As female readers might already know, cosmetics that claim to have medical and/or nutritional properties sell better. You see them regularly on store shelves; hair care products containing vitamins, skin care products containing collagen, and so forth. I read recently that the departments of development in cosmetic companies hire medical staff to come up with new products that appear to promote health and beauty simultaneously.
In the last few decades, we have witnessed aesthetic interests merging into the area of the medical profession. For example, Botox, once a muscle relaxant, is now commonly used to reduce wrinkles, and plastic surgery is a very common practice nowadays to help people achieve their ideal beauty. I have a feeling that this trend of merging beauty and healthcare will become more prevalent in the coming years.
It seems only natural and intuitive that women, as consumers, demand something more than a superficial cover-up in cosmetic products. In fact, expensive make-up is almost meaningless if you have a digestive problem and it shows on the skin in the form of acne, dry skin, or oily skin. Also, when you get a facial at a salon, if you smoke on the way home, it will cause an increase of oxidation in your body, which is detrimental to your skin.
You might not realize it, but the idea of inner beauty is the very concept of Eastern medicine. The practitioners of Eastern Medicine view the condition of the face as a representation of the condition of the organs. In our diagnostic process, we look for imbalance of the organs based upon the discoloration, the color tone, and the dryness/oiliness of the face. For example, dry skin is caused by poor circulation of blood, weakened Lung functions, and/or a weakened digestive system. On the other hand, people who get regular acupuncture treatments tend to have nice skin because the blood circulation is improved. Many of my clients report a reduction in the swelling of the face and limbs; this is because the body processes excessive bodily fluid after acupuncture sessions.
The newest trend in the world of acupuncture is cosmetic acupuncture. You might have seen it on TV or in magazines. To tell you the truth, it is not much different from regular acupuncture sessions; it merely has as its primary focus the outward manifestation of the inner beauty/health promoted by regular acupuncture treatments.
