood and body fluids and nourish function of the body. Bitter herbs reduce heat from the internal organs. Salt herbs have softening nature.

People often pay attention to external skin care. Herbal lotions, creams or oils are directly or indirectly applied to the surface of skin with local stimulation to invigorate the flow of blood, regulate meridians, regenerate radiant complexion and remove pigment and dead cells. The active ingredients can be absorbed more effectively than other chemical formulas.

Cosmetic practitioners pay a great attention to improve internal organ health. Herbal tea is used to restore the balance of the internal organs. All herbs can enter one or more meridians to reach specific internal organs to achieve good therapeutic results. Herbal therapy is “individualized”. The health conditions differ from one individual to another. For example, following four cosmetic herbs have different natures and tastes to use for  individuals with different body natures such as warm body, yin deficiency, cold body, and Yang deficiency. Dong Gui (warm, sweet, sour and bitter) is a blood tonic herb to nourish the blood and Yin. White peony root (cool, bitter and sour) is a blood tonic herb to nourish blood and calm Yang. Ginseng (warm and sweet) is a Qi tonic herb to invigorate Qi and warm Yang. Pearl powder (cold and sweet) is used to anchor and settle the spirit (anti-stress) and generate flesh.

Chinese herb therapy is considered as safe and reliable. Herbs are usually more gentle, less side effects than pharmaceutical drugs. However, side effects are possible. For example, Dong Gui can cause diarrhea in some people.