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TCM for Dry Skin - The Secret Why Asians Look Younger

Writer: Aku EnergijaAku Energija
Mar 175 min read

Last month my mum came and visited me. We hung out together and people said that we look like sisters. I am sure that many of them have been wondering why and how could many Asians look so young? Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, without any special diet or eating less (in fact we eat quite a lot), my mother lost some weight and got slimmer simply by exercising more and relaxing in the beautiful Slovenian nature. Today, I am going to share our secret.

Dryness is the very first sign of aging skin

While skin is the largest organ in your body, chronic and persistent dry skin can be a signal that something is not right deeper in your body. In Chinese medicine, skin is related to the Lung system. It is the most exterior of your internal system, because with every breath, the inside of your body comes into contact with the outside world. The Lung system is very important in regulating the water channel. There are many sweat glands and subcutaneous tissue to control the flow of water energy. So, as the keeper of all things external, the health of your Lungs can give off clues to the condition of your skin. For the clearest example of this, just look at the skin of heavy smokers, which is dry and prematurely aged. [Read more: Strengthen your Wei Qi for better immunity]

Nothing matters more to the health of Lung system than a diet

The typical Asian diet is arguably one reason why many Asians look young, much younger than Caucasians of the same age as them. A study by Melbourne’s Monash University found Greek-born Australians who consumed more green leafy vegetables, eggplant, garlic, dried fruits and less mono-unsaturated fat, milk and coffee had less skin wrinkling than those who had higher intakes of milk, processed meat, potatoes, cakes and pastries among Anglo-Celtic Australians who lived in sun-exposed places. The former foods are also major components of Asian diets. Even better, Asian eat rice as a main dish and plenty of steamed and boiled food. The benefits of these food will be explained later. [Read more: TCM Dietary Advice] [Read more: The Japanese Diet And Why It Is Good For Health]

Lung and large intestine

Lung and large intestine are working in a pair according to TCM. As the Lung receives energy from the upper opening, the large intestine is responsible for cleaning up the toxin through the other end. The functions of the bowel are to absorb nutrients and water from digested food and to help the body form and excrete waste products in the form of stools. Stools that stay in the bowel longer than they should will tend to become drier and harder to pass. Sluggish or incomplete bowel movements will also leave behind toxins that may cause damage to both the bowel and the body over time. The above mentioned food like sweet and dairy products tends to congest the guts while green leafy vegetables in the opposite can provide cellulose to stimulate bowel movements. [Read more: How to Treat Constipation With Acupuncture and TCM]

What is water metabolism and why it matters?

Many people manage dry skin simply by drinking plenty of water and putting on moisturizing lotion, but with very little effect. Why? It is because their water metabolism is weak and they are not getting ‘water energy’. Water energy is nourishing, calming, and building material energy. It also helps with circulation and cleaning, from your bone marrow, cerebral spinal fluids, plasma, saliva, collagen, etc are all water energy. These fluids are differentiated for a reason. They have different functions and locations. With no doubt we need to drink water to survive, but it is also very important how our body manages to transport that water to the right location and transform it into useful material. This is what the water metabolism is about. [Read more: How much water should I drink? Understanding Water energy with TCM] [Read more: What happens when you drink too much water?]

The importance of Spleen system

Spleen is responsible for the transportation of the food and the water we digest. It helps to transport fluids throughout our bodies and assists with excreting excessive fluids. And yes, our body actually needs to digest water. According to TCM theory, water first passes through the stomach and energized by the Qi energy (rice is very good at providing Qi). Then the Spleen system accepts this energized water and transports it upward to the Lung system. The Lung system will use these energized water to nourish the water channel as well as cleaning them. Since the skin is connected to the Lung system so it can be moisturised. Finally, the water will carry the waste then collected to the urinary bladder and cleaned out. [Read more: Jing, Qi & Shen: The Three Treasures in Traditional Chinese Medicine]

Water and Fire balance

Ok, you have a strong Lung, a good Spleen and water energy delivery is excellent. But never forget to protect and preserve this. Fire is the antagonistic energy to water. Habits like extensive direct sunlight, bathing with very hot water, eating deep fried or spicy food would bring too much fire energy to your body. Also, stress and staying up late also burn out your precious water energy. [Read more: How to Reduce and Prevent Inflammation]

Final tips

So, as you can read from the above, the key to healthy and young looking skin in Asians is beyond genetics, makeup or cosmetic products but a well-rounded care to our internal systems. Here are the conclusion of our young looking secret:


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