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Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few years, you've probably noticed the buzz surrounding Asian beauty brands — and even have a few favorite products from the East in your regimen. We love our trusty South Korean and Japanese beauty brands, but China offers up some choice buys as well, but is often over-looked. This is unfortunate, given that Chinese medicine has devoted thousands of years to finding solutions to a plethora of skin- and body-care woes.
"The concept of Chinese medicine is to channel our life force (chi), so that it can correct any imbalances in our bodies," says Ling Chan, Chinese skin-care specialist, celebrity facialist, and founder of Ling Skincare. This "chi" energy travels through the meridian system, which is described as an energy highway that runs throughout the body. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) uses procedures like acupuncture, herbal therapy, and massage to stimulate this system.
"It's all about the balance of yin and yang," adds Wei Young Brian, founder of Wei Beauty, a skin-care line formulated with Chinese medicine in mind. Brian uses Chinese herbs like bitter melon and China rose to bring off-kilter skin to balance. "I believe that there can be blockages in the microchannels under the skin," Brian says. "We use deep-cleaning and purifying products to increase circulation, so that these blockages can move."
So, in honor of tonight's Met Gala theme — "China: Through the Looking Glass" — we've rounded up a few of our own favorites. While not all of the effects of TCM are backed by conclusive evidence, we can attest that these Chinese beauty brands' formulations really work.
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