Jade: The Secret Strength behind Beauty and Wellness

Since ancient times, jade has been revered as the oriental treasure, surpassing its roles in adornment, appreciation, and value retention to serve as a magical elixir for health and beauty, earning it the praise of "Eastern Mystic Gem" from Western women. In ancient China, tales of jade's rejuvenating effects on the complexion abound, such as the story of Song San Niang, a Tang Dynasty courtesan who, despite her middle years, retained her youthful appearance through the ingenious application of jade in her skincare routine. The 'Record of Ethereal Imperial Fragrances' recounts Empress Dowager Cixi's beauty ritual, involving daily use of a customized jade roller to massage her face. This jade implement, imbued with unique minerals, was believed to possess properties that cooled inflammation, detoxified, nourished the skin, invigorated blood flow, and sharpened mental acuity.

The 'Compendium of Materia Medica,' a canonical work in traditional Chinese medicine, meticulously details the medicinal virtues of specific jades. The phrase "jade-like beauty" has long been used to extol a woman's exquisite looks, reflecting the ancient and enduring role of jade and flowers as vital ingredients in women's beauty regimens. As early as the Shang Dynasty, "yanzhi" made from red safflower combined with powdered special jade was utilized as cosmetic. By the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the repertoire of cosmetic products had expanded to over twenty varieties, forming a relatively sophisticated cosmetics system, with many recipes recorded in texts like 'Liu Wei Zi's Lost Formulas' incorporating various natural silicate minerals.

But how exactly do these special jades contribute to preserving the beauty of women? Modern high-tech research reveals that they possess a unique photoelectric effect, accumulating energy during friction and kneading, creating an electromagnetic field akin to a computer resonator. This field can resonate with the human body, aiding in调节 and optimizing organ functions. Furthermore, certain special jades contain trace elements beneficial to health, exerting yet-to-be-fully-understood therapeutic effects upon contact with the skin. Of note, jade also possesses calming properties, soothing facial nerves that are often tense under the influence of the brain, making jade massage efficacious in relaxing facial nerves. In folk traditions, it is even said that women in labor would clutch jade to alleviate pain and facilitate delivery.