Pearl Powder
The first time I heard about pearl powder was from Yu, Feihong, a Chinese actress who looks absolutely stunning, glowing, and even younger when she gets older. When asked what her beauty secret was, she told the hostess that she always mixes a little bit of pearl powder into her night cream.
After I studied nutrition, I understood why it worked! In this article, I will talk about why pearl powder can be a powerful skincare ingredient, how to use pearl powder and whether you can eat pearl powder.
Pearl powder has been used for thousands of years in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. In Chinese medicine, the powder is said to be detoxifying and is used as an anti-inflammatory and a relaxant. In Ayurvedic medicine, the pearl is said to be an antidote for poison, and it was also used in love potions.
Pearl powder is made by boiling fresh or saltwater pearls (to sterilize them), and then milling the pearls into a soft fine powder.
Pearl powder's benefits come from：
its abundance of calcium, magnesium, and iron, plus conchiolin, a remarkable protein composed of 17 skin-loving amino acids. Conchiolin hydrates the skin, rebuilds collagen and increases the skin’s barrier action for retaining moisture. It also tones the skin and inhibits melanin production.
Pearl powder also contains a nacre that can stimulate fibroblasts in the body to accelerate wound healing and help collagen regenerate itself.
It also contains high levels of magnesium which is an anti-inflammatory agent as well as elevates gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in our body which can help alleviate depression, anxiety, and certain sleep disorders.
Some research also suggests that pearl powder may boost superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione. Both are powerful antioxidants that can help fight against diseases and may even extend life.
The pearl in the ingredient list of typical cosmetics is commonly "hydrolyzed pearl" (also called hydrolyzed conchiolin). It is made by adding chemicals to pearl's proteins for making them water-soluble, plus a preservative such as Phenoxyethanol or Parabens to protect the product from growing bacteria and fungi. Therefore, I don’t recommend products that are labeled to have pearl powder, but rather recommend you add the powder yourself to your skincare products.
Just like Yu, Feihong, you can add some pearl powder into your night cream or use it as a face mask。
Yes, pearl powder is edible; however, it is important to only eat pearl powder from reliable sources. For example, Akoya oysters are sensitive to water quality and won’t survive in polluted water. You can add a teaspoon of good quality pure Akoya pearl powder into warm water and drink it before sleep, it helps your sleep as well.