PEARL WORLD

Pearl powder is commonly used today in face creams, but its origins in skincare go as far back as AD320 in China. Freshwater pearls were crushed and consumed in traditional Chinese medicine concoctions designed to treat ailments such as eye disease. In 1596, the medical book Bencao Gangmu stated they could also stimulate new skin growth and remedy sun damage and dark spots, and so they were used externally too.

Empress Wu Ze Tian, famed for both her political prowess and beauty, used pearl powder in her skincare routine by mixing it with egg white to apply as a mask. Pearls contain amino acids and have a high concentration of calcium, aiding skin repair, and in combination with the proteins from eggs, it would have made a firming mask that wouldn’t be completely absurd to use today.