Pearl powder () is a preparation of crushed
pearls used in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and elsewhere for
skin care and in
traditional Chinese medicine.
Preparation
Pearl powder is made from
freshwater pearls or saltwater pearls below jewellery grade. These are sterilised in boiling water and then milled into a fine powder using stainless steel grinding discs or by milling with small
porcelain balls in moist conditions. The powder is sold as such or mixed into creams.
Cosmetic uses
Pearl powder is widely believed to help improve the appearance of the skin, and is used as a cosmetic by royal families in Asia.
[Jamie Ott, "Pearl powder: Eat it, wear it, brush your teeth with it", examiner.com, March 10, 2011] It is also used as a treatment for
acne. Some studies have claimed that pearl powder can stimulate the skin's
fibroblast
A fibroblast is a type of cell (biology), biological cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, produces the structural framework (Stroma (tissue), stroma) for animal Tissue (biology), tissues, and plays a critical role in wound ...
s, help regenerate
collagen
Collagen () is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix found in the body's various connective tissues. As the main component of connective tissue, it is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up from 25% to 35% of the whole ...
, and accelerate healing of certain skin conditions, wounds, and burns.
Medical uses
Pearl powder contains a number of
amino acids
Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha am ...
, over 30 trace minerals,
and a high concentration of
calcium.
In Chinese medicine, it is used as an
anti-inflammatory and
detoxification agent, and as a
relaxant
A muscle relaxant is a drug that affects skeletal muscle function and decreases the muscle tone. It may be used to alleviate symptoms such as muscle spasms, pain, and hyperreflexia. The term "muscle relaxant" is used to refer to two major therap ...
.
The calcium content is considered beneficial for calcium deficient persons with issues such as
osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to bone fragility, and consequent increase in fracture risk. It is the most common reason for a broken bone ...
. A typical dose is 1 gram of pearl powder taken by mouth, traditionally mixed into water or tea, twice weekly. Excessive doses may cause calcium toxicity.
The powder is also used to treat stomach and intestinal conditions such as
indigestion and chronic
constipation. It is claimed to minimize pain from sores and ulcers, and to help reduce the sores and ulcers themselves.
History
China
The use in China of pearl powder, both as medicine and as cosmetic, dates back at least to 320 AD. Pearl powder was an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in the treatment of eye diseases,
tuberculosis and to prevent heart attacks. The empress
Wu Ze Tian (625 AD – 705 AD) used pearl powder internally and on her skin. The medical book
Bencao Gangmu of the
Ming dynasty claimed that pearl can stimulate new skin growth and healing, release toxins, and remove sun damage and age spots.
India
Pearl powder was also used in
Ayurvedic medicine in the
Indian subcontinent.
Narahari
{{Use Indian English, date=May 2019
Narahari is the surname of Vasudevan Prabhuraman, which belongs to (Raju's) surya vamsham Kshatriyas . They inhabit the Guntur, Krishna, Prakasam, Nellore and Rayalaseema districts of Andhra Pradesh, and in ...
, a physician of
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
, wrote in about 1240 that the pearl was an antidote to poisons, cured conditions of the eyes,
consumption and "morbid disturbances", and increased general strength and health. Powdered pearl was also an ingredient of love potions. An Indian pharmacological work published in 1903 listed the powder as a tonic, stimulant and aphrodisiac.
Philippines
In the
Philippines from pre-colonial times, selected youths called ''
binukot'' are special type of princes and princesses that were kept in seclusion and hidden from the sun in order to have fair and white skin. The ''binukot'' were fed crushed pearl powders to enhance the fairness and luminosity of their skin. Crushed pearl powder was also applied to their face and body to make their skin more pale and firm.
Europe
In medieval Europe, pearl powder was widely perceived to have therapeutic qualities. It was used in an attempt to treat the insanity of
Charles VI of France (1368–1422), and the fever of which
Lorenzo de Medici died in 1492.
Seventeenth-century German and English works claimed its effectiveness in a wide range of physical and mental conditions.
Francis Bacon (1561–1626) recommended it as a means of prolonging life.
["The Book of the Pearl", p. 313] Pearl powder was also used as a skin whitener by women in Europe during the nineteenth century;
one work, however, deprecated it as imparting a "pale, sickly hue", as well as being injurious to the skin and general health.
References
* George Frederick Kunz & Charles Hugh Stevenson (1908), "The Book of the Pearl: Its History, Art, Science, and Industry", Courier Corporation.
{{refend
Pearls
Traditional Chinese medicine
Skin care
Powders