From TCM to K-beauty: The traditional rituals we’re adding to cart

From ice-cold therapies to jade gua sha stones and ear seeds, many of today’s buzziest beauty rituals are steeped in centuries of healing wisdom. Across cultures, traditional medicine has long understood beauty as a state of balance—where circulation, calm, and internal harmony shape how skin looks and feels. What’s new isn’t the philosophy, but how these rituals are being refined for modern life.

“In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), beauty is never merely a superficial endeavour; it is a mirror reflecting the body’s overall health,” explains Dr Jiao Sumin, TCM Physician at Yong Kang TCM Clinic. “To nourish beauty, one must first nourish life; to cure the symptoms, one must treat the root cause.”

This blend of heritage and innovation is echoed in modern K-beauty. Jungmin Lee, founder of Ksisters, notes, “Traditional Korean wellness focuses on balance, circulation, and gentle self-regulation. Many K-beauty brands build on these principles while modernising them into safe, easy-to-use formulations.” 

Now, age-old wisdom is adapted into quick, everyday beauty rituals—ready to be explored in your beauty routine.

Returnity Ear Therapy Patch, $46 (30 patches) 

These stud-like patches do more than sparkle. Using a triple-structure design with magnetic neodymium and an ergonomic V-PIN, they boost circulation, relieve tension, and support balance—all in a gentle, non-invasive way.

“Ear seeding comes from auriculotherapy, where stimulating points on the ear helps support overall balance. Today, people use it for stress relief, better sleep, cravings management, and improved circulation,” says Jungmin.

“We view the ear as an inverted fetus; every point maps to specific internal organs and body parts. It is also the only area on the body’s surface where the Vagus Nerve has a superficial branch. Stimulating points like Shen Men (spirit point) or the Heart Point activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate and cortisol,” explains Dr Jiao.

For beginners: “Keep it simple and comfortable. Wearing the Returnity Ear Therapy Patch should feel like light pressure, never painful. Follow its trusted guide, avoid over-applying the patches, and be mindful of sensitivity,” advises Jungmin.

Guerlain Orchidee Imperiale Gold Nobile The Eye Concentrate Treatment, $781

Formulated to energise and brighten tired eyes while reviving contours, this ultra-luxurious treatment delivers a nourishing cocktail of light-diffusing Gold Nobile orchid and a patented chromatic corrector complex—a blend of depuffing caffeine, colour-correcting pigments, and anti-inflammatory cedar bark extracts—through a built-in gua sha stone applicator.

“Gua sha improves microcirculation and lymphatic drainage while relaxing facial muscles, helping the skin absorb active ingredients more effectively,” notes Dr Jiao.

L:a Bruket 323 Plumping Ice Cube, $91

Facial icing just got an upgrade, leaving traditional spoons and ice cubes behind. These single-use pods, infused with peptides and wild berries, are frozen before gliding over clean skin for an instant cooling effect that depuffs and refreshes your complexion. Keep a few in your freezer to calm skin after laser and other non-invasive treatments, prep for makeup, or soothe redness. Pro tip: they’re perfect for reducing the swelling of an angry zit.

Est.lab Daily Skin Boost, $160 (60 capsules) 

“Healthy, radiant skin is the natural result of abundant Qi and Blood and harmonious internal organs, rather than something achieved merely by covering imperfections,” observes Dr Jiao.

Homegrown skincare brand Est.Lab supplement blends Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs—Bai Shao, Dang Gui, Dang Shen, and Yue Ji Hua—with skin-brightening actives like white tomato extract (Phytofloral®) and antioxidant-rich fermented wild bilberry extract (Sepitone™) to target internal causes of skin imbalance, from oxidative stress and inflammation to hormonal fluctuations and gut dysbiosis. Free from artificial preservatives, parabens, gluten, dairy, soy, and unnecessary fillers, it’s Halal-certified, vegan, non-GMO, and made in a GMP-certified facility in Singapore.