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Achieving Balance With Taoism

Posted on September 6, 2022December 18, 2023 by Jennifer Norman

Taoism, also spelled Daoism, is a religion and a philosophy from ancient China that has influenced folk and national belief for millennia. Taoism has been connected to the philosopher Lao-Tzu who around 500 B.C.E. is thought to have written the main book of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching. Taoism holds that humans and animals should live in balance with the Tao, or the way of the universe, and that spiritual immortality is where the spirit of the body joins the universe after death. In this blog, we will explore the origins of Taoism and its main concepts, along with the eight immortals of Taoism and a few teachings that can help you navigate life.

Lao-Tzu and the Origins of Taoism

Pictured: Lao-Tzu Source: Famous Philosophers

The historian Sima Qian (145-86 BCE) told the story of Lao-Tzu, a curator at the Royal Library in the state of Chu, who was a philosopher. Lao-Tzu believed in the harmony of all things and that people could live easily together if they only considered each other’s feelings and recognized that their self-interest was not always in the interest of others.

Lao-Tzu grew impatient with the corruption he saw within people and in the government, so he decided to go into exile. As Lao-Tzu was leaving China, a gatekeeper, Yin Hsi, recognized him and asked him to write a book before he left. Lao-Tzu sat down on a rock beside the gatekeeper and wrote the Tao Te Ching, which translates to The Book of the Way.

Lao-Tzu stopped writing when he felt he was finished, handed the book to Yin Hsi, and vanished, never to be seen again. The Tao Te Ching is not looked at as scripture in Taoism; instead, it’s seen as a book of poetry presenting the simple way of living life at peace with one’s self, others, and the world of changes.

While the author is traditionally believed to be Lao-Tzu, some question his hand in the book as there is little evidence that Lao-Tzu existed. Some believe instead that the Tao Te Ching is a gathering of earlier sayings from many authors. However, Lao-Tzu is sometimes understood as the image of the Tao and given legendary status.

Pictured: Tao Te Ching Source: The Flerlage Twins

A Breakdown of Taoism

Taoism is a Chinese philosophy that developed from the folk religion of the people primarily in the rural areas of China; it became the official religion of the country under the Tang Dynasty. Taoism is therefore both a philosophy and a religion.

Taoism has provided an alternative to the Confucian tradition in China, coexisting in the country, regions, and even within the same individual. In Taoism, Confucian gods are seen as manifestations of the one Tao, which is not represented as an image or a particular thing.

The concept of a personified deity who created the universe is foreign to Taoists. This results in their form of prayer being different than Christian religions. Instead, they seek answers to life’s problems through inner meditation and outer observation.

Some of the basic tenets of Taoism are the following:

Time is cyclical, not linear as in Western thinking.
One should plan in advance and consider carefully each action before making it.
Taoists follow the art of “wu wei,” which is to let nature take its course. For example, one should allow a river to flow towards the sea unimpeded; do not erect a dam that would interfere with its natural flow.
Taoists strongly promote health and vitality.
The five main organs and orifices of the body correspond to the five elements: water, fire, wood, metal, and earth.
Development of virtue is one’s chief task. The Three Jewels to be sought are compassion, moderation, and humility.

A Look at Wu Wei in Taoism

In Chinese, wu wei translates to “non-doing or doing nothing;” this concept is key to the noblest kind of action, according to the philosophy of Taoism, and is at the heart of what it means to follow the Tao.

According to the Tao Te Ching: “The Tao never acts yet nothing is left undone.” This is the paradox of wu wei; it doesn’t mean not acting, it means “effortless action” or “actionless action.” Simply put, this means being in a state of peace while engaged in even the most frantic task can allow one to carry it out with maximum skill and efficiency.

The meaning of wu wei is captured when we talk of being “in the zone,” or at one with what we are doing and in a state of flow. It’s also closely connected to the Taoist reverence for the natural world, for it means striving to make our behavior as spontaneous and inevitable as certain natural processes.

Wu wei involves letting go of thoughts or ideals that we may otherwise try to force too violently onto things. Instead, it invites us to respond to the true demands of situations by putting our ego-driven plans aside. What can follow is a loss of self-consciousness; a new unity between the self and its environment. This change in state unleashes energy that’s normally held back by an overly aggressive, willful style of thinking.

The Tao Te Ching points out that to achieve wu wei we should be like water, which is “submissive and weak and yet which can’t be surpassed for attacking what is hard and strong.” Through gentle persistence and compliance with the specific shape of a problem, an obstacle can be worked around and gradually eroded.

Yin and Yang in Taoism

Taoism’s purpose is to assist individuals in experiencing their essential nature as inseparable from that of the cosmos and to be part of the flow of life. An important first step toward attaining this experience of interconnectedness is by learning to recognize and align ourselves with the movement of life itself, which can be achieved through an understanding of Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang, the two essential and interdependent energies of life, describe the underlying unity of life through the interplay of two primal forces. Though opposite in nature, Yin and Yang are not diametrically opposed, but rather complementary and relative to one another.

Yang is characterized as creative, assertive, and light, while Yin is receptive, yielding, and dark. It’s important to note that these attributes are only descriptive and do not carry any moral value. The interaction between Yin and Yang creates all manifestations, and it’s through them that the Tao reveals itself.

Our entire physical reality is based on the interplay of both Yin and Yang energies. Whether it’s the structure of DNA, with its positive and negative strands, the transmission of neurons in our brains, or the makeup of electricity with its positive and negative currents — all of these processes take place because of these two opposing energies.

The original meaning of the term “Yin-Yang” signified the dark (Yin) and light (Yang) sides of a mountain. Early in the day, the sun would illuminate one part of the mountain while the other side would remain dark. As the sun moved across the sky, it gradually began to light the opposite side while the earlier sunlit face became dark. Light and dark were not static but interacted with one another, defined one another, and actually assumed each other’s roles in the process of change. This describes the interplay of Yin and Yang within Taoism.

Pictured: Yin and Yang characteristics Source: The Lazy Taoist

The Eight Immortals Of Taoism

For devout believers, a central tenet of Taoism is the idea that adhering to certain beliefs and practices can potentially lead to immortality. It’s unknown just how many Taoist practitioners have achieved immortality, but the founder of Taoism, Lao-Tzu, is thought to be immortal.

The religious tradition of Taoism venerates a group of eight xian, or immortals, who offer a concrete symbol of this ability to transcend the limitations of ordinary human life through the beliefs and practices of Taoism. They serve as mythological archetypes of immortality achieved through practice.

Here’s a breakdown of the eight immortals of Taoism:

He Xian Gu: Often considered the only woman among the Immortals. He Xian Gu is usually depicted carrying a lotus flower, which is said to improve one’s mental and physical health.
Cao Guo Jiu: As a member of the royal family in the Song Dynasty, Cao Guo Jiu is often shown dressed in official robes and holding a jade tablet. He’s commonly regarded as the patron of actors and the theater.
Lan Caihe: Sometimes depicted as a male but other times as a female. Lan Caihe is often shown carrying a bamboo flower basket and a pair of bamboo castanets. They’re known to be eccentric, serving to symbolize a carefree life devoid of the concerns and responsibilities of ordinary life.
Lu Dongbin (also spelled Lu Tung Pin): Believed to be a scholar and poet that lived during the Tang Dynasty. Lu Dongbin’s symbol is a magic sword that dispels evil spirits and provides him with invisibility. He’s regarded as a patron deity for highly literate people; some also see him as a champion of the medical profession.
Han Xiang Zi: Thought to be related to a Confucian scholar. Han Xiang Zi is often depicted carrying a flute and is regarded as a patron deity of musicians.
Zhang Guo Lao: Lived from approximately the middle of the 7th century into the 8th century, practicing as a Taoist hermit in the mountains of east-central China. Zhang Guo Lao is typically shown seated on a white mule, often facing backward. For Taoists, he is regarded as a protector of children and a patron of wine and the good life.
Zhongli Quan: Usually shown with his chest exposed and holding a fan with which he can resurrect the dead and transform stones into precious metals. Zhongli Quan is usually featured with a long beard and a glass of wine.

Pictured: Left; Zhongli Quan (Three Stars), Top Right; He Xian Gu (Tsingtao), Bottom Right; Lan Caihe (Ferre Beekeeper)

Teachings of Taoism to Help You Navigate Life

In a modern world that never sleeps, anyone could benefit from the simplicity found in Taoism. You can grasp some of its key concepts with a few quotes from Taoism’s most important book, the Tao Te Ching. This wisdom lays a simple framework for achieving harmony, which may help you navigate life with ease.

Simplicity, Compassion, and Patience

“Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.”

The Lesson: Life can get complicated, but sometimes all we need to do is get back to the basics. When feeling overwhelmed, these guidelines present essential rules on how to manage actions, relationships, and self-worth in a few concise sentences.

Letting Go

“If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.”

The Lesson: Many Eastern philosophies remind us of the only true constants in life: change and death. While not an easy thing to do, accepting these facts of life can release you from suffering and bring greater freedom into your life. We must remember to let go, and allow life to take its course.

Harmony

“Tao engenders One; One engenders Two; Two engenders Three; Three engenders all things. All things carry the Yin (femininity) while embracing the Yang (masculinity). Neutralizing energy brings them into harmony.”

The Lesson: The Chinese concept of Yin and Yang describes nature in dualities with two opposite, complementary, and interdependent forces. In other words, two halves balancing together to make a whole; one aspect increases as the other decreases, and this balance continues as a pattern in nature.

Examining and understanding these patterns in ourselves and around us brings more balance in life. For example, a person that becomes too rigid may break under pressure. Instead, they should try to become softer and more flexible to restore the balance of Yin to Yang.

Going With the Flow

“When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.”

The Lesson: This quote explains the concept of wu wei, uncontrived action or natural non-intervention. In life, rather than fighting against the conditions in our lives, we can allow things to take their natural course. This can also mean that when you don’t know what to do, do nothing. Instead, look inward and outward in your life, ponder the potential courses of action, and only jump at opportunities when you feel ready.

In Conclusion

The Tao Te Ching, a two and half thousand-year text credited to Lao-Tzu and the second most translated book in world literature, forms the basis of Taoism. Gaining knowledge of the main principles of Taoism allows us to cultivate and strengthen our own process of self-exploration, growth, and transformation, and it helps to connect us deeply to our inner nature and to the world around us.

Which teaching of Taoism resonated the most with you? Let us know in the comments!

An Intro to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Posted on August 30, 2022March 21, 2024 by Jennifer Norman

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete medical system that has been used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illnesses for more than 2,000 years. Its basic concept is that a vital force of life, called Qi, surges through the body, and any imbalance to Qi can cause disease and illness. TCM practitioners use treatments that are specific to the individual, such as acupuncture, cupping, or moxibustion, to restore this balance. In this blog, we will explore the great practitioners of TCM, along with Qi and the meridians of the body, and TCM’s use in herbal medicine, food, genetics research, and drug development.

A Look At Traditional Chinese Medicine

China has one of the world’s oldest medical systems with acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies dating back at least 2,200 years. The earliest known written record of Chinese medicine is the Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic) from the 3rd century BCE, which provided the theoretical concepts for TCM that remain the basis of its practice today.

In essence, TCM healers seek to restore a dynamic balance between two complementary forces, Yin (passive) and Yang (active), which pervade the human body as they do the universe as a whole. According to TCM, a person is healthy when harmony exists between these two forces; illness, on the other hand, results from a breakdown in the equilibrium of Yin and Yang.

Treatments to regain a Yin and Yang balance may include:

Acupuncture, which involves the insertion of very thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body.
Moxibustion, which consists of burning dried mugwort on particular points on the body.
Cupping, which is a form of alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin with the application of heated cups.
Massage, which can help to regulate the flow of energy and blood, increase blood circulation, and relieve body pain and stress.
Herbal remedies, which can strengthen organ function and support good health.
Movement and concentration exercises, such as tai chi, which include specifically-designed movements to help an individual regain balance.

Pictured: Cupping; top left (The Thirty), Acupuncture; top right (Forbes), Moxibustion; bottom left (American institute of Alternative Medicine), Tai Chi; bottom right (Britannica)

The Great Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The hard work and dedication of various practitioners in ancient China have made an impact on not just Traditional Chinese Medicine, but also Western Medicine. A few great practitioners of TCM to take note of are:

Zhang Zhongjing

Pictured: Zhang Zhongjing Source: The Wandering Cloud ACM

Zhang Zhongjing (150-219 CE), the most famous of China’s physicians, lived during the Eastern Han dynasty and was known for his remarkable medical skill and significant contribution to Traditional Chinese Medicine. He wrote a medical masterpiece entitled Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases). Zhang Zhongjing’s theory and prescriptions, such as moxibustion, acupuncture, and herbal medicine, are still of great medical value and are the standard reference work for TCM.

Hua Tuo

Pictured: Hua Tuo Source: The Epoch Times

Another famous physician of Traditional Chinese Medicine was Hua Tuo (145-208 CE). Hua Tuo developed the use of anesthesia in surgery and further advanced the Chinese’s knowledge of anatomy. He was also the first person to use narcotic drugs in the world, preceding the West by about 1600 to 1700 years.1

Wang Shuhe

Pictured: Wang Shuhe Source: The Coltons Point Times

Wang Shuhe (180-270 CE) was a Chinese physician who wrote the Maijing (The Pulse Classics), which is an influential work describing the pulse and its importance in the diagnosis of disease. Wang Shuhe’s contributions to medical science were not limited to sphygmology, though; he also made outstanding contributions to the collation of ancient literature.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi, and the Meridians

A main aspect of TCM is an understanding of the body’s Qi, which is known as life force and literally translates to “vital breath.” Qi is universal and embraces all manifestations of energy, from the most material aspects of energy, such as the earth beneath your feet, to the most immaterial aspects, such as light and emotion.

Life, it’s said in the Chinese medical classics, is a gathering of Qi. A healthy and happy human being is a dynamic but harmonious mixture of all the aspects of Qi that make up who we are. Qi is in a state of continuous flux, transforming endlessly from one aspect of Qi into another. It’s neither created nor is it ever destroyed; it simply changes in its manifestation.2

Qi flows through invisible meridians, or channels, of the body that connects organs, tissues, veins, nerves, cells, atoms, and consciousness itself. There are 12 major meridians with each connecting to one of the 12 major organs in TCM theory. The meridians are also related to circadian rhythms, seasons, and planetary movements, which create additional invisible networks.

Pictured: The Meridians Source: Dr. Huong

In acupuncture, for example, very thin needles are inserted into specific areas along the meridians. The needles stimulate the meridians and readjust the flow of Qi to balance the body’s Yin and Yang. While the meridian network can be used to alleviate symptoms, it’s also said that TCM can endow individuals with the ability to change consciousness after treatments.

To learn more about Qi, the meridians, and acupuncture, click here.

Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Five Element Theory

Philosophers have questioned the origins of life and the makeup of the universe since prehistory, the time before written records existed. According to some traditions, including TCM, everything in the universe comes from the five elements: wood, fire, earth, water, and metal.

“The five elements are used in pretty much every different style of TCM to some extent to diagnose and differentiate between different illnesses, dysfunctions, and people,” says Tiffany Cruikshank, licensed acupuncturist, experienced registered yoga teacher, and founder of Yoga Medicine.

The elements are all connected; wood feeds fire, fire makes earth, earth creates metal, metal holds water, and water nourishes wood. Each element both controls and is controlled by another element. One element may manifest heavier within us than others, which is where we are strongest, yet most vulnerable.

Each element has unique characteristics and becoming aware of your elemental dominance can help explain the physiology and pathology within your body. Here’s a breakdown of the five elemental types in TCM:

A “Wood Personality” is someone who is athletic, energetic, and adventurous. Wood personalities tend to be anxious and angry, and may suffer from orthopedic issues, migraines, or ADD.
A “Fire Personality” is someone who is passionate, creative, and authoritative. Fire personalities tend to be impulsive and irritable, and may suffer from insomnia, high blood pressure, chest pains, or headaches.
An “Earth Personality” is someone who is nurturing, generous, and caregiving. Earth personalities tend to be worrisome and pensive, and may suffer from abdominal issues or hormonal problems.
A “Metal Personality” is someone who is meticulous, honest, and responsible. Metal personalities tend to be melancholy and may suffer from constipation, lung and skin issues, or allergies.
A “Water Personality” is an old soul that is known to be wise, reflective, and private. Water personalities tend to be indecisive, fearful, and paranoid, and may suffer from back pain, knee pain, and kidney and bladder infections.

Pictured: The Five Element Theory traits and characteristics Source: Scottsdale Acupuncture

If you want to find out your element type, you can take this quiz.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbal Therapy

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbs and herbal formulas are used to strengthen organ function and support good health. TCM practitioners have an understanding of the essence of various herbal components to create a healing effect that goes beyond the chemical composition and physical properties of the herbs to correctly stimulate or adjust the body’s own energy vibration.

Many TCM herbal formulas have been in use for more than 2,200 years, and are composed of ingredients chosen to function in combination with each other. In Western Medicine, medications are commonly prescribed for a specific effect, while in TCM, each herb in a formula has a different purpose or role to help the body achieve harmony.

For a plant to be included in TCM herbal therapy, each of its parts has to be identified for a different healing purpose. The following are a few of the most used Traditional Chinese Medicinal herbs, along with their benefits:

‌‌‌‌Ginkgo Biloba: Promotes Brain Health and Improved Memory
‌‌‌‌Ginseng (Ren Shen): Offers Immune Support and Improved Bone Strength
Turmeric: Possesses Anti-inflammatory, Anti-oxidant, and Digestive Health Properties
Astragalus (Huang Qi): Offers Immune Support and Brain Protection
Cinnamon: Regulates Blood Sugar and Promotes Dental Health

Pictured: Ginseng; top left (Me & Qi), Astragalus; top right (EBAY), Turmeric‌‌‌‌; bottom left (Homestead and Chill), Ginkgo Biloba; bottom right (Indiamart)

Herbs can have effects on the body as powerful as pharmaceutical drugs, which is why you should consult with your doctor before taking part in herbal therapy. Additionally, you should never abandon your regular medication or alter the dose without the knowledge and approval of your doctor.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Food

Much like herbs, TCM views the healing properties of foods in the same way; different foods carry different energies that can go directly to specific organs to help them heal. Food is divided into five natures, called “siQi”: cold, cool, neutral, warm, and hot. The nature of food is not determined by its actual temperature, but rather by what effects it will have on an individual’s body after consumption.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, when a person continually eats one type of food, it creates an imbalance in their body and affects their immune system. Thus, one of the keys in Traditional Chinese Medicine is to keep our body “neutral.” Traditional Chinese Medicine also tells us that having food at a moderate temperature is ideal to avoid overstraining the digestive organs.3

Pictured: Traditional Chinese Medicine Food Chart Source: Pinterest

There’s a saying in TCM: “The five grains provide nourishment. The five vegetables provide filling. The five domestic animals provide enrichment. The five fruits provide support.” This means that a balanced diet, where foods are consumed in appropriate combinations according to their natures and flavors, serves to supplement the essence that the human body needs.4

Traditional Chinese Medicine, Genetic Research, and Drug Development

Considering the fact that Traditional Chinese Medicine is now an academic discipline in the field of medicine, there are modern developments that are worth taking note of, such as the use of TCM in genetics research.

The Yin and Yang principle can be applied to a genetic disease such as inherited breast cancer and its associated genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. According to this principle of natural law, if either of these genes is activated, somewhere in another part of the genetic code there also exists a gene to fix this action. There must be complementary programs running — one for developing the disease and one for healing it.5

In addition to genetics research, nearly 200 modern medicines have been developed either directly or indirectly from the 7,300 species of plants used in TCM. For example, ephedrine, an alkaloid used to treat asthma, was first isolated from the Chinese herb Ma Huang. Another alkaloid known as huperzine A was isolated from a widely used ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine known as Huperzia serrata, which is a type of fir moss.

Pictured: Ma Huang; top (The Plant Attraction), Huperzia serrata, bottom (HSN)

In Conclusion

Even if you aren’t familiar with all of the fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine, you’re probably familiar with some of its practices. Maybe you’ve had an acupuncture session, taken turmeric for arthritis pain, or signed up at the local tai chi studio. Either way, TCM’s popularity has remained consistent throughout the centuries for improving health and wellness when used alongside conventional medical therapies.

What is your TCM elemental type? Have you ever tried a TCM treatment? Let us know in the comments!

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Tuo [1]

https://magazine.circledna.com/what-does-traditional-chinese-medicine-say-about-qi/ [2]

https://www.pingminghealth.com/article/581/warming-and-cooling-characteristics-of-common-foods/ [3]

https://qiblog.emperors.edu/2015/10/the-role-of-healthy-eating-in-traditional-chinese-medicine/ [4]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3814386/ [5]

All About Facial Yoga

Posted on August 23, 2022December 18, 2023 by Jennifer Norman

In the ongoing quest to age gracefully and exude a sense of inner peace, many people are searching for natural, affordable options that will help them look and feel better. Facial yoga involves massages and exercises that stimulate the muscles, skin, and lymphatic system by relaxing your face muscles to help alleviate tension, stress, and worry. In this blog, we will dive into facial yoga and its origins, while also touching on its benefits and how you can practice facial yoga in the comfort of your own home.

What Is Facial Yoga?

Facial yoga doesn’t involve the usual Shavasana or Downward-Facing Dog poses that you’re familiar with from your yoga practice. Essentially, “yoga” is just a catchy way to say facial exercises that move the muscles on your face into certain positions — similar to yoga for your body.

The idea is that performing these exercises will keep your face looking toned by lifting areas that are drooping, which can trim years from your visage. A balanced facial yoga routine includes exercises along with massage, relaxation, and acupressure techniques.

“The aim is to create a moment of self-care where you improve blood circulation for a healthy glow and reduce stress and tension in your face,” says Dr. Elsa Jungman, Ph.D., a scientist, microbiome expert, and proponent of facial yoga.

“Most people hold tension in their faces, whether through facial expressions or too much time in front of a screen. All these daily activities cause patterns in how we use our face and the specific muscles we recruit,” Dr. Jungman says. “This is why we want to focus more on releasing and softening our faces to let go of these patterns and any held facial tension.”

You can create a facial yoga routine to target a specific area of concern in your face, such as frown lines, forehead lines, or crow’s feet; or you can focus on concerns related to issues such as stress, anxiety, or sleep. With a consistent facial yoga routine, you can help to create positive long-term effects for your skin.

The Origins of Facial Yoga and Fumiko Takatsu

While facial yoga is a rising trend, utilizing facial exercises for skin benefits is not a new practice. Egyptian queen Cleopatra, for example, is believed to have used forms of facial exercises to keep her skin toned and youthful.

Fumiko Takatsu, known as a facial yoga pioneer and founder of the famous Face Yoga Method, wrote about its origins on her website, saying she came up with the concept following a car crash in which her body was injured and her face was left looking “asymmetrical”.

Pictured: Fumiko Takatsu Source: Medium

Standing in front of the mirror one day, Takatsu had a realization: “If I exercise my body muscles, I should be able to do the same for my face.” After Takatsu started practicing this method, people began praising her appearance and were eager to know how she achieved such results. With these experiences, the Face Yoga Method was born.

Takatsu says, “Women and men come to us to look younger, naturally, but they stay for the way they feel and the value they get for being a Face Yogi. We offer 100% natural alternatives to cosmetic procedures and plastic surgeries but we never label ourselves as anti-aging.

The mission behind the Face Yoga Method, according to Takatsu, is to empower men and women to reclaim their confidence and embrace their age naturally and become part of the new age in beauty — the PRO-age movement.1

Today, thanks to individuals like Takatsu, many celebrities swear by facial yoga, including Madonna, Cindy Crawford, and the Kardashians. Meghan Markle, for example, has often praised the practice and uses facial yoga exercises to keep the volume in her cheeks.

The Benefits of Facial Yoga

The benefits of facial yoga may be more than skin deep. Touted as a natural facelift that also enhances your overall health, practitioners say its benefits are immense. Additionally, research supporting these benefits is mounting.

A small 2018 study investigated the effectiveness of 32 facial exercises in reducing the appearance of aging in middle-aged women. For the first eight weeks, the participants did daily 30-minute sessions of facial exercises. During the next 12 weeks, they did the sessions every other day.

Most of the women showed improvements in the fullness of their faces and were highly satisfied with the visible results. They reported significant improvement in 18 of 20 facial features. Researchers plan to further these findings through more studies in a similar vein.2

Another small 2018 study examined the benefits of facial exercises in improving the mental health of older individuals. The participants did 30-minute facial exercise sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks, which included yogic breathing as well as rhythmic facial movement and muscle stretching.

The results reported positive improvements related to mental health, facial expression, and tongue muscle power. It was also noted that some of the participants may have looked younger at the end of the study, with two dermatologists estimating the participants’ average age was 50.8 years old at the start of the study and 48.1 years old 20 weeks later.3

In addition to the reported reduction of the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, facial yoga may promote increased lymphatic drainage leading to reduced puffiness and improved circulation. Face yoga practitioners also report that it may help to:

Control Face Muscles
Promote Proper Nostril Breathing
Firm the Neckline
Reprogram Muscle Memory
Improve Symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders4
Make Your Face More Symmetrical
Reduce the Appearance of Dark Under Eye Circles
Improve Confidence
Tone Face Muscles
Correct Sagging
Generate Positive Emotions
Make Your Face Less Rounded

It’s important to keep in mind that facial yoga won’t alter the texture of your skin, according to Harvard Health, though moving and stretching scarred skin through facial yoga can lessen the appearance of scars.4

DIY Facial Yoga

You can perform facial yoga in the comfort of your own home as part of your skincare routine and self-care practice. Dr. Jungman recommends practicing for five to 10-minutes each day to start, eventually working your way up to 15 to 20-minutes per day.

Follow this routine, shared by the skincare experts at Origins, for a serene rejuvenation that can leave you feeling empowered:

Step 1

Try to remember to always sanitize before doing your skincare routine. “Bacteria is all over our hands,” confirms Virginia-based dermatologist Dr. Lily Talakoub. “From our doorknobs to desks, keyboards, shopping carts — it’s everywhere. Your face is a warm home for bacteria, so wash and sanitize your hands before doing any skincare to prevent any transfer of bacteria, which can cause acne and skin infections.”

Step 2

Apply two pumps of your favorite facial oil to your fingertips, such as the Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil, which is an exceptionally-crafted formula that’s a powerful skin treatment fusing clean plant nutrients rich in antioxidant, adaptogenic, rejuvenating, and moisturizing properties.

Step 3

If your favorite facial oil is scented with aromatherapy botanicals, tent your hands over your nose while breathing deeply to inhale the aromas. Next, spread the serum all over your face. Bend your index and middle fingers, then place your chin between those knuckles. Gently glide your fingers upward along your jawline three times; take a deep breath.

Source: My Related Life

Step 4

Place your thumbs beneath your cheekbones with palms facing forward. Guide your thumbs up toward your temples three times; take a deep breath. Position your fingertips in the center of your brow. Applying firm pressure, sweep up and out toward your hairline and temples three times; take a deep breath.

Source: My Related Life

Step 5

If needed, add a few more drops of your facial oil onto your hands. Slide your fingers upward on each side of your neck three times. With your fingertips beneath your jawline, gently push your chin upward; take a deep breath.

Source: My Related Life

Step 6

Repeat as many times as needed. After you’re done, bask in the glow of your DIY face renewal.

In Conclusion

Facial yoga is a wonderful self-care technique that may improve your appearance by softening, stretching, and strengthening your face muscles. This outer transformation is often accompanied by feelings of serenity and confidence. According to Danielle Collins, the founder of Danielle Collins’ Face Yoga, facial yoga can help you get in tune with what you need by activating the healing power of your own hands.

She says, “I also recommend using positive affirmations as part of facial yoga, which helps us to feel grateful for our faces and skin while cultivating self-love. Engaging in this nourishing practice helps you to feel calmer and happier.”

Try to dedicate some time daily for facial yoga since Collins points out: “Regular daily practice is what gives best results.” After all, taking time for yourself each day can be a gentle reminder to tune in to your needs and how you’re feeling.

Do you use any facial yoga techniques in your self-care and skincare routine? Let us know in the comments!

References:

https://medium.com/authority-magazine/women-in-wellness-face-yoga-expert-fumiko-takatsu-on-the-five-lifestyle-tweaks-that-will-help-d88f8fc6a462 [1]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5885810/ [2]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29503371/ [3]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23356206/ [4]

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/does-your-face-need-a-workout [5]

The Brain-Beauty Connection: A Look at Neuroaesthetics

Posted on August 9, 2022March 21, 2024 by Jennifer Norman

Neuroaesthetics, an innovative new area of neuroscience research, has the potential to help us understand the ways our brain responds to art. The truth is that aesthetic experiences — and the arts — are hard-wired in all of us; they are evolutionary imperatives, encoded in our DNA as an essential part of our humanity. In addition, they are fundamental to our health, well-being, and learning. In this blog, we will explore the brain’s connection to the arts, along with a few prominent initiatives changing the healthcare world through art therapy.

The Power of the Arts

According to evolutionary biologist E.O. Wilson, the arts are reinforced in the brain through reward, pleasure, and fear circuitry, which confirms their link to our survival as a species. As they did in our evolutionary past, the arts still serve the same primal function today: to help us to communicate and connect.

In fact, Dennis Dutton, in his book, The Art Instinct, argues that the drive to make art is encoded in our genes, going all the way back to the DNA of our earliest ancestors.

Anthropologist and author Ellen Dissanayake agrees that art has played an essential role in our evolution and ability to adapt. In 1995, she wrote in her book Homo Aestheticus, that self-expression and the creation of art is a basic human need.

Through her fieldwork, Dissanayake documented this universal artistic impulse in cultures around the world. She found that even those with few material possessions practiced decorating objects, personal adornment, and community song and dance rituals.

From the sacred chanting of Gregorian monks and Native American dance rituals to the present day, the arts have been used as healing tools throughout the ages. However, it’s only over the past 15 years that scientific research has come to the notion that the arts are something humans can’t afford to live without.

Your Brain and the Arts

Aesthetic experiences, and their impact on the mind and body, are much more than the sum of individual brain regions or activities. Sophisticated neural networks are created in your brain to achieve heightened states of connectivity.

One of the core neural mechanisms at play is the process of perception, by which external stimuli enter the brain through the senses and are processed by the brain’s perceptual systems.

Eric Kandel, in his book Reductionism in Art and Brain Science: Bridging the Two Cultures, proposes that the co-mingling of our sensory and cognitive functions dictates perception. Essentially, we take in the world through our senses and make meaning through cognition; this interplay results in an aesthetic experience unique to each specific person.

Neuroaesthetic researchers are also studying the activation of reward systems and the default mode network when viewing or creating art. The reward system releases feel-good brain chemicals, such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, which trigger sensations of pleasure and positive emotions.

In fact, according to The Telegraph, looking at a painting, sculpture, or other artwork increases blood flow to the brain by as much as 10%, which is the equivalent of looking at someone you love.

Still, viewing art isn’t just about making sense of the shapes. Rather than just thinking art is beautiful, we, as humans, want to place ourselves into the artwork. This placement occurs through a process known as embodied cognition, in which mirror neurons in the brain turn things like action, movement, and energy you see in art into actual emotions you can feel.1

Embodied cognition starts when you look at a piece of art. The more you analyze the piece, the more you place yourself within the scene and can actually feel the quality of the works. For instance, viewers of a drip painting by Jackson Pollock can often feel like they are the ones flinging the paint onto the canvas.

Pictured: Drip painting by Jackson Pollock Source: Forbes

However, creating art invigorates the brain in ways that are distinct from merely viewing art. Studies have credited the actual production of visual art with increases in functional connectivity in the brain along with enhanced activation of the visual cortex.2

Researchers compare the process of creating art with exercise for the brain and even suggest that, similar to how physical exercise aids the body, creating art may help to keep the mind sharp and lucid well into old age.3

A Study on the Connection Between Neurology and Art

A study carried out in 2007 by a team of neurologists attempted to answer the question of whether beauty is completely subjective or not. To do this, they showed the volunteers images of Classical and Renaissance sculptures while they were in a magnetic resonance machine.4

The participants were shown the original images, then the same sculptures but with modified proportions. After seeing the photos, the volunteers had to say whether they liked them or not, and then make a judgment on the proportions.

Pictured: An example of the modified proportions of a sculpture Source: Research Gate

The scientists found that, upon observing the original sculptures, there was an activation of the insular cortex. This region of the brain deals specifically with abstract thinking, decision making, and perception.

When the participants thought the sculptures were beautiful, the right part of the amygdala showed a response, which is the area of the brain that’s crucial in the processing of emotions like satisfaction and fear.5

Pictured: Brain scans show activity when subjects perceive beauty. Source: Research Gate

The Pioneers of Neuroaesthetics

In the late 1990s, the study of the intersection of brain sciences and the arts was first coined as “neuroaesthetics” by Semir Zeki, a renowned neuroscientist, and professor at the University College of London. The initial research focused on empirical aesthetics by examining the neural bases underlying how we perceive and judge works of art and aesthetic experiences.

At the University of California, San Diego, neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran developed the “eight laws of artistic experience,” which is based loosely on Buddha’s “eight-fold path” to wisdom and enlightenment. The laws were developed to describe the core neural mechanisms underpinning our enjoyment of visual art.

Ramachandran theorized that tactics employed by visual artists, such as the use of symmetry, balance, and grouping, generate an aesthetic appeal and pleasurable response for which the viewer’s brain is exquisitely wired.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, French neuroscientist Jean-Pierre Changeux studied the role of emotion and memory in the contemplation of art. He theorized that the experience stimulated a complex mental synthesis allowing us to link forms and figures to a larger meaning.

Using fMRI, neuroscientists Ed Vessel from the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics and Amy Belfi at Missouri University of Science and Technology have added to Changeux’s work by exploring the default mode network’s role in the mental synthesis that ultimately shapes what we find most aesthetically meaningful.

This new wave of research wasn’t just concerned with visual art. In the 1980s, for example, Robert Zatorre, a cognitive neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal, explored the neurological impacts of music. Zatorre believed that understanding how we experience music on a neurological level could lead to a better understanding of the structure and pathways of the brain as a whole.

“Increasing numbers of investigators are convinced that music can yield valuable information about how the brain works,” Zatorre said in an article published in the journal, Nature. “They believe that the study of the brain and the study of music can be mutually revealing.”

Zatorre’s work proved that making and listening to music engages functions and networks across the brain, including those involved in memory and learning, reward and pleasure, and emotion. In the case of playing music, it connected pathways from the sections of the brain that deal with senses to the sections that deal with motor skills.

Anjan Chatterjee, a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, further defined the experience of art as a trinity of sensation, emotion, and meaning. He proposed that an aesthetic event triggers an emotional response that can result in a sense of deeper personal significance.

Antonio Damasio, a neurologist studying the neural systems that underlie emotion, decision making, memory, language, and consciousness says, “Joy or sorrow can emerge only after the brain registers physical changes in the body.The brain is constantly receiving signals from the body, registering what is going on inside of us. It then processes the signals in neural maps, which it then compiles in the so-called somatosensory centers. Feelings occur when the maps are read and it becomes apparent that emotional changes have been recorded.”

Neuroaesthetics Continues to Evolve

Today, the field of neuroaesthetics continues to evolve with a growing body of evidence demonstrating the direct impact of the visual arts, architecture, design, digital media, and music on the human brain, biology, and behavior

Cutting-edge brain research is revealing in grand detail how aesthetic experiences enter the brain through the senses and how they profoundly impact our biological circuitry. In fact, scientists can now identify biomarkers that offer measurable ways to characterize changes in the brain.

Now, when people are creating or experiencing some art forms, wearable sensors and mobile devices are being used to measure changes in breathing, temperature, heart rate, and skin responses. These technologies allow us to capture more accurate information as we engage with the world in real time.

However, there are many issues when it comes to health and wellbeing around the world, and unfortunately, these problems are continuing to worsen. For example, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as mental health disorders such as depression, are straining public health systems.

Neuroaesthetics offers research-based evidence that a variety of arts-based approaches may work to improve quality of life, mobility, mental health, speech, memory, pain, learning, and more. Interventions like these could potentially lower the cost and burden of chronic disease, neurological disorders, and mental health issues for millions of people.

Research-To-Practice Neuroaesthetic Initiatives

A multitude of research-to-practice initiatives have launched around the world, paving the way for a shift from theory to impact. Here’s a deeper look into three prominent neuroaesthetic initiatives:

Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network

Pictured: A military member painting Source: Psychology Today

For those in the military, adapting to life at home after the traumas of war can be incredibly difficult. With traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression on the rise in the military, service members and loved ones may find it hard to understand and address these invisible wounds on their own.

Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. It involves a creative arts approach to help heal service members and veterans dealing with war trauma through writing, music, or art-making, alongside conventional medical treatment.

In a popular TED Talk, Melissa Walker, an art therapist and researcher at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, explained how making art can help service members access pre-language areas of the brain through the use of symbols. She goes on to mention how mask making practices can enable individuals to unlock traumatic experiences by turning nightmares and painful memories into something that can be shared and released.

Clinically, art therapy has been shown to reduce symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and interrupted sleep, and increase tolerance of hyper-vigilance, pain, and stress. In addition, it can help channel aggressive behavior and anger into healthy forms of self-expression, along with reducing the sense of isolation service members may feel when facing combat trauma.

The Creative Forces fully acknowledges that trauma is not limited to service members; it believes that the discovery of cost-effective arts-based interventions is critical to the overall health and wellbeing of the entire world.

You can learn more about Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network here.

Dance for PD

Pictured: Individuals with PD dancing Source: Mark Morris Dance Group

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting an estimated ten million people worldwide. It causes a host of movement-related symptoms, including tremors, muscle rigidity, slowness, and postural instability. Patients often describe challenges with everyday tasks that require fine motor control, such as writing and buttoning clothing.

As the disease progresses, patients may develop a slow, shuffling gait and experience balance problems. As their mobility decreases, patients may lose their autonomy and self-confidence and suffer cognitive and mood problems, all of which severely impact their overall quality of life.

Programs like Dance for PD are designed to combat both physical and mental sides of the disorder through creativity, social interaction, and “voluntary” movement, cued by music to activate specific brain regions.

In 2001, Olie Westheimer, the founder and executive director of the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, approached the internationally-acclaimed Mark Morris Dance Group proposing the idea of a rigorous, creative dance class for her members.

Westheimer knew from her own dance background that professional dancers developed cognitive strategies to execute difficult movements with power and grace and wanted to bestow some of that wisdom upon people with PD.

What started as monthly classes for about six people in Brooklyn has evolved into Dance for PD classes in more than 250 communities in 25 countries around the world. The program’s teaching practice is underpinned by evidence from 38 peer-reviewed studies indicating its possible benefits.

Through Parkinson’s Quality of Life measurements, class participants with Parkinson’s disease reported physical, emotional, and social benefits. In addition, early research shows improvements in motor and cognitive function as well as mood.

You can learn more about Dance for PD here.

Playful Learning Landscapes

Pictured: A child playing a Playful Learning Landscapes instrument Source: Dunham Foundation

In the United States, children from under-resourced communities enter formal schooling well behind the starting line. It’s been proven that they commonly fall behind their peers in language development, reading readiness, and spatial skills.

While education is known as the great equalizer in closing developmental gaps, the reality is that children only spend 20% of their waking hours in school. The Playful Learning Landscapes initiative is bringing together scientists, urban planners, architects, and educators with the goal of utilizing the other 80% of children’s time through creative placemaking, which is a practice that infuses arts and culture into community spaces to effect social change.

In the Supermarket Speak Project, for example, colorful and engaging signs are posted throughout stores in low income neighborhoods to encourage caregiver-child interactions that center on skills like counting and learning the names of various foods. Pilot research showed a 33% increase in caregiver-child communication.

Pictured: Supermarket Speak Project signs Source: Playful Learning Landscapes

In The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children, published in the journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics, individuals associated with Playful Learning Landscapes touched on the critical importance of play in the development of a child’s executive function and social skills.

“Play is not frivolous: it enhances brain structure and function and promotes executive function (ie, the process of learning, rather than the content), which allow us to pursue goals and ignore distractions.”

The authors go on to say that “An increasing societal focus on academic readiness (promulgated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) has led to a focus on structured activities that are designed to promote academic results as early as preschool, with a corresponding decrease in playful learning.”

Playful Learning Landscapes’ mission is to reverse this trend through a variety of branching initiatives, projects, and research. It’s now collaborating with organizations, communities, and cities around the world to create more playful and enriching learning environments for children and families.

You can learn more about Playful Learning Landscapes here.

In Conclusion

The power of the arts has always been with us, but a deeper understanding of its impact on the brain is relatively new. Research is proving that experiencing or creating art sparks a dynamic interplay among brain cells that spearheads billions of changes affecting our thoughts, emotions, and actions, which in turn can promote healing and empowerment. Its potential benefits transcend class, gender, age, race, and culture, making the arts a superpower for all.

What are your thoughts on how our brains connect with the arts? Let us know in the comments!

References:

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/embodied-cognition/ [1]

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep39185 [2]

https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2017.00019 [3]

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5817749_The_Golden_Beauty_Brain_Response_to_Classical_and_Renaissance_Sculptures [4][5]

The Ancient Practice of Gua Sha

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Jennifer Norman

Gua Sha (pronounced gwa-shah) is a tool, or tools, used to scrape the skin to promote circulation. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) utilized Gua Sha tools thousands of years ago to increase blood circulation and heal the body. Today, the practice continues to evolve into a sought-after addition to people’s beauty regimen to tone and tighten skin. In this blog, we will explore the origins of Gua Sha, its benefits, and the tools and techniques used for this ancient skin practice.

What Is Gua Sha?

Gua Sha is a traditional Eastern and Southeast Asian healing technique in which a smooth, credit-card-sized “board” is pressed along the body’s skin; however, in more recent years, it’s been adapted for the face and neck, as well. The idea behind Gua Sha is that light pressure releases fascial and muscular tension and moves sluggish lymph fluid to tone the face.

Originally, Gua Sha was used to release different aches and pains in the body. For example, in TCM, it was commonly used on the upper back to invigorate blood flow, release heat toxins, stimulate lymphatic drainage, activate various acupressure points of the body, and stimulate an immune response bringing beneficial cells to the area.

Gua Sha works by promoting blood circulation. When you scrape the skin gently on the face or body, you’re stimulating a certain meridian point, which corresponds to an organ in the body that’s responsible for your skin’s overall health. In turn, you’re sending a signal to your body that this area needs more circulation.

The Origins of Gua Sha

Pictured: Back-view illustration of Gua Sha treatment from Fangyi chuyan (A Modest Proposal for Epidemic Prevention) Source: Gua Sha Massage

With its origins in the treatment of abscesses in the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) of ancient China, Gua Sha has been a mainstay as a folk medicine since antiquity.

Theories of “sha” disease gradually developed based on the premise that a pathogen was to be cleared and dispersed from the body and this was combined with a scraping technique, initially involving a hemp rope rubbing method using water or sesame oil in the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368 CE).

By the Qing dynasty (1644-1912 CE), the method of scraping had become more precise and expanded towards the entire body. A working framework for the treatment of sha was also developed at this time which enabled a wider application of scraping and included instructions for headaches, numbness of the face, and head shaking.

It was not until the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) that anything resembling the practice of cosmetic scraping appeared, which was in the form of jade rubbing to treat facial scars. Many of the ideas behind facial Gua Sha have been influenced by traditional Chinese cosmetology, which from the Warring States and Qin and Han Dynasties, came ideas of how the human body and skin color changes are directly related to changes in people’s temperament, age, health, and qi.

Ancient doctors rarely recorded the specific methods, time, and treatment of Gua Sha but in the 20th century with the work of Jiang Jingbo and later Lu Jiru, Gua Sha was reinvigorated and an adapted, modernized style of Gua Sha therapy was promoted.1

The Benefits of Gua Sha

Implementing Gua Sha into your self-care routine may offer these potential benefits:

Gua Sha May Help Reduce Inflammation and Puffiness

Similar to other types of massages, gliding a Gua Sha tool across your face or body can promote microcirculation in your soft tissues, aka blood flow in small blood vessels. This increase in blood flow might help physical symptoms of inflammation like puffiness and swelling.2 The practice may also help lymphatic drainage by moving fluid away from swollen areas.3

Gua Sha May Boost Your Skin’s Collagen Production

Every year, our skin produces 1% less collagen; collagen keeps our skin strong and elastic.. Giving yourself regular Gua Sha facials can help ramp up your skin’s collagen production, thereby reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.4

Gua Sha May Increase the Efficacy of Skincare Topicals

Gua Sha can increase the efficacy of the skincare you’re already using. If you apply your moisturizer or serum and then give yourself a massage, the Gua Sha tools helps push the product deeper into your skin. This can help your serum absorb better and allow you to experience the full benefits of the formula.

Gua Sha Can Alleviate Tech Neck and Other Pains

If you feel the aches and pains from uncomfortable work posture or constant scrolling, a Gua Sha body massage might help. In a small 2014 study involving 60 regular computer users with neck and shoulder pain, researchers found that Gua Sha helped reduce pain and improve range of motion.5 Individuals in a small 2011 study also reported that Gua Sha helped reduce neck pain when compared with people who used heating pads.6

Gua Sha Can Improve Headache and Migraine Symptoms

If you’re dealing with migraines or headaches, Gua Sha might help relieve pain and tension in your head and neck. A 2007 case study of a 72-year-old woman reported that Gua Sha helped relieve migraine symptoms over a 14-day period.7

Gua Sha Can Aid in Muscle Recovery

Gua Sha’s ability to promote blood circulation might also help move the buildup of lactic acid that accumulates from your workouts. In a small 2017 study involving 65 male weightlifters, people who had Gua Sha treatments reported that lifting weights was easier post-treatment. Researchers concluded that Gua Sha might also help speed up muscle recovery and be a potential alternative to other sports recovery methods.8

Gua Sha May Help Tourette Symptoms

Tourette syndrome is a condition that affects the nervous system and causes sudden involuntary movements or sounds. While Gua Sha is not a miracle cure, limited research shows it might help reduce symptoms when combined with other treatments.

A 2017 case study of a 33-year-old man found that a combination of Gua Sha and other therapies appeared to reduce his Tourette syndrome symptoms. 9

Gua Sha May Help Perimenopausal Symptoms

A small 2017 study involving 80 perimenopausal women found that people who had Gua Sha treatments for 8 weeks experienced fewer symptoms compared with the control group receiving only traditional therapy. 10

Gua Sha Tools

Some of the most common Gua Sha tool shapes are:

The Wand-Shaped Tool

Pictured: Wand Gua Sha tool Source: Eastern Currents

This long, slender tool has 2 pointy ends that are best to use for specific areas where you want to apply pressure and relieve tension in the body. These areas are primarily in the hands, feet, laterals, back, neck, and shoulders. The challenge with this shape is the limited maneuverability around the face and smaller areas of the body.

If you’re interested in adding this tool to your regime, check out the LEOSENSE Gua Sha Bian Stone Wand Tool.

The Dolphin

Pictured: Dolphin Gua Sha tool Source: DH Gate

This tool shape is one of the most popular and commonly purchased Gua Sha tools available on the market. It’s easy to hold due to its small size and is perfect for contouring different areas of the face including the jawline, nose bridge, chin, and under-eye area.

While the heart-shaped tool is great for the face, neck, and hands, it might be less effective to use in other parts of the body as its edges are not long enough to hold onto, and therefore less workable for applying firmer pressure.

If you’re interested in adding this tool to your regime, check out the MEEKU Gua Sha Stainless Steel Dolphin Tool.

The Spoon Tool

Pictured: Spoon Gua Sha tool Source: Amazon

A Gua Sha spoon is a sculpting tool that helps you target acupressure points along your face and neck to gently release any muscle tension. Its spoon-like shape helps to target smaller areas as well as harder-to-reach areas like those around the nose and eyes.

If you’re interested in adding this tool to your regime, check out the Top Sewing Gua Sha 100% Jade Spoon Tool.

The Comb Tool

Pictured: Comb Gua Sha tool Source: Amazon

This shape is exactly what it sounds like: a Gua Sha scraper equipped with comb-like prongs. On one side of this tool, you have the classic curved edge, perfect for a facial treatment. On the opposite side, the stone is shaped into a comb so you can give your scalp a nice, deep massage.

If you’re interested in adding this tool to your regime, check out the FORUHEALTH Gua Sha Jade Comb Tool.

Gua Sha Materials

Here’s a look at the most common materials used in Gua Sha:

Rose quartz is one of the most popular stones for Gua Sha tools. It’s said to be the stone of compassion, love, and emotional healing. Likewise, it supposedly has calming properties, which makes it ideal for people with sensitive skin and those who suffer from acne, rosacea, or other skin issues. According to some, rose quartz is also the best material for reducing signs of aging. In addition, as a healing stone, it’s used to drain toxins and negativity from the body.
Jade is a widely-used stone in the world of Gua Sha. Jade is known for its cooling effect, as well as its ability to balance the body and our inner energies. Similarly, some people claim that it helps relax the nervous system. If you’re looking for a tool that will reduce facial puffiness, jade might be your best bet. Plus, it’s known to promote lymphatic function.
The Bian stone is also lauded for its healing properties. It’s an ancient stone with a wide range of uses, and one of those happens to be Gua Sha. According to certain studies, the Bian stone may help regulate blood pressure. Also, when used in a full-body Gua Sha treatment, it’s ideal for treating lower back pain.
Amethyst may help reduce stress and negative energy. Like jade, amethyst is perfect for cooling down the skin. Moreover, some people claim that it fights bacteria and targets the pores.
Clear Quartz is among the rarest of these materials. It’s often referred to as a “master healer.” Many fans believe that it balances the mind, body, and spirit, providing a feeling of calm and clarity. Clear quartz is great for all skin types.

DIY Gua Sha

Once you choose the perfect shape and material, you can start using your Gua Sha tool every day or at least two to three times a week. To prevent any rashes or irritation when doing a Gua Sha massage, make sure to always use a facial oil first.

After using your Gua Sha tool, be sure to clean it with soap and warm water.

Facial Gua Sha: A Step-by-Step Guide

Always begin with your neck to release tension and assist with lymph drainage. Repeat each step three to five times. For a more detailed look at this technique, you can check out this video.

Hold the skin at the base of your neck with your hand that isn’t holding the tool. Using the divot in your tool, use upward strokes, and glide up the cervical spine (the middle of your neck) from the base of your neck to the base of the skull and give it a wiggle.
Turn your Gua Sha tool to use the long flat edg. Gently glide down the side of your neck next to your shoulder. Hold your skin taut a few inches down from where you are gliding the Gua Sha.
Repeat on the other side of your neck.
Using the divot on your tool, glide up from the center of your collarbone to your chin. Use feather-light pressure.
Choose the side of your face you would like to work on first. Use the divot of the tool to go from the middle of your chin towards the ear along the jawline.
Use the long side of your Gua Sha and hook the tool under the cheekbone drawing out and up towards the ear.
Using light pressure, slowly sweep from the side of your nose, under the eye, out towards the temple
Next, using lighter pressure, going along the brow bone, use the long side of the tool to sweep from the center of the forehead to the temples.
Starting at the space between the eyebrows, stroke up to your hairline. Move over to the right eyebrow and repeat.
Finally, you can scrape from the center of your forehead towards the earlobe and down to your collarbone using a downward motion to help flush your lymphatic system.

The Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil Is Perfect For Gua Sha

The golden rule of Gua Sha is to always apply facial oil before using your stone. You need enough slip so that the tool can easily glide across the contours of your face — without it, you can pull or tug at your delicate skin.

The Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil is a high-vibrational facial oil that will compliment your Gua Sha routine perfectly. This exceptional formula is a powerful skin treatment fusing clean plant nutrients rich in antioxidant, adaptogenic, rejuvenating, and moisturizing properties.

Just a few drops incorporated into your own Gua Sha ritual can help visibly recharge skin to appear calm and balanced, radiating with a gorgeous natural glow.

You can shop the Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil here.

References:

http://en.chinaculture.org/info/2013-04/25/content_456628.htm [1]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550830707001772?via%3Dihub [2]

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/11/3678/htm [3]

https://blog.sidekicktool.com/gua-sha-wrinkles/ [4]

https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ams/article/view/66337 [5]

https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/12/3/362/1829149?login=false [6]

https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/107731 [7]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0254627217300262 [8]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S200529011630125X?via%3Dihub [9]

https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/2017/03000/Effect_of_Gua_sha_therapy_on_perimenopausal.10.aspx [10]

Exploring Vitamin E

Posted on July 26, 2022 by Jennifer Norman

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin with several forms; its main role is to act as an antioxidant, scavenging free radicals that can damage cells. Vitamin E came to public attention in the 1980s when scientists began to understand that free radical damage was involved in the early stages of artery-clogging atherosclerosis, and might also contribute to cancer, vision loss, and a host of other chronic conditions. In this blog, we will explore the types of Vitamin E and its antioxidant properties, along with foods rich in Vitamin E and the health benefits they provide in both skincare and through consumption.

What is Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is an antioxidant compound obtained from plant sources in the diet. Vitamin E is not a singular substance; it’s a collective term for a family of eight homologous molecules that are synthesized naturally by plants from homogentisic acid.

Vitamin E is a series of organic compounds consisting of various methylated phenols. These compounds can act as an antioxidant by donating a hydrogen atom to reduce free radicals and have a hydrophobic side chain, which allows for penetration into biological membranes.

The eight homologs are split into two groups: tocopherols and tocotrienols. The tocopherols and tocotrienols have four homologs: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Each form has a slightly different biological activity. However, all of these various derivatives are referred to simply as “Vitamin E.”

Historically, only one out of the eight has appeared to have the most nutritional importance: the d-alpha-tocopherol isomer form. The d-alpha-tocopherol isomer form is commonly called Vitamin E on nutrition/supplement labels and is also the only form that can be referred to as the RDA, or Recommended Daily Allowance, for Vitamin E.

The alpha form of tocopherol was originally designated d-alpha-tocopherol on the basis of its optical activity. This means that you can “see” more of this specific compound in your body’s chemical signature. It makes up about 90% of the tocopherol found in humans. Even in your blood plasma, around 83% of the Vitamin E found is d-alpha-tocopherol.

It’s been found that long-term supplementation with just a d-alpha-tocopherol Vitamin E supplement results in blood plasma levels of d-gamma-tocopherols being lowered by 30 to 50%. Since your body still needs this other form, some researchers now recommend to select one with mixed tocopherols.1

Types of Vitamin E

Commercially available sources of Vitamin E can be classified into several distinct categories or types, such as 2, 3:

Natural Vitamin E

This is what most people refer to as Vitamin E; it’s the non-esterified form of d-alpha-tocopherol and occurs in nature, primarily in vegetable oils like soy and sunflower oil.

Semi-Synthetic, Esters

Manufacturers commonly convert the phenol form of the vitamin, with a free hydroxyl group, to esters, using acetic or succinic acid. An ester is a salt formed by a carboxylic acid and an alcohol (tocopherol is the alcohol in this case). These esters are more stable as they are less susceptible to oxidation during storage. In their stored form, they are not classified as antioxidants.

You have to consume these ester forms to “activate” them and unlock their antioxidant properties. Your gut produces an enzyme called esterase that de-esterfies the compound and allows your body to absorb the compound as free tocopherol. Several studies indicate the rate of absorption of these forms of tocopheryl esters and free tocopherol have similar bioavailability.

Alpha-tocopherol

Current literature suggests the primary role in the body of Vitamin E is to function as a major lipid antioxidant for free radicals formed from normal cellular metabolism. Free radicals are destructive to the cell membrane and other body components.

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules, which makes the free radicals unable to damage your cells. Other antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, are capable of regenerating the antioxidant capacity of alpha-tocopherol. Additionally, alpha-tocopherol also protects the fats in low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from oxidation, possibly reducing risk of cardiovascular disease in the process.

Gamma-Tocopherol

Gamma-tocopherol is the major form of Vitamin E ingested in the U.S. diet. It was previously assumed that this form was not important as the body naturally has much higher concentrations of the alpha form. The blood levels of gamma-tocopherol are generally 10-times lower than those of alpha-tocopherol.

However, more recent studies suggest that gamma-tocopherol picks up the slack left by the alpha form. It appears to scavenge different types of free radicals which can damage proteins, lipids, and even your DNA.

Additionally, gamma-tocopherol can inhibit inflammation by reducing cyclooxygenase activity. Studies have also shown higher plasma concentrations of gamma-tocopherol are associated with reduced incidences of prostate cancer.

Tocotrienols

Studies on on tocotrienols indicate they may have significant antioxidant and anti-cancer effects. Tocotrienols appear to act on a specific enzyme called HMG-CoA (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase) that’s involved in cholesterol production in the liver. Tocotrienols suppress the production of this enzyme, which may result in less cholesterol being manufactured by liver cells.

The Benefits of Vitamin E in Skincare

Some potential skin benefits of Vitamin E include:

Vitamin E is Moisturizing

Researchers have found that products containing Vitamin E can very effectively moisturize the skin. A few studies have shown that the topical application of Vitamin E can improve the skin’s water-binding capacity after two to four weeks of use.4,5 The research also found that Vitamin E can be more moisturizing than other common ingredients used in skincare.

Vitamin E Can Help Fight UV-Related Skin Damage

Oregan State University highlights several studies suggesting that Vitamin E could fight skin damage from sun exposure. Though it’s been shown that it’s possible that adding Vitamin E to sunscreen provides some additional skin benefits, it is important to note that Vitamin E itself is not an effective sunscreen.

Multiple studies have found that the combination of Vitamin C and Vitamin E protects the skin against UV damage.6 Human subjects orally co-supplemented with Vitamins C and E show increased Minimal Erythemal Dose (MED), which is a measure of photoprotection from UV light on the skin.7

Vitamin E Can Promote Wound Healing

The author of a review article in the International Wound Journal suggests that Vitamin E can promote wound healing. The theory is that because Vitamin E deficiencies can slow wound healing, a good amount of this nutrient could have the opposite effect.8

Vitamin E Possesses Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Inflammation is the body’s reaction to an injury or infection; it can cause pain, discoloration, and swelling. Many common skin conditions cause inflammation, including acne. A 2020 study reviewed 26 clinical trials and found evidence that Vitamin E can reduce inflammation in adults.9

Vitamin E May Reduce Hyperpigmentation

Dark patches on your skin can be caused by too much melanin, which is triggered by hormones or other causes. Called Melasma, this condition is believed to be treatable through the use of topical Vitamin E. Studies show that hyperpigmentation may be only moderately affected by using topical Vitamin E oil, but the most effective way to use Vitamin E to treat hyperpigmentation is to pair it with Vitamin C.10

Vitamin E May Prevent Aging And Wrinkles

Vitamin E affects blood circulation, which is why many people notice a difference in the firmness and structure of their skin after the topical use of Vitamin E. A 2013 review tells us that Vitamin E and other natural ingredients rich in antioxidants are generally accepted as a treatment for delaying wrinkles due to photoaging.11

Foods Vitamin E Is Found In

Numerous foods provide Vitamin E. Nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are among the best sources of alpha-tocopherol, and significant amounts are available in green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals.

Here are 10 foods that contain large amounts of Vitamin E:

The Health Benefits of Vitamin E

Vitamin E plays many roles in your body. While it’s best known for its antioxidant effects, Vitamin E is also needed for proper immune function and cellular signaling. Here are a few potential health benefits of Vitamin E:

Vitamin E May Reduce Markers Of Oxidative Stress And Improve Antioxidant Defenses

Oxidative stress is a condition that occurs when there’s an imbalance between your body’s antioxidant defenses and the production and accumulation of compounds called reactive oxygen species (ROS). This can lead to cellular damage and increased disease risk.12

Because Vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body, studies have shown that supplementing with high doses of it can reduce markers of oxidative stress and boost antioxidant defenses in some populations.13

For example, a 2018 study in 54 people with diabetic nephropathy — kidney damage caused by high blood sugar — found that supplementing with 800 IU of Vitamin E per day for 12 weeks significantly increased levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) compared with a placebo.14 GPx is a group of antioxidant enzymes that protect your cells from oxidative damage.

Vitamin E May Reduce Heart Disease Risk Factors

Having high blood pressure and high levels of blood lipids such as LDL cholesterol and triglycerides may increase your risk of developing heart disease. Promisingly, research suggests that Vitamin E supplements may help reduce heart disease risk factors such as these in some people.

A 2019 review of 18 studies found that, compared with placebo treatments, Vitamin E supplements significantly reduced systolic but not diastolic blood pressure — the top and bottom numbers of blood pressure readings, respectively.15

Some studies also show that taking Vitamin E with omega-3 supplements may reduce LDL and triglyceride levels in people with metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions, including high blood fat levels, that increases the risk of heart disease and other health conditions.16

Vitamin E May Benefit Those With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

NAFLD includes a number of conditions that cause an accumulation of fat in the liver in people who drink little or no alcohol. According to research findings, Vitamin E may improve some aspects of health in people with NAFLD.

A 2021 review of eight studies found that supplementing with Vitamin E reduced levels of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), decreased blood lipid levels, and improved liver health in people with NAFLD.17

Elevated AST and ALT levels can indicate liver inflammation and damage in people with NAFLD, so lower levels are favorable.

Vitamin E May Help Manage Dysmenorrhea

Dysmenorrhea is a condition characterized by severe and frequent menstrual pain, such as cramps and pelvic pain. Promisingly, research suggests Vitamin E rich foods and supplements may reduce pain in women with this condition.

In a 2018 study of 100 women with dysmenorrhea, taking 200 IU of Vitamin E daily relieved menstrual pain more than a placebo. The effects were even better when the vitamin was combined with an omega-3 supplement containing 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA.18

Additionally, a 2021 study showed that supplementing with a combination of Vitamin E and Vitamin C daily for 8 weeks helped reduce the severity of pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea in women with endometriosis.19

Vitamin E’s Other Potential Health Benefits

Vitamin E had also been linked to several other health benefits:

Vitamin E may improve lung function. Studies have shown that Vitamin E supplements could improve lung function and certain symptoms of asthma in children and adults.20
Vitamin E may benefit older adults. Because Vitamin E plays an important role in health, such as reducing inflammation and improving immune function, supplements may benefit people who have increased needs or don’t get enough in their diets, such as some older adults. 21
Vitamin E may benefit cognitive health. Maintaining optimal Vitamin E levels and taking supplements may help protect against cognitive decline, but it’s still unclear whether the supplements benefit people with cognitive conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.22

The Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil Features Vitamin E

Tocopherol plus Vitamin E rich plant extracts are integrated into the Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, photo-protecting, and moisturizing properties. Cranberry, Coriander Seed, Cucumber Seed, and Rosehip Oil combine to defend skin from oxidative damage and bind moisture to the skin.

The Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil is non-irritating and well tolerated; it’s suitable for all skin types. It supports overall skin wellness and may assist with its healing.

You can shop the Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil here.

References:

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-E [1] [3]

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Naturally%20occurring%20vitamin%20E%20exists,recognized%20to%20meet%20human%20requirements [2]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9706379/?dopt=Citation [4]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17256076/?dopt=Citation [5]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9448204/?dopt=Citation [6]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15675947/?dopt=Citation [7]

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/iwj.12295 [8]

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73741-6 [9]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4976416/ [10]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3789494/ [11]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551541/ [12]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29891745/ [13]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29891745/ [14]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30846828/ [15]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31405672/ [16]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32810309/ [17]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29542390/ [18]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34122682/ [19]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24338254/ [20]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6140432/ [21]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6645610/ [22]

A Look at Skincare Clays

Posted on July 5, 2022March 22, 2024 by Jennifer Norman

Made from volcanic ash, and created deep within the earth as ancient-rich deposits of minerals, clay is renowned as one of the purest natural skin beautifiers in the world. It’s been celebrated for centuries, across many different cultures and civilizations, for its anti-inflammatory, purifying, and nourishing properties — and relied upon to detoxify, beautify, and refresh when applied as a facial mask since the times of Cleopatra. In this blog, we’ll explore the history using clay for skincare, why clay is used, the types of clay commonly used in skincare, and a few clean products containing clay to take note of.

The History of Using Clays for Skincare

From “band-aids” made from wet clay placed over a wound to mud baths frequented socially in ancient Rome and Greece, the topical use of clay for soothing and healing skin leaves its mark throughout ancient history. Aristotle even recommended the consumption of clay for internal medicinal uses as far back as the 4th century BCE.

Five thousand years ago in India, according to ancient Ayurvedic tradition, clay was used in the form of face and body masks as a skin treatment and during Indian religious rituals and weddings. Clay was also popular in Egyptian skincare as Cleopatra used it twice a week on her face to draw out impurities.

In ancient China, Yang Guifei, a notorious beauty and concubine of the great Tang emperor Xuanzong, often mixed pearls, jadeite, lotus root, and ginger into clay mud masks. These masks are among the first clay mud masks reported in history.

Clay has also been used by cultures spanning the Australian aboriginals, South and North American natives, and Central African tribesmen as an external and internal cleanser, known colloquially by names such as “the mud that heals.”

In more modern times, before the French Revolution, mud masking was featured in the famous health spas of Europe frequented by the rich and noble. In the 1920s, clay masks became even more popular when the first commercially-manufactured cosmetic face mask gained widespread use.

Today, backed with clinically-tested scientific proof, this ancient skin remedy remains a beauty staple and go-to detoxifier.

Science-Backed Benefits of Clay for the Skin

Clay is one of the most cleansing and detoxifying ingredients you can use on your skin. Rich in minerals, the benefits help to clear blemishes, draw out impurities, and leave you with a brighter complexion. Here’s a deeper look:

Clay Is an Anti-Bacterial

Hydrated clay binds with not just toxins but also harmful bacteria and pathogens. When hydrated clay is applied to the skin and left to dry, as in the case of a clay mask, it binds to bacteria on the surface of the skin and deep in the pores. It brings the dried-up bacteria to the surface of the skin to then be washed away.1, 2

This act reduces the overpopulation of pathogenic bacteria to friendly microflora, which is responsible for bacterial skin problems, acne, and even poison ivy. In other words, clay works as a natural antibiotic that can heal skin infections and even remedy issues like eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis. It’s known to be even more effective than most antibiotics, as it will not entirely wipe out the colonies of friendly bacteria that promote healthy skin immunity.3, 4

Clay Can Detoxify and Purify the Skin

Clay has a strong negative electrical charge, which binds to negatively charged toxins and pulls them from the skin when used topically. Any form of an environmental pollutant, nanoparticles, cacogenic, heavy metal, chemical, and essentially any unnatural impurity you could think of – can be eliminated from the body with the use of clay.5

Clay Can Oxygenate the Cells

Clay can not only pull toxins out of the skin’s pores but also hydrogen from the skin cells, which allows more room for oxygen to benefit the skin tissues and rejuvenate them. This leads to improved circulation and overall healthier skin.

Clay Can Regulate Sebum Production

The skin naturally produces oil, known as sebum, to protect and moisturize it. When the immune system is over-activated, be it from an infection, autoimmunity, stress, or toxic overload, the skin can overproduce sebum. This overproduction can result in acne, blackheads, whiteheads, and other skin blemishes.

While treating the root cause of sebum imbalances is an internal job accomplished via diet and lifestyle, clay is an incredible remedy for oily and acne-prone skin. Clay can “soak” up excess sebum and clean out clogged pores.

Clay Can Leave Your Skin Soft, Smooth, and Glowing

Clay is loaded with an essential beautifying nutrient known as silica. This trace mineral is one of the most abundant minerals in the body; it’s responsible for manufacturing connective tissues such as the muscle, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, collagen, skin, and bone. Silica also happens to make your skin very soft and smooth.

Clay Can Rejuvenate and Regenerate the Skin

Clay can be used to rebuild damaged skin fibers as well as promote youthful skin and prevent or eliminate wrinkles. Bentonite Clay specifically has been shown to promote blood circulation to the skin, thus increasing the healing and regenerating of skin tissue.

Clay Is Completely Natural

Many skincare products today contain very harsh ingredients. These ingredients like BPA, synthetic fragrances, parabens, phthalates, and other unnatural, toxic substances are linked to everything from chronic disease to skin irritation. Clay is a completely natural way to detoxify, cleanse, purify, exfoliate and beautify your skin without any negative side effects.

Types of Clay and Their Benefits

Depending on your skin type, one clay may be better suited for you than another. Here’s a look at a few of the most commonly used clays in skincare, along with their mineral type and specific benefits:

Bentonite Clay

Pictured: Bentonite Clay Source: Jindeal

Bentonite Clay is formed from the weathering of volcanic ash in seawater, which converts the natural glass present in the ash to clay minerals. It produces a negative electrical charge upon contact with fluid which bonds to the positive charge of many toxins, heavy metals, impurities, and chemicals.

Mineral Profile: Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Copper, and Zinc

Benefits: Bentonite Clay is particularly impressive due to its ability to absorb up to 700% of its mass in water from your skin. It’s perfect for absorbing deep oils and dirt and is the best clay for oily skin types. Bentonite’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties also can help heal breakouts.

Kaolin Clay

Pictured: Kaolin Clay Source: Those Graces

Kaolin Clays are some of the most commonly used clays for face masks. In its purest form, it has a bright white color, though other varieties include shades of red, pink, brown, and yellow. This color change owes itself to the mineral content and where it’s from globally.

Mineral Profile: Kaolinite, Quartz, Mica, Iron, Muscovite, Illite, and Feldspar

Benefits: Kaolin Clay is one of the best options for sensitive, dry, or acne-prone skin. White Kaolin Clay is exceptionally mild and great for absorbing oils and deep impurities without causing irritation or redness. Longer-term, routine use of Kaolin Clay can restore the skin elasticity and reduce fine lines.

Rhassoul Clay

Pictured: Rhassoul Clay Source: Farnatchi Spa

Meant for oily or acne-prone skin that also suffers from mild pigmentation, the cleansing action of Rhassoul Clay can almost be described as industrial-strength. In fact, it’s often used in kitty litter and to absorb oil spills on pavements; hence the reason it’s perfect for those who suffer from excessively oily skin.

Mineral Profile: Magnesium, Sodium, Zinc, Iron, Phosphorus, and Potassium

Benefits: Rhassoul clay draws out oils, dirt, dust, and pollutants deep within pores while reducing redness and inflammation. Long-term use can also help balance sebum production. Rich in magnesium and potassium, some studies show that the skin’s absorption of these minerals can help form a barrier to prevent breakouts.

Product Spotlight

There are an array of products on the market that utilize different clays for their benefits. From cleansers to masks to shampoo bars, the options are endless, making it easier than ever to add products formulated with clay to your regime. Here are a few to take note of:

To shop the NENA Natural Face Wash, click here.

To shop the Honest Beauty Magic Gel-to-Milk Cleanser, click here.

To shop the ERIGERON All-In-One Pink Clay Shampoo Bar, click here.

You can shop the C’est Moi Mellow Marshmallow White Clay Cloud Mask, click here.

To shop the Acure Brightening Facial Scrub, click here.

The Humanist Beauty Handcrafted Bar Soap Features Clay

Elevate your mood as you cleanse your skin. Humanist Beauty’s 100% vegan botanical bar soaps are artisan-crafted, essential oil-infused, and eco-conscious with no plastic wrapping or labels. While there are five different aromatherapeutic recipes to choose from, two are formulated with Kaolin Clay, Rhassoul Clay, and Bentonite Clay.

The Humanist Beauty Detox Handcrafted Soap is a purifying melange of crisp eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon, and activated charcoal. Formulated with Rhassoul Clay and Kaolin Clay, the Detox Soap acts as a gentle cleanser and can help absorb excess sebum, purify and detoxify pores, soothe sensitive, irritated skin, and gently exfoliate dead surface cells

The Humanist Beauty Soothe Handcrafted Soap can vaporize away the feeling of sore achy muscles and congestion with cooling notes of cedarwood, peppermint, balsam, and menthol. Formulated with Bentonite Clay, the Soothe Soap can help remove excess oil and toxins from the skin, address acneic conditions, gently exfoliate, and fight bacteria.

You can shop the Humanist Beauty Handcrafted Soap here.

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11376396/ [1]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9850994/ [2]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2413170/ [3]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2904249/ [4]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5632318/#:~:text=Bentonite%20clay%20has%20been%20shown,negative%20charge%20toxins%20(7). [5]

What It Means to Be Manly Today

Posted on June 14, 2022March 22, 2024 by Jennifer Norman

What does it really mean to be “manly”? According to the stereotype, a real man is “unemotional, strong, and stoic;” he’s a protector that doesn’t ask for help and never shows vulnerability. A “real man” wears clothes designated to him by gender norms, and his hairstyle matches the role placed on him, as well. However, research proves that these traditional expectations of masculinity can have harmful consequences on men. In this blog, we will explore the role of masculinity throughout history, its effects on mental health, and how ‘toxic masculinity’ is being dismantled in modern culture.

Changing Gender Roles in History

Ideals of masculinity have changed dramatically over time. As men have adapted to changing conditions, fashions, and shifting views about sexuality, the boundaries of manhood have also changed. It might be argued that men have long competed with themselves, encouraged to measure their behavior against that of a perfect model of masculinity.

Here’s a brief exploration of male gender roles throughout history:

Ancient Egypt

Pictured: Ancient Egyptian men wearing shentis, which are similar to skirts Source: Fashion History

In Egypt, gender roles were fluid in terms of fashion, self-care, and makeup. Egyptian men often wore knee-length shirts, loincloths, or kilts made of linen. Both sexes also wore eye make-up, most often outlining their lids with a line of black kohl.1

Ancient Egyptian men had certain privileges similar to most traditional societies. However, there was not a huge disparity between the status of Egyptian men and Egyptian women. Both the men and women worked and earned wages regardless of their sex.2

Ancient Rome

Pictured: Ancient Roman men wearing tunicas Source: Pinterest

Fast-forward to the 1st century AD when Roman men were known to apply red pigment to their cheeks and paint their nails using an elixir of pig fat and blood. The basic garment for both genders was the tunica, with pants not being popular as they were considered impractical.3

Unlike Ancient Egypt, though, the social infrastructure of Ancient Rome allowed for men and women to be different socially, politically, and physically. Roman men were the most important in the household. They had more rights, more education, and more opportunities for outside jobs.4

The Middle Ages

Pictured: Men in the Middle Ages wearing stocking undergarments with short hemlines Source: Pinterest

In the Middle Ages, both men and women continued to wear very similar clothing. Male attire during this time was dominated by short hemlines paired with stockings worn as outer leg wear. Cosmetics were also still worn by men to stave off the appearance of old age.5

Men in the Middle Ages were known to be active, martial, and violent, and were considered the breadwinners and the most important people in the family unit. Women endeavored to please the men around them and were often subservient to their needs.6

The Victorian Era

Pictured: Victorian men wearing jackets and trousers Source: Vintage Fashions

In the Victorian era, the clothing divide between genders really took off. Men commonly wore waistcoats, vests, and trousers, while women donned corsets and gowns. Makeup was also frowned upon for both genders as Queen Victoria associated makeup with the devil and declared it a horrible invention.7

The Victorians saw manliness as good, a form of control over maleness, which was brutish. Work was crucial to achieving this ideal masculine status, along with being spiritual and a faithful believer. As the head of the household, the ideal Victorian man was not only to rule but also to protect his wife and children.8

The 1960s to the 1990s

Pictured: Freddie Mercury’s eccentric outfits Source: Glam Rock

Celebrity culture and the media were incredibly influential in defying Western gender norms when it came to fashion throughout the 1960s to the 1990s. Freddie Mercury, for example, charmed the crown with his various eccentric on-stage costumes, while David Bowie confidently showed up in head-turning androgynous wear for red carpet and casual events.9

However, in the 1960s, men were still expected to be providers, fully engaged in the rat race while remaining upstanding citizens, fathers, and husbands. While women did work, men were still known to be the head of the household well into the 1990s.10

Today

Pictured: Gender fluid fashion is on the rise Source: Twitter

In the past decade, fashion brands have increasingly produced gender-fluid collections to meet consumer demand. In fact, in 2019, 56% of Gen Z consumers shopped “outside their assigned gendered area.”11 In addition, many of the most popular online makeup artists are male, such as Manny Mua and Bretman Rock.

Today, perhaps more than ever, a man can be whomever he wants to be. He has the choice to become more than a caricature of what a man is “supposed” to be. We are also seeing men take on roles that were once designated solely for women. For example, the US now has its first-ever Second Gentleman in Douglas Emhoff.

But while we’ve come a long way in dismantling gender norms, the perils of the age-old gender roles still have a firm grasp on many modern men.

The Pressures of Being Manly Today

As well as being PRIDE month, June marks Men’s Mental Health Awareness month, a time to bring representation to the issues that men face in terms of their emotional and mental wellbeing. According to a 2015 survey, around 10% of men in the United States navigate depression, but less than half have sought out treatment or support.12 This may be due to the ingrained idea that having feelings or symptoms of mental health conditions and asking for support is less masculine.

James Rodriguez, LCSW and Director of Trauma-Informed Services at the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, says, “It’s difficult for some of my male clients to just relax, breathe, and be calm. Traditional masculinity can lead to bottling things up. Some even directly express the belief that they cannot let their guard down for fear of losing their edge.”

Many therapists are combating this view, encouraging men and masculine folks to center their mental health. For example, James Harris, LCSW and founder of the movement “Men to Heal,” tries to break down the stigma surrounding mental health through clinical work in his book, Man, Just Express Yourself: An Interactive Planner Guide for MEN, Young and Old.

Still, mental health professionals and advocates stress that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution and that every person comes with a different set of experiences and backgrounds.

“When we talk about traditional masculinity or harmful masculinity, it’s important to do so without stereotyping men. We must recognize that masculine identity intersects with race, class, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, and a host of other identities that vary by each individual,” says Rodriguez.

Because of this, it can be useful for intentional conversations around healthy masculinity to be culturally competent and specific. One prominent example is Jayson K. Jones, social worker and assistant director of the McSilver Institute’s Clinical Education and Innovation Department at NYU.

Jones founded and hosts a podcast called Black Boys & Men: Changing the Narrative, in which he discusses with others the copious stereotypes and expectations placed on Black boys and men, including those around masculinity.

Like Jones, advocates often highlight the importance of reaching young men and helping them redefine what masculinity means.

“With young men, in particular, traditional masculine ideology may lead them to engage in riskier health behaviors, such as alcohol or drug misuse, driving at high speeds, or engaging in violence,” says Rodriguez. “It can also result in eating poorly, avoiding doctors, or otherwise not attending to their own health needs or seeking help when something is wrong.”

Brands Challenging Perceptions of Masculinity

Major brands have launched campaigns reflecting the nuanced uniqueness, sensitivities, and vulnerabilities of ‘the everyman’. Here are examples of male brand campaigns that have challenged previous perceptions of masculinity:

Schick’s “Be You. No One Else Can.” Campaign

Pictured: Schick’s “Be You. No One Else Can.” Campaign Source: Forbes

Schick launched the “Be You. No One Else Can.,” campaign to combat the fact that research showed that 2 out of 3 men felt pressure to “act like a man” and don’t believe the media shows an accurate depiction of men. Schick is implementing the campaign as part of a major rebrand, which focuses on men’s individuality and self-expression.

Schick commissioned a study showing that 8 in 10 men don’t want brands telling them how to be an individual, while 85% report that they prefer to see real, ordinary men in ads. Moreover, Schick’s new positioning is informed by its finding that 81% of men would prefer brands to celebrate them for who they are instead of asking them to change.

You can check out the campaign here.

Dove Men + Care’s “#DearFutureDads” Campaign

Pictured: Dove Men + Care’s “#DearFutureDads” Campaign Source: Ethical Marketing News

Dove Men + Care launched a campaign called “#DearFutureDads” that frames modern masculinity by the way men care. Within the campaign, Dove Men + Care championed paternity leave for all dads.

Societal stigmas around taking leave, fear of repercussions at work, and lack of paid leave often prevent many dads from staying at home. This campaign sought to change the conversation and demonstrate how paternity leave is important for all: children, men, women, families, and society.

The campaign also encourages dads to visit the brand’s website for information and resources for those considering taking paternity leave, which can be found here.

You can check out the campaign here.

Philips “Makes Life Better” Campaign

Pictured: Philips “Makes Life Better” Campaign Source: Ogilvy

Targeting men in the male grooming category, the new Philips campaign, “Makes Life Better,” features the Mieskuoro Huutajat (“Shouting Men”) of Oulu, Finland in a performance of orchestrated shouting (in Finnish with English subtitles).

The “Makes Life Better” campaign is unique as it creates a contrasting image between the seemingly aggressive act of shouting and the calming, reassuring words that reveal a multi-dimensional modern man. In a press release, Philips says the campaign is themed around making life better for men by creating an environment for them to be true to themselves.

You can check out the campaign here.

Celebrities Flipping the Script on Masculinity

Though the healthy masculinity and gender fluid bandwagon has been slow to start, there are quite a few celebrities who are starting to get the ball rolling, such as:

Harry Styles

Pictured: Harry Styles for Vogue Source: Carbon Magazine

Harry Styles is all about breaking gender barriers when it comes to fashion; he loves to experiment with his look. In November 2020, Harry made fashion history when he fronted Vogue as the publication’s first solo male cover star, in a Gucci gown no less. Before that, he turned heads when he freed the nipple at the 2019 Met Gala.

In an interview with L’Officiel, Harry said, “Many gender borders are falling – in fashion, but also in music, films, and art. We no longer need to be this or that; these parameters are no longer as strict as before, and it gives rise to great freedom. It’s stimulating.”

Jaden Smith

Pictured: Jaden Smith Source: BUNow

Having grown up under the scrutiny of the public eye, Jaden Smith hasn’t been afraid to experiment with his identity or style, and when asked about his often gender fluid clothing preferences, Smith told GQ, “I feel like people are kind of confused about gender norms. I feel like people don’t really get it.”

Jaden utilizes his platform as a public figure to effect social change and deconstruct ideas of toxic masculinity so that, as he explained in an interview with Nylon Magazine, “In five years when a kid goes to school wearing a skirt, he won’t get beat up and kids won’t get mad at him.”

Terry Crews

Pictured: Terry Crews Source: Dame Magazine

Terry Crews has been a constant advocate for healthy masculinity, whether it’s as his current character Terry Jeffords on NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, where he plays a sensitive, emotional police sergeant and father of two girls, or through his prominent presence in the #MeToo movement. He sets a great example for men, showing that it’s completely okay to be hard on the outside and soft on the inside.

Jonathan Van Ness

Pictured: Jonathan Van Ness Source: Hears Tapps

Jonathan Van Ness, The Queer Eye breakout star, captured everyone’s hearts with his hilarious one-liners and that iconic mustache, but he’s also been on a public self-love journey. Along the way, he’s upped his fashion game by donning a plethora of gowns and skirts at industry red carpet events, such as this look, which he said was intended to “f**k a gender norm.”

PRIDE and the Beauty of Fluidity

Culture had previously been slow to change, but today, with our non-stop news cycle, social media feeds, and celebrations like PRIDE, minds are changing faster than ever before. PRIDE month, especially, has shown that masculinity is a spectrum that no one can characterize.

Today, we have the opportunity to consider individual differences and the growth we’ve shown in dismantling age-old definitions of masculinity and femininity. It’s more acceptable for men to feel unashamed when showing emotions and vulnerability; they can have pride in being themselves, including their own version of “manly.”

Gender roles aren’t set in stone and are as adaptable as culture; ever-changing and always progressing. While gender roles have always had a seat at history’s table, the time for a change is finally upon us. Your gender doesn’t define you; you do.

What are your thoughts on the evolution of gender roles, especially those relating to masculinity? Let us know in the comments.

References:

https://eharneyegypt.weebly.com/blog/gender-roles-of-men-and-women#:~:text=Ancient%20Egyptian%20men%20were%20seen,women%20were%20rarely%20involved%20in. [1][2]

https://www.legendsandchronicles.com/ancient-civilizations/ancient-rome/men-of-ancient-rome/ [3][4]

https://www.medievalgender.org.uk/masculinity-in-medieval-times/#:~:text=Men%20were%20considered%20the%20breadwinners,treated%20with%20respect%20and%20admiration. [5][6]

https://hair-and-makeup-artist.com/womens-victorian-makeup/#:~:text=The%20Queen%20had%20dignity%2C%20decorum,morals%20would%20wear%20obvious%20makeup. [7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_masculinity [8]

https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/his1005fall2010/2010/12/07/popular-fashion-trends-through-the-decades-1960s-1980s/ [9][10]

https://www.nbcnews.com/select/shopping/gender-fluid-clothing-ncna1270831#:~:text=In%20the%20past%20decade%2C%20fashion,free%20fashion%E2%80%9D%20brand%20Phluid%20Project. [11]

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db206.htm [12]

All About Psychedelics

Posted on June 7, 2022March 22, 2024 by Jennifer Norman

Psychedelics, also known as hallucinogens, are a group of substances that are commonly used to change and enhance sensory perceptions, thought processes, and energy levels, and to facilitate spiritual experiences. They include chemicals, such as LSD, and plants, such as peyote. The use of psychedelics goes back centuries in many cultures with some still being used today in religious ceremonies to experience spiritual or heightened states of awareness. In this blog, we’ll dive into what psychedelics are, how they work on the brain, and why the page is turning on using psychedelics for medical conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Types of Psychedelics

While psychedelics are loosely described under a general rubric, there are big differences between them. The following are some of the most commonly used psychedelic substances:

Acid (LSD)

Pictured: Acid and LSD sheets Source: FRANK

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a chemically synthesized hallucinogen, developed from ergot, a kind of mold that grows on the rye grain. Also known simply as acid, LSD was widely used in the 1960s until it was made illegal in 1968.1 The use of LSD has continued, despite being a controlled substance, although its use has gone through phases of greater or lesser popularity.

Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)

Pictured: DMT Source: Elephantos

N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a simple and potent psychedelic molecule found in many plants, such as psychotria viridis (chacruna) and diplopterys cabrerana (chaliponga), as well as animals. While DMT is naturally produced in the human brain, researchers are still working to understand the purpose of the molecule.

DMT can cause intense perceptual, cognitive, and emotional changes.2 However, the effects of DMT are much shorter than those of other psychedelics, typically lasting only an hour. This has led to DMT trips being referred to as the “businessman’s trip” or “businessman’s lunch.”

Ayahuasca

Pictured: Ayahuasca Source: The Guardian

Ayahuasca is a brew of two plants, one of which contains DMT, while the ayahuasca vine contains harmala alkaloids or monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Therefore, ayahuasca may be chemically reduced to DMT + MAOIs taken by mouth, while DMT is typically used via inhalation without MAOIs.3

Indigenous people in countries like Colombia and Peru have been using ayahuasca for hundreds of years as medicine and for religious worship. Compared to the intense and short-lived experience of pure DMT, an ayahuasca trip lasts for a few hours.

Many Westerners seeking psychedelic medicine travel to countries such as Brazil or Peru where ayahuasca is legally available. In this setting, ritual experiences are often embedded within a longer retreat. For example, the tea is often consumed on multiple nights with healing and integration work done during the day.

Ketamine

Pictured: Ketamine Source: Drug Target Review

Ketamine is a well-known medication that was originally used as an anesthetic during minor surgical procedures. Over time, ketamine has grown in popularity recreationally due to its sedative and muscle-relaxing properties. Ketamine is a dissociative substance, which means it acts on different chemicals in the brain to produce visual and auditory distortion and a detachment from reality.

Mescaline

Pictured: Peyote Source: NZ Drug Foundation

Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychedelic substance found in certain species of cactus, the most well-known being the peyote cactus. The effects of mescaline, which are similar to those of LSD, were well documented in the classic text on hallucinogens, The Door of Perception by Aldous Huxley.

Although peyote is a Schedule I drug and is therefore illegal, the listing of peyote as a controlled substance does not apply to the use of peyote in bona fide religious ceremonies of the Native American Church. Any person who manufactures peyote for or distributes peyote to the Native American Church, however, is required to obtain registration annually and to comply with all other requirements of law.4

Ololiuqui

Pictured: Ololiuqui seeds Source: Magic Mushrooms Shop

Ololiuqui is a naturally occurring psychedelic that is found in the seeds of the morning glory flower, which grows in Central and South America. Like mescaline, ololiuqui has a long history of use in spiritual rituals among indigenous groups where the plant grows but unlike mescaline, it’s not a controlled substance in the U.S. leading some to consider it a free “herbal high.”

Psilocybin

Pictured: Magic mushrooms Source: Healthline

Magic mushrooms contain a naturally occurring type of hallucinogen called psilocybin, which is found in certain fungi. There is a wide variety of hallucinogenic mushrooms, and their legal status is somewhat ambiguous, as they can be found growing wild in many parts of the world.

Their natural origins can make them appealing to young people, keen to experiment with these “free drugs.” But mushrooms carry particularly high risks given the toxicity of some varieties, which can even be lethal.5

MDMA

Pictured: MDMA Source: La Hacienda Treatment Center

MDMA, also referred to as ecstasy or molly, is more difficult to categorize as a psychedelic as the hallucinogenic effects are less pronounced, and the mood-enhancing and stimulant effects are more noticeable to the user than some other psychedelics. However, it can induce hallucinations and delusions.

It’s possible to have a bad trip on ecstasy, although this is not as common as bad trips on LSD or mushrooms. Ecstasy has also been associated with increased risks of health problems arising from overheating, dehydration, and water intoxication.6

How Psychedelics Work On the Brain

Psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin, are chemically similar to the neurotransmitter serotonin produced by the brain. Serotonin is involved in many neural functions including mood and perception. By mimicking this chemical’s effects, the substances exert their profound effects on subjective experience.

DMT too acts via serotonergic pathways, but also through other routes – for instance, DMT binds with sigma-1 receptors that are involved in the communication between neurons.7 Meanwhile, ketamine – among many other effects – blocks NMDA receptors that are involved in the functioning of the neurotransmitter glutamate.8

A key brain area for the effects of psychedelic substances appears to be the temporal lobe, the location of much of the emotional and memory functioning. For instance, removal of the front part of the temporal lobe as a radical treatment for epilepsy has been shown to prevent the psychological effects of taking LSD.9

Interestingly, abnormal activity in the temporal lobe, such as during seizures, can lead to events similar to near-death experiences. An effect shared by different psychedelic substances is that they increase the amount of disorganized activity across the brain – a state that neuroscientists describe as being “higher in entropy.”10

A consequence of this is a reduction in the activation of a group of brain structures known collectively as the “default mode network,” which is associated with self-conscious and self-focused thought. One theory, then, is that psychedelics provoke a spiritual state of oneness with the world by increasing the brain’s entropy and suppressing the ego-sustaining activity of the default mode network.11

Psychedelics For Medical Conditions

Psychedelics were used in psychotherapy in the 1960s, but this was halted for mainly political reasons until quite recently. Psychological research has since revived the use of psychedelics in experimental psychological treatment.

However, regulated treatments are currently experimental and not accessible to many people. While the research on psychedelic medicine for mental illness is still considered new and emerging, some studies have shown compelling results:

Psilocybin

A 2021 study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that high-dose psilocybin improved symptoms and quality of life when given with psychological support. After six months, about 80% of participants continued to show clinically significant decreases in anxiety and depressed mood.12

Another 2021 study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients with moderate to severe major depressive disorder who received two doses of psilocybin did just as well — if not better — at six weeks than patients who received daily doses of escitalopram, which is an antidepressant medication.13

Psilocybin may also be an effective addition to current treatments for quitting smoking, according to a pilot study.14

Pictured: An fMRI of patients undergoing psilocybin treatment for depression with their brain regions appearing to be more interconnected than before the treatment Source: DW

LSD

LSD-assisted psychotherapy — meaning a combined intervention of therapy and medication — may lessen feelings of anxiety among people with life-threatening illnesses who are anxious about their illnesses, according to a small study with 12 participants. Follow-up research with participants one year after treatment found that those decreases in anxiety had lasted.15

A review of six clinical trials with 536 participants linked a single dose of LSD administered within treatment programs for alcohol use disorder to a decrease in alcohol misuse.16

Pictured: The brain on LSD shows higher resting-state functional connectivity between the visual cortex and the rest of the brain Source: Inverse

MDMA

Some of the most compelling results for MDMA as a treatment for mental illness have come from clinical trials involving people with PTSD. In a study with 90 participants, investigators found that 67% of people treated with MDMA-assisted therapy no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD 18 weeks after starting treatment.

The authors of the study concluded that “MDMA-assisted therapy represents a potential breakthrough treatment that merits expedited clinical evaluation.”17

Pictured: MDMA amps up the good feelings of happy memories and dulls the pain of bad ones as shown in brain scans Source: Inverse

Ketamine and Esketamine

Intranasal esketamine, also known as-ketamine or S-ketamine, is the S enantiomer of ketamine. Administered together with standard antidepressant treatment, it was found to significantly reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts among patients with depression and high suicide risk, a small 2018 study found.18, 19

And in a March 2022 study, researchers found that among 537 people who received intravenous ketamine therapy in a clinical setting between 2016 and 2020, more than half of the patients experienced an improvement in their symptoms, and nearly 30% achieved remission.20

Pictured: Ketamine appears to strengthen connections between neural networks in people with severe depression. In a study comparing neural activity prior to a ketamine infusion (left) and six to nine hours after an infusion (right), a single dose made the brain more responsive to a simple sensory stimulus, the light stroking of a finger. Source: Brain Facts

A Nod to Ram Dass

Pictured: Ram Dass Source: GQ

Ram Dass was born Richard Alpert on April 6, 1931, to a successful Jewish family in Newton, Massachusetts. Though he was Bar Mitzvahed and grew up in a traditional house, he considered himself an atheist. “I didn’t have one whiff of God until I took psychedelics,” he said.

On March 5, 1961, Alpert had his first psychedelic experience with psilocybin. As the layers of his identity melted away, he went into a panic. The young professor was now able to see a wider vision of his place in the universe.

Interested in exploring consciousness, this expansive experience ignited his curiosity and would color his brief but memorable tenure at Harvard. Realizing the enormous potential of psychedelics, Alpert and Timothy Leary, a fellow Harvard professor, launched the Harvard Psilocybin Project in 1960.

Experiments ranged from scientifically rigorous to personal use and exploration. The Concord Prison Experiment (1961-1963) is an example of a more academically sound study and helped set the stage for psychedelic clinical trials today.

Another famous experiment, the 1962 Good Friday Experiment, was the first controlled double-blind study of psychedelics. The goal was to assess whether ingesting psilocybin could induce a mystical experience in the religiously predisposed.

Ten divinity students were given psilocybin, and ten took a placebo. The results were immediately clear. “It was absurd,” Alpert said, “because, in a short time, it was obvious who had taken the psilocybin. . . . They would stagger out of the chapel and say, ‘I see God! I see God!’”21

In 1963, Alpert was formally dismissed from Harvard. Along with Leary and other colleagues, he moved to the Millbrook Estate in New York where they continued to experiment with psychedelics. Their goal was to uncover a permanent path to higher consciousness.

During his four-year stay at Millbrook, he maintained professional relationships with those in the medical, psychiatric, and academic fields. He co-authored a number of books, including The Psychedelic Experience with Ralph Metzner.

After traveling to India and spending eight months with the guru, Neem Karoli Baba, at a temple in the Himalayas, the newly-named Ram Dass returned to America. In an effort to reach more people, he started many foundations, the most famous of which is the Living/Dying Project.

To Ram Dass, conscious living includes conscious dying. This is a major theme in today’s renaissance of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Compassionate use of psychedelics for terminal patients focuses on accepting one’s own mortality and living each day to the fullest.

He was involved in countless other foundations and movements, all aimed at improving people’s spiritual wellbeing. Ram Dass passed peacefully on December 22, 2019, and his powerful legacy continues to shape the world of psychedelic medicine.

To learn more about Ram Dass, click here.

Which Psychedelics Are FDA-Approved for Use?

Currently, Spravato (esketamine) is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. It’s administered as a nasal spray by a health professional.22 Though esketamine is a psychedelic medicine, its prescribing information lists hallucinogenic experiences as a side effect rather than a mechanism of action, or how the substance works.

“With the typical way esketamine is used, folks are told to ignore the psychedelic effects as a side effect, which is the opposite of true psychedelic therapy where one is encouraged to pay attention to the altered state of consciousness and try to learn from it,” says Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., a professor of psychedelics and consciousness research in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.23

Some doctors prescribe ketamine — which is FDA-approved as a general anesthetic — “off-label” for depression. This means it’s not yet FDA-approved for depression, but some health professionals deem the medication appropriate for certain patients. Some physicians provide ketamine for depression at specialized clinics throughout the United States.24

Additionally, the FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designations to psilocybin for depression and MDMA for PTSD. This designation accelerates their pathway to FDA approval.25 But these medicines aren’t legally available to the public yet and can only be used as part of a clinical trial.26

In Conclusion

Considering the most recent scientific and clinical developments in understanding the actions of psychedelics, a statement made in 1980 by Dr. Stanislav Grof seems particularly relevant today:

“It does not seem to be an exaggeration to say that psychedelics, used responsibly and with proper caution, would be for psychiatry what the microscope is for biology and medicine or the telescope is for astronomy. These tools make it possible to study important processes that under normal circumstances are not available for direct observation.”

Although studies are showing positive results, there are still many unknowns, such as the ways these drugs will be administered if they become FDA-approved. However, the popularity surge in psychedelics research will likely continue gaining steam.

What are your thoughts on psychedelics being used medicinally? Let us know in the comments!

—

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysergic_acid_diethylamide#:~:text=On%20October%2024%2C%201968%2C%20possession,continued%20in%20Switzerland%20until%201993. [1]

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/306889 [2]

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ayahuasca [3]

https://www.britannica.com/plant/Lophophora-williamsii [4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin_mushroom [5]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5008716/ [6]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2947205/#:~:text=The%20sigma%2D1%20receptor%20is,currently%20considered%20an%20orphan%20receptor. [7]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5148235/ [8]

http://9.g00gleweb.com/heiwu.php [9]

https://www.payam.com/s/Psychedelic-Assisted-Psychotherapy-for-Trauma-and-Chronic-Pain.pdf [10]

https://www.payam.com/s/Psychedelic-Assisted-Psychotherapy-for-Trauma-and-Chronic-Pain.pdf [11]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5367557/ [12]

https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2032994 [13]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25213996/ [14]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24594678/ [15]

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0269881112439253 [16]

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01336-3 [17]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29656663/ [18]

https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17060647 [19]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032721014142?via%3Dihub [20]

https://news.tufts.edu/magazine/fall2006/features/ultimate-trip.html [21]

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/esketamine-for-treatment-resistant-depression [22]

https://www.janssenlabels.com/package-insert/product-monograph/prescribing-information/SPRAVATO-pi.pdf [23]

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/from-street-drug-to-depression-therapy [24]

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191122005452/en/FDA-grants-Breakthrough-Therapy-Designation-Usona-Institutes [25]

https://maps.org/news/media/press-release-fda-grants-breakthrough-therapy-designation-for-mdma-assisted-psychotherapy-for-ptsd-agrees-on-special-protocol-assessment-for-phase-3-trials/ [26]

Summer Beauty

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Jennifer Norman

Summer is a time for beach days, pool parties, and vacations. But while summer is full of fun in the sun, the longer hours of daylight and hot, humid weather can affect your skin differently than the colder and darker days of winter. In this blog, we will explore how summer can impact your skin, share hot weather tips, and even bust a few summer skincare myths.

How Summer Affects Your Skin

Every season impacts your skin differently. If you notice your complexion changing during summer, it could be because the hot, humid weather is having an effect. Here’s a look at the changes your skin may undergo during the summer:

High heat and humidity can make your skin oilier. Your sebaceous glands are more active in hot weather, and with the increased oil on your skin, breakouts can become more likely. 1
The heat can make your sweat glands more active. Excessive sweating can affect more than just your face. The combination of sweat, bacteria, and friction from your clothing may also cause breakouts on your back and chest.2
Chlorinated water may dry out your skin. Swimming is a great way to cool off in the summer, but the chlorine in the water can strip your skin of its natural hydrating oils. As a result, your skin may feel dry and flaky or even develop an itchy rash after spending an afternoon at the pool.3
UV rays can change your skin in several ways. You may be excited to get a tan this summer, but sun exposure does more than just darken your skin and make freckles appear. For instance, if you’re outside too long without protection, you could get sunburned. Excessive UV rays can also cause swelling, irregular pigmentation, wrinkles, and other signs of premature aging.4
Summer heat can trigger eczema flare-ups. While psoriasis sufferers often benefit from UV exposure and high humidity, it’s a different story for people with eczema. In fact, the heat of summer can trigger increased skin irritation and redness, so it’s important not to let your skin overheat if you have this condition.5
Bacteria can sabotage your skincare products. Bacteria thrive in heat and humidity, making summer the ideal season for them to grow. To discourage bacteria growth, be sure to store your skincare products in a cool, dry place. You can also replace your brushes and pads frequently to help your skin stay clean and clear.6
Fake tanning products can have a drying effect. A faux glow is safer than a natural one, but your fake tanner might be the source of mysteriously dry, sensitive skin. Check the ingredients list, and if you see specially denatured (SD) alcohol or ethanol, consider switching to a new product.7

The Fitzpatrick Skin Type System

Scientists developed the Fitzpatrick Skin Type System in 1975. It remains a useful way to determine skin type, skin cancer risk, and is an accurate predictor of a patient’s reaction to UVA rays. Skin cancer is a common type of cancer in the United States, and according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five people in the U.S. will develop skin cancer during their lifetime.8

Experts established the Fitzpatrick Skin Types by asking individuals how their skin reacted to the sun. The results showed clear trends that allowed researchers to identify six different skin types according to how much melanin was present. A 2013 study also confirmed that the system was useful in identifying who was most at risk of sunburn.9

The table below shows a summary of the Fitzpatrick Skin Types and their features:

Source: Laser Hair Removal

Remember: The Fitzpatrick Scale acts as a guide rather than a definitive classification. A person’s skin type may not fit neatly into one category.

How To Protect Each Skin Type

The sun’s UV rays can cause damage to any skin type. Regardless of their skin type, individuals who are spending time outdoors should:

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF 30.
Remember that the sun’s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Sit or walk in the shade when possible.
Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that block UV rays.
Wear protective clothing if out in the sun for extended periods.
Check your skin at least once per month for changes and seek medical advice if any occur.

The sections below discuss the risks associated with each skin type and why everyone needs to protect their skin:

Types I and II

Those with skin types I or II often have fair skin, freckles, and light hair, which the American Cancer Society (ACS) lists as risk factors for melanoma. Individuals with very fair skin should take additional precautions to protect their skin.

For example, they should use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. It’s also best for those with skin type I or II to avoid sun exposure as much as possible and wear protective clothing that reflects the sun’s rays.

Types III and IV

If a person has skin type III or IV, their skin can burn, but it will also tan. The risk of skin cancer due to sun exposure is lower than it is for those with types I and II, but there is still a risk. It’s vital to always wear sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 or higher, along with limiting sun exposure and wearing protective clothing.

Although the Fitzpatrick Skin Types vary widely among people of a similar origin, those with Types III and IV often include people of Mediterranean, Southern European, Latino, and Asian ancestry.10 Skin cancer accounts for 2–4% of all cancers in people of Asian origin and 4–5% of all cancers in people of Hispanic origin.11

The authors of a 2012 study expressed concern about the risk of skin cancer among Hispanic people in the U.S. They called for “culturally relevant, tailored interventions” to raise awareness of the need for sun protection and preventive measures.12 The ACS also expresses concern, noting that skin cancer rates have risen by nearly 20% among Hispanic people in the U.S. in the past 20 years.13

Types V and VI

People with skin types V and VI also have a risk of developing skin cancer, though the risk is lower than it is for people with types I or II. Even if the skin does not burn, sun damage can lead to cancer and early signs of skin aging.

Skin cancer accounts for just 1–2% of all cancers in Black people.14 When it does occur, the outlook may be worse for several reasons, including the following:

Awareness: As with Hispanic communities, Black individuals and their healthcare providers may be less watchful for signs of skin cancer, given that it mainly affects lighter skin.
Expectation: Healthcare workers are less likely to expect that skin cancer will be present in darker skin and may not perform a full check. Lesions may also look different on darker skin than those shown in educational materials.
Location: In Skin Types V and VI, changes may occur in places that are not exposed to the sun, such as the soles of the feet. This may make them less noticeable.

Protective measures are as essential for skin types V and VI as they are for the other types. However, sunscreens designed for lighter skin may leave a residue on the face that gives an ashen or chalky look. According to one expert, writing for the Skin Cancer Foundation, creams that contain nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide may work well.

Fact or Myth: Summer Skincare Edition

We’ve all fallen victim to believing a skincare myth that made us think we could get away with something because it was easier. From SPF and acne myths to the truth behind facial oils, we’re here to bust some myths so you can hit the beach informed, confident, and most importantly – sunburn free.

Myth: Skin Is Oilier in the Summer, so You Don’t Need Moisturizer

Fact: Moisturizers are still a must during summer. They not only discourage the build-up of dead skin cells by keeping the skin cells healthier, but if you toss your moisturizer altogether, your skin can get dry and dehydrated, and actually increase oil production in response.

Myth: Lips Don’t Get Sunburned

Fact: The truth is lips can get sunburned and sun-damaged, and burns on the lips can contribute to the development of lip cancers. SPF-containing lip products are the key to keeping your lips healthy and sunburn-free. Check out Sun Bum’s Vegan and Cruelty-Free Lip Balm SPF 30.

Myth: Misting With Water Keeps You Hydrated

Fact: This actually can cause more dehydration. As the mist evaporates, it pulls your surface moisture with it and your skin ends up with surface dehydration, which leads to clogged pores, and then you’re unable to blend your makeup. So if you like to mist your face, make sure to use mists that have humectants and actually keep the moisture in, instead of pulling it out. You can try the Dalba White Truffle First Spray Serum Mist which features excellent humectants.

Myth: Sun Exposure Is a Great Way to Treat Acne

Fact: Although it’s true that sun exposure can down-regulate the immune system in the skin and therefore temporarily improve inflammatory acne, this is not a safe way to treat breakouts. The side effects of accelerated aging and skin cancer risk are much more serious than acne, and sun exposure actually emboldens dark spots.

Myth: Always Use Creams With Sunblock in the Morning

Fact: SPF disintegrates after a certain time, depending on its number and your skin, so using it only in the morning is counterproductive. The only way you can truly stay safe is by reapplying every one to two hours. So, while we encourage applying every morning or before you leave the house, it’s also really important to top up throughout the day.

Myth: You Don’t Need Sun Protection for Your Body Because You Are Wearing Clothing

Fact: A typical cotton or linen t-shirt only has an SPF of five. This means you can still get sunburned through your shirt. To protect yourself consider wearing sun-protective fabrics. There are fashionable options out there that provide UPF 50+ (The letters UPF refer to how much UV ray radiation is absorbed by the fabric). The skin cancer foundation has some great tips and advice on UPF-rated clothing, which you can check out here.

Myth: The Higher the SPF, the Better the Sun Protection

Fact: Higher SPF only gives you marginally improved UV protection. It’s easy to think that sunscreens with SPF 70 or 100 would provide better coverage. But a higher SPF may actually give you a false sense of protection (and you may stay out longer in the sun or forget to reapply sunscreen after getting out from the water), thus you may burn more.

What’s more important is that your sunscreen is broad-spectrum, meaning that it blocks UVA and UVB, and that you reapply every two to three hours as recommended or after the skin gets wet from water or sweating.

Myth: People With Oily Skin Shouldn’t Use Face Oils

Fact: On the contrary, people with oily skin many times tend to over-strip their natural oil by using products with harsh ingredients. Using face oils can help to replenish the skin’s natural oil production, keeping oil levels balanced. Check out the Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil to keep your skin feeling fresh, healthy, glowing, and summer-ready.

A Guide to Summer Skincare

When you dream about your skin in summer, you might envision it being tanned, smooth, and glowing, but the reality can be somewhat different as you tackle the risk of sweat, sunburn, and premature aging due to the sunny conditions. While you may think you need to completely restructure your skincare routine to beat the summer heat, the reality is that with a few small tweaks, your skin will be feeling and looking its best all season long.

Here are some warm weather skincare tips you can try this summer:

SPF Is Your BFF

According to Dr. Stefanie Williams, dermatologist and medical director at Eudelo, “I always recommend using sun protection all year around. The reason for this is that while the burning UVB rays are much weaker in winter, the skin aging UVA rays don’t fluctuate as much throughout the seasons.”

“My recommendation is to wear an SPF 30 to slow down the aging process and keep your skin in optimal condition long-term,” she says. “However, should you have down-graded your SPF (or even worse, not used one) in the winter, then now is certainly the time to go back to daily SPF.”

Product Spotlight

To shop the CeraVe 100% Mineral Body Sunscreen SPF 50 with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide, click here.

Opt For a Lighter Skincare Routine

In the summer, we commonly change up our wardrobe to better reflect the warmer weather. Similarly, your skin-care routine may need to be a little more lightweight. The heat and humidity of summer mean you can swap out a heavier cleanser (think cream or oil cleanser) in favor of a gentler foaming option.

Product Spotlight

To shop the Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid + Phytosterols and Phospholipids + Amino Acids, click here.

Adopt a Dual-Purpose Moisturizer

To help lighten things up, you can consider switching to a combination moisturizer and sunscreen during the summer. A lightweight moisturizer with SPF of 30 or higher may be plenty for most people as long as you’re applying a generous amount and reapplying every couple of hours, as with a regular sunscreen.

Thicker moisturizers can lead to clogged pores, inflammation, and acne; especially if you have acne-prone or oily skin. With summer causing increased sweating, clogged pores can really be an issue. Replacing one of your skin-care steps with a combination moisturizer/SPF can help keep skin clear and fresh during summer.

Product Spotlight

To shop the Paula’s Choice Calm SPF 30 Mineral Moisturizer Broad Spectrum Sun Protectant, click here.

Add In a Good Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin C serums are a necessity in an anti-aging skincare regimen. Vitamin C has been proven to:

Brighten your complexion
Reduce the appearance of scars and dark spots
Even out your skin tone
Smooth out fine lines and wrinkles
Prevent skin sagging

Vitamin C is even more essential in the summer when your skin takes the most damage from harsh UV rays and drying breezes. For optimal results, you can try layering a few drops of a vitamin C serum on your skin between cleansing and moisturizer.

Product Spotlight

To shop the MyChelle Dermaceuticals Perfect C Serum, click here.

Always Exfoliate

Dermatologists often remind us not to over-exfoliate, but in the summertime, you can add a little more exfoliation to your routine, especially if you have oily skin. Instead of going all-out with it, slowly increasing the number of days you exfoliate per week will allow your skin to adapt much more quickly.

Product Spotlight

To shop the BABOR Enzyme Cleanser, Gentle Antioxidant Daily Face Exfoliator, with Vitamin C and Active Enzymes, click here.

Take Shorter, Cooler Showers

Nothing feels better after a long day than taking a nice hot shower. Unfortunately, hot water dries out your skin, which is an even bigger predicament during the summer. Instead, try to take a cool or lukewarm shower for 15 to 20 minutes. Not only will this keep your skin healthy during the warmer months, but it will also give you a chance to cool off from the heat.

Product Spotlight

To shop the Everyone 3-in-1 Soap, Body Wash, Bubble Bath, and Shampoo With Organic Plant Extracts and Pure Essential oils, click here.

Stay Hydrated

While this may not seem like a skincare tip, drinking water may have an impact on your skin’s health. Our bodies need water to keep cells, organs, and tissues operating at their best. Water is also necessary for temperature regulation and maintaining other bodily functions. In summer, it’s more important to drink water as we lose a significant amount of hydration through sweat.

Drinking water can help you stay cool, which prevents breakouts and clogged pores. It can even prevent skin wrinkling. You can use this calculator to find out exactly how much water your body needs every day.

Product Spotlight

To shop the Sahara Sailor Water Bottle, 32oz Motivational Sports Water Bottle With Time Marker, click here.

In Conclusion

Summer is warmer and sunnier than winter, and it’s only natural that your skin has different needs during the changing seasons. When you’re spending more time in the sun, it’s important to be mindful of sunscreen. Find a broad-spectrum SPF 30 and reapply every 2 hours to protect your skin from premature aging and skin cancer.

After all, a summer-friendly beauty routine will keep your skin happy and healthy all season long.

What is your favorite SPF? Do you have any summer skincare tips or tricks? Let us know in the comments!

References:

https://www.getthegloss.com/article/how-to-deal-with-oily-skin-in-warm-weather [1]

https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2020/aug/how-sweat-works-why-we-sweat-when-we-are-hot-as-well-as-when-we-are-not/ [2]

https://coloradospringsdermatologyclinic.com/info/can-swimming-pool-and-hot-tub-chlorine-harm-your-skin/#:~:text=Add%20to%20that%20the%20fact,contributing%20factor%20to%20premature%20aging. [3]

https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/uv-radiation.html#:~:text=UV%20rays%2C%20either%20from%20the,actinic%20keratosis%2C%20and%20solar%20elastosis. [4]

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-to-minimize-the-risk-of-eczema-flare-ups-on-hot-summer-days#:~:text=For%20those%20living%20with%20eczema,sun%20on%20hot%2C%20dry%20days. [5]

https://www.herworld.com/beauty/skin/10-things-consider-storing-your-skincare-fridge/ [6]

https://www.cocoandeve.com/blogs/news/how-to-shower-for-a-longer-fake-tan#:~:text=Many%20fake%20tans%20can%20be,skin%20while%20still%20slightly%20damp. [7]

https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/ [8]

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/1737180 [9]