Whether you’re thinking about spending time outdoors this summer or keeping it closer to home, you always want to look your best — and pearl powder may be your ticket to a dazzling complexion.
Versatile Pearl
Pearls have a lot more to offer than simply being your favorite jewelry, and who wouldn’t want their skin to glow with the lustrous shine of your favorite pearl pendant? Plus, if you’re looking for a treat for yourself, a birthday present, or, why not, unique bridal shower gifts, pearl powder is the ingredient to watch for.
A favorite of Cleoptra
Pulverized pearls were a favorite of Cleopatra and the Chinese Empress Wu Zetian. Both regularly used pearls as part of their beauty routine. Pearl powder was treasured in ancient civilizations around the world, and they used it as a herbal remedy for everything from eye disease to tuberculosis. Ancient wellness trends have come full circle and are becoming the New Age beauty go-to products. From gemstone skincare to energy healing sessions, modern women are interested in natural ways to achieve beauty and open trying something new — or really, making something old new again.
Pearl Powder and Beauty Benefits
Nutrient Powerhouse
You probably never thought of your pearls as a strand of vitamins. Pearl powder contains almost twenty amino acids and more than two dozen important trace elements. Whether pearls come from saltwater or freshwater, both types of these natural gems are rich in essential nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and selenium. Let’s delve a little deeper and discover the amazing cosmetic and medical benefits pearl powder has to offer.
Powerful Proteins
Proteins are the foundation for life and amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Pearls are rich in many essential amino acids and this helps to maintain good health.
Collagen
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It makes up some 85% of your skin, connective tissue, and muscle; it is, in essence, the glue that holds us together. With such an important role, collagen, or lack thereof, decides whether your skin is smooth and strong or fragile and wrinkled.
Several components in pearl powder support collagen production and collagen also builds muscle while promoting fat loss. One place where thin skin is particularly noticeable is around the eyes, and because pearl proteins help regenerate collagen, it can help improve the quality of that delicate tissue, leading to brighter, smoother skin. Collagen production decreases with age, which is why supplementing is so important to keep skin, and the entire body, healthy.
Signal Proteins
Pearl powder contains special proteins known as signal proteins. Signal proteins are a type of messenger in the body that tells the cells to grow, such as creating new bones or skin. The DNA in pearls’ signal proteins are very similar to our own that regulate calcium, another essential nutrient used in many important processes.
Conchiolin
Conchiolin is the protein responsible for a pearl’s special luminescent glow. That same protein is used to produce collagen. Conchiolin is very similar to keratin which makes up a large part of your hair and skin. It is also responsible for many important functions including repair, circulation, and growth of new skin cells.
Conchiolin also combines with lipids in the skin to create a natural moisture barrier, preventing water from evaporating and creating naturally brilliant skin.
Taurine
The amino acid taurine plays a role in the regeneration of skin cells, which is key for a bright, clear complexion. It increases circulation and purifies the blood, also essential for glowing skin. Additionally, taurine helps regulate the menstrual cycle, rebalancing hormones, and taming breakouts. Yet another function of taurine is to calm the mind and body in times of stress. Pearl powder is a good source of taurine.
Other Proteins
The above are just a few examples of the important roles protein compounds in pearls play, but there are many more, including methionine which boosts elasticity; glycine that tones the skin; and glutathione, which improves immunity and prevents damage to the skin and other structures from free radicals and environmental toxins.
Beneficial Calcium
Everyone knows calcium is indispensable for strong bones, but it does so much more, including keeping your heart healthy. Calcium also helps curb PMS symptoms such as mood swings and depression. Pearl powder is one of the purest forms of calcium available, and it is also one of the most easily absorbed. Only leafy green vegetables match pearls for purity, while other sources of calcium can cause calcification which contributes to problems like acne, arthritis, and cellulite. Pearl powder is one of the best ways to get beneficial calcium into your body.
Amazing Antioxidants
As you can see, pearl powder has so much more to offer than just clear skin. Pearls contain magnesium, the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. Magnesium performs several hundred functions. One is to maintain proper levels of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). This, in turn, helps alleviate sleep disorders, depression, and anxiety.
Magnesium intake has also been found to help relieve panic attacks, stress, and other psychological disorders. Magnesium helps prevent constipation; good digestion is essential for healthy-looking skin and overall health. Magnesium is also a key component of bones and aids with calcium absorption. Another important role magnesium plays is regulating the metabolism of carbohydrates and glucose. Another of magnesium’s many jobs is in the production of collagen.
Mood Stabilizer
Pearl powder has many functions in Traditional Chinese Medicine, including as an adaptogen or stress-reliever known as shen. The powder can also be used to lower blood pressure and improve endurance. Additionally, pearl powder can also be used to clear phlegm and ease constipation.
Anti-Inflammatory Agent
The powder has been used for centuries by Chinese medicine for detoxification, an anti-inflammatory and relaxant
Ayurvedic medicine also recognizes the adaptogenic power of pearls as well as its anti-aging properties. Mukta Pishti pearl powder is also used to cool the body, soothe the digestive tract, and reduce inflammation. In Ayurvedic medicine, pearls are also sometimes used as an aphrodisiac or love potion.
Excellent exfoliant
Pearl powder applied topically makes an exceptional exfoliator. Pearl powder has a finer grain than other microdermabrasion products. It gently but effectively removes dead cells to reveal healthy, glowing skin underneath. Products such as AHA, artificial scrubs, and other treatments are often too intense for facial skin and provoke inflammation.
The body ends up using its precious collagen to repair damage rather than renew skin cells. The overuse of harsh chemicals can also result in permanent damage, from both scarring and exposing fragile skin to harmful UV light.
With pearl powder, you only need to use it once or twice a week to get glowing skin, and without risking any detrimental effects from overuse. Regular use of pearl powder as an exfoliant helps eliminate stubborn acne and the equally stubborn dark spots that acne can leave behind.
Freckle Fixer
Pearl powder increases the activity of an amazing anti-inflammatory enzyme known as SOD (superoxide dismutase). SOD combines with other nutrients to discourage a process called peroxidation, one of the most damaging types of aging in the body. SOD helps prevent the development of melanin, which you may or may not already know is the substance that creates freckles and other skin discolorations. Pearl powder moisturizes, nourishes and softens the skin, restoring its youthful glow.
Solid Science
An increasing body of scientific evidence proves the claims of ancient wisdom regarding the benefits of pearl powder.
- The protein extract of pearl powder exhibit the highest antioxidant activity, as well as effectively prolonged the life span of C. elegans to showcase itsanti-aging property.
- Pearl powder administration showed a substantial increase in total antioxidant capacity, total thiols, Glutathione content, enzymic antioxidant activity as well as considerably suppressed the lipid peroxidation products.
- Pearl powder can be beneficial for treating various age-related degenerative disorders.
Applied directly to the skin, pearl powder minimizes pores and repairs damage, whether due to sun exposure or scarring. Pearl powder also reduces sagging, fine lines, and wrinkles, as well as freckles and dark or discolored areas. Acne and other blemishes heal and elasticity improves with regular use of pearl powder.
Add it to your tea
Double your results by using pearl powder both inside and out. Pearl powder’s dozens of trace minerals, amino acids, and other essential nutrients promote optimum health, longevity, beauty, and happiness. Pearl powder has no known side effects or drug interactions. The powder has hardly any flavor and dissolves easily. Add it to tea, a smoothie or bone broth to increase the beneficial effects of collagen.
Final thoughts
From helping with sleep disorders and depression to brighter skin, pearl powder offers a wide range of benefits. Pearls heal the body, mind, and spirit, as well as harmonize the body’s energy. No matter how you choose to apply it, pearl powder is the beauty industry’s latest powerhouse ingredient. Humans have been harnessing the power of pearls for thousands of years for good reason: because it works.
Reference
Journal of Food and Drug Analysis. Science Direct: Efficacy of protein rich pearl powder on antioxidant status in a randomized placebo-controlled trial Hui-FangChiuaSu-ChunHsiaobYan-YingLucYi-ChunHanbYou-ChengShendKameshVenkatakrishnanbChin-KunWangb
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