How Face Mapping Helps You Connect Your Skin + Inner Health

Everything is connected.

This year we’ve enjoyed exploring some of the holistic concepts that represent our brand + philosophy at Primally Pure. We keep seeing the theme of interconnectedness – and for good reason. It’s deeply woven into our practices and products, many of which stem from ancient practices in Ayurvedic, Chinese, and holistic medicine. 

Face mapping is a beautiful modality to get to know your skin on a deeper level. 

This ancient practice reveals internal imbalances within the body. Understanding the needs of the inner body helps us find fulfilled health + vitality. 

How? You’ll see. ;)

What Is Face Mapping?

Face mapping is an ancient practice from over 3,000 years ago. It’s rooted in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. The formal name is “mien shang,” – which translates as “face reading.”

It may sound complicated, but the root of this holistic practice is observing connection. It helps us connect signs on the outer body (aka your skin) to what the inner body is communicating. 

Many ancient medical systems lean on the principle that the outer body is a reflection of your inner health. It’s something we’re always advocating at Primally Pure, and we’ve found to be true in our own lives + bodies time and again.

Clara Cohen, founder of AcuPro Academy + TCM Expert, says it perfectly:²

Face mapping uses the wisdom of invisible pathways throughout the body called meridians or “energy lines.” Meridians transport energy (also known as qi) and vital nutrients throughout the body to support internal balance + health. They can also help you decipher internal issues by how they display on the surface of your skin. 

Today, we call this face mapping.

It’s worth noting: The most common form you’ll find in mainstream beauty is face mapping for acne or fine lines. But, often, this is a westernized version and doesn’t lean on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles. So tread carefully! 

Traditional face mapping can help resolve: 

• Rashes from food allergies
• Discoloration
• Wrinkles
• Puffiness
• Inflammatory conditions like eczema
• Acne + breakouts

But most importantly, it can lead to important discoveries of imbalances that need your attention.

By honoring and respecting the innate intelligence of our bodies, we can use information from face mapping to achieve balanced + vibrant health. Let’s break down how to determine the signs your skin may be sending you.

How to Use Face Mapping

Like most holistic and ancient practices, you could go down a rabbit hole of information. And you may find several conflicting opinions. But our goal is to give you an easily digestible overview of how to use face mapping in your everyday life + routines. 

Face mapping tells us that each part of the face has a relationship to an internal organ. So you can start by observing your skin for signals indicating an imbalance or an underlying issue/concern. This could include:

• Acne/breakouts
• Dryness
• Wrinkles
• Redness
• Dark spots/circles

Face mapping, when used correctly, can play a part in the bigger picture of your skin + overall health. But like many supportive practices, it’s not a fool-proof system.

True to the holistic principles it’s founded on, face mapping should also consider other additional factors, like:

→ Allergies
→ Stress
→ Hormones 
→ Genetics 
→ Diet 
→ Age
→ Body type

So don’t stress and think your health is failing if your results seem intense. Your unique situation may point to another external or internal factor. 

Common Inner + Outer Body Connections

Based on TCM’s model, these are some of the most common associations in face mapping + specific areas of the face. 

• Forehead – connected to the bladder and small intestines. This could signal something such as dehydration or a more complex issue like an imbalance of bacteria in the gut.

• Between the eyebrows – most often associated with liver function. Wrinkles in this area can be related to poor liver function and unresolved anger emotions. Breakouts could also represent imbalances in the kidneys, stomach, bladder, or spleen.

• Above the eyebrows – usually said to be related to the (physical) heart. Wrinkles or redness in this area could indicate heart issues.

• Under eyes – most face maps will link to the kidney function. Puffiness or dark circles are said to indicate adrenal fatigue.

• Cheeks – usually associated with the lower intestines and/or lungs. Dryness in this area can indicate imbalances in either the colon or the lungs.

• Chin/jawline – more widely accepted across medical professionals as connected to the reproductive system. Acne in this area can indicate a hormonal imbalance in the reproductive system. Or it could indicate issues in the large intestine, colon, or stomach.

• Nose – often said to be connected to the spleen or heart. Pimples might be associated with a blood sugar imbalance, and redness in this area could indicate heart issues.

Understanding how these different areas of your face may be presenting imbalances in the body is a powerful + effective way to prioritize your health. But they also hold the power to relieve emotional and physical symptoms. 

Emotional + Physical Relief

Not only is face mapping related to internal organs, but it’s also connected to emotions we store internally. If we let it, face mapping can become a guide for leading peaceful, fulfilling lives. 

While treatments like Botox have become popular for temporarily reducing the appearance of wrinkles, one of the many downsides is that it inhibits the expression of emotion by freezing the muscle. So while the wrinkle may not be as visible, the imbalance within is still very much present.

Supportive methods like face mapping, on the other hand, can give us powerful insight into the emotions we’re neglecting or need to address. This lets us address the root cause instead of putting a bandaid on it.

Here are a few enlightening discoveries you may find through face mapping:

→ If you’re experiencing lines and acne between your eyebrows, it could indicate the need to release anger + do a gentle liver detox.

→ If you’re experiencing lots of acne around your mouth, chin, and jawline, you may be experiencing a hormonal imbalance. You might want to consider detoxing your home and products that could contain hormone-disrupting chemicals.

→ If the corners of your mouth are very dry, this could indicate a need for a gentle colon cleanse.

Face mapping has the power to unlock a lot of insight + valuable knowledge about your internal body. Everything is connected. We can use this knowledge to care for our bodies through specific + intentional choices. 

Topical Solutions Paired with Face Mapping

Using this knowledge (and of course, your intuition), you can incorporate a variety of supportive modalities to care for your face topically. Choose non-toxic, nourishing skincare products + holistic tools like gua sha or facial cupping.  

Here’s a recommended routine from our holistic esthetician: 

→ Dry brush daily in the mornings.
→ Use your facial cupping set 3x/week at night.
→ Use your gua sha stone + rollers alternately between your cupping ritual.
→ Pair with skin-specific products that take into account your unique skin state.

This is just a starting place. Feel free to modify this routine to fit your skin’s needs + your preferences.

Face Mapping + Mindful Choices = A Balanced Life

Face mapping can uncover imbalances in the body that need your attention – and you might not realize otherwise! Life is busy –  and in a culture that never stops, it’s easy to neglect our bodies. We don’t always give them the full time + attention they deserve. 

The beautiful practice of face mapping is something you can lean on to slow down and intuitively listen to your body. 

Pay attention to the signs that will help you live more fully and embrace abundant health. 

Of course, face mapping is only a piece of the bigger picture. It’s not a replacement for a qualified medical professional – or facial treatments from your holistic esthetician. ;) Whole body health requires intention combined with supportive holistic approaches + lifestyle changes.  

But when we have the information necessary to support our bodies on a deeper level, choices are easier to make with a clear direction. And the impact it can have on our quality of life is profound. 

XO

---

Sources:

1. The Face Reader: Discover Anyone's Personality, Compatibility, Talents, and Challenges Through Chinese Face Reading | Patrician McCarthy 
2. AcuPro Academy | Face Mapping in Chinese Medicine

---

 

Pin your fav blog post below: