Rave: homemade “Pearl Paste” + Hpjrt's Recipes
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » DIY and Home-based Company Skincare Product Reviews

free skin care · Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:26 pm

A while back, HPJRT was kind enough to send me a couple samples of her homemade Silk/Pearl Powder and Pearl Paste to give to my mom to use (she suffers from Rosecea). My mom LOVED both items so when she finished her samples, I took Mary’s recipes for both items and made a batch of each for my mom.

This last time, I decided to try the Pearl Paste for myself because – even though my skin is VERY oily and I’ve NEVER used a traditional facial moisturizer on a regular basis in my life before – sometimes I get a bit dry/flaky in a certain area of my face and I thought Pearl Powder might be the answer because it is “self-adjusting” (i.e.: provides moisture where it is needed, doesn’t add any where it’s not). My skin is never left feeling overly dry or overly greasy – to me, it evens out my skintone so that it is just right.

Now let’s answer the inevitable question, “Why pearl powder?”

First and foremost, pearl powder is believed to promote healthy, lustrous skin. Although it is not recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration for having any cosmoceutical benefits, it is an “ancient Chinese secret” (if I may borrow that tired old quote from the old laundry-detergent booster TV commercials from the 70s) that is an established part of the non-traditional Chinese herbal medicine (I know there’s a proper name of this practice but it’s completely escaping me at the moment Confused

)

After having used Mary’s Pearl Paste for approximately one month now, I can completely attest to the fact that the Chinese REALLY know what they’re talking about!

This is a quote from JenJu.com regarding pearl powder:

“Pearl powder contains about 18 amino acids and over a dozen minerals, including 10 essential amino acids necessary for the human body to heal and maintain cell nutrition. These essential building blocks of collagen and protein each has a specific function. Deficiency of any one of these key amino acids causes the skin to look coarse, depleted, old and wrinkled.”

Here are some of the benefits of using pearl powder on the skin (compiled from various sources but put into my own words so as not to plagiarize):

• It has anti-flammatory and calming properties which help reduce redness and swelling caused by acne outbreaks;
• It is a detoxifying which helps draw impurities to the surface of the skin;
• Improve circulation and activate cellular regeneration and renewal to heal;
• Enhance elasticity;
• Protects from environmental radicals;
• Regulates skin discoloration;
• Smooths and refines skin texture;
• Minimizes appearance of pores;
• Minimizes appearance of fine lines and scars;
• Leaves skin appearing smoother and brighter;

Here is the basic recipe for Mary’s Pearl Paste on which I based my own version:

Basic Pearl Paste Recipe

What you need:
--------------------------------------------
• Electric mixer;
• Two small jars (preferably tinted or opaque glass);
• 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons distilled water;
• 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons aloe vera gel;
• 4 Vitamin-E capsules, pierced;
• 60 drops hyaluronic acid concentrate, optional;
• ½ teaspoon Propylene Glycol (may substitute vegetable glycerin, if desired);
• ½ teaspoon 70% “rubbing” alcohol (may substitute good quality witch hazel, if desired);
• 5-10 drops of preferred essential oil/s, optional;
• 5 teaspoons ground pearl powder.

What you do:
--------------------------------------------
Combine all liquid ingredients in a clean glass or cup then measure amount of pearl powder into a small bowl or container then gradually pour in liquid ingredients while mixing with an electric mixer (like you would make a cake batter – in fact, it’s sort of the same consistency of cake batter!).

Transfer mixture into two jars (preferably glass and especially preferably tinted or opaque). Store one in fridge for future use and the other is ready for use.

If your skin is on the drier side and you feel the need additional moisture, you can add a teaspoon of your favorite carrier oil (i.e.: Rose Hip, Jojoba, Emu, HempSeed Oil) to the liquid ingredients during the mixing process.

Please note: initially, this mixture may seem too “thin” but if you allow it to sit for a couple of hours, the pearl powder absorbs all of the liquid and thickens into a paste. DO NOT be tempted to add more pearl powder to the recipe because your pearl paste will instead turn into a pearl rock!! Trust me on this, I learned the hard way.... Embarassed

In addition, while there are most likely other websites from which basic pearl powder can be purchased, both Mary and I order ours from TKB Trading website. They have great prices and fabulous customer service, BUT we feel that the particle sizes (5 microns) of their pearl powder is a bit large and irregular to use directly on the face so we recommend that you either run your pearl powder through a coffee grinder to make it into a finer-textured powder, or else use your mortar and pestle to do so.

How to use it:
--------------------------------------------

Cleanse/tone face as usual. Apply any treatment serums, if desired. Then smooth on thin layer of pearl paste over entire face, avoiding eye and lip area. Followup with your desired moisturizer*.

*While I believe that Mary applies a traditional facial moisturizer on top of her pearl paste, I use it in lieu of a traditional moisturizer because the oil factory sometimes known as my face produces more than enough “moisture” of its own! I’ve found that if I use a traditional moisturizer on my face, I’m more than likely to wake up the next morning with a surprise blemish and/or a face full of grease.

But the Pearl Paste's inherent self-adjusting properties ensures it gives the right amount of hydration to my few-and-far-between dry areas (on me, it's just under my eyes on either side of my nose) while balancing out my oily areas so that I wake up with skin that feels matte, yet not dry or tight -- which is a wonder in and of itself....

Of course, there are probably hundreds of other methods or recipes for incorporating pearl powder into your skin-care regimen but regardless of whether you decide to make yourself some Pearl Paste or Mary’s Silk/Pearl Primer (click here to read about her experiment with this and BE’s Rare Minerals: http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=15674&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=d8b8e808c401c50d910a7b11a0fddde4) or one of these other simple recipes, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you find some way to add it to your routine because the benefits are simply amazing!

Because pearl powder can feel gritty or sticky on its own, it is recommended that it be added to any water soluble face-care application such as masks, lotions, liquid foundations, moisturizers and similar topical products. The simplest method is to incorporate 1/4 teaspoon ground pearl powder into your regular aspirin or other favorite homemade mask recipe and apply mask as usual.

Here’s another idea:

INSTANT ZIT BUSTER – Pierce one Vitamin-E capsule and mix 0.30 grams of pearl powder with the Vit-E oil and a couple drops of ACV vinegar then apply mixture to pimple and leave in for about 20 minutes before rinsing with tepid water.

Once you get the hang of making the basic Pearl Paste, experiment with adding or substituting other ingredients to customize the formula to fit your skin's own unique characteristics and needs.

free skin care · Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:56 am

Thanks Carrie!

I've been using my Pearl Paste recipe since last February or March ... when I first concocted the mixture. I've been very pleased with the results. Smile

Initially I did use another moisturizer [generally Jojoba or Rose Hip Seed Oil] on top of the Pearl Paste ... but then I hit upon the idea of adding Rose Hip Seed Oil [or jojoba] into the basic Pearl Paste recipe for the "Rich Pearl Paste" ... and, depending upon the weather, I use the Basic ... or the Rich version as my only moisturizers.

In the hot, humid months of summer, I use the Basic one most of the time ... and now that it's fall in Canada, and the heat is on in the house, the Rich version seems to be all I need. Very Happy

The recipe really sounds more daunting than it is. Believe me ... if I came up with it ... it's not difficult! Laughing

And you're right Carrie ... once you get the hang of making the "basic" recipe, adjusting and experimenting is easy.

Thanks for the review Carrie ... and I'm so glad that it's working for you!

Mary

free skin care · Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:12 pm

It's a bit of a tiring approach, but i was really afraid of the chemicals in other flea killers.

You put borax pretty much everywhere, especially in the carpet, where fleas like to hide. Leave it there for a few days to a week and vacuum it up. Supposedly the fleas eat the borax and then die becuase it sucks up all the moisture. I did it every three days or so and within a month or so, the fleas were gone. I had to be diligent about the flea comb and kitty as well. I made sure to put in between my mattess and boxspring, and on the couch where my cat likes to hang out. Works like a charm!

free skin care · Mon Nov 20, 2006 6:27 pm

You don't need Borax to kill fleas ... ordinary table salt will do! Laughing

A friend gave me this recipe and I kept it on file because ... well ... I have a lot of dogs [we're down to 14 at the moment] ... but while I've never had to use it personally [we have ceramic tile rather than carpets ... and that helps] ... I've provided it to a lot of people who swear by it. Very Happy

***************************
Here's the salt flea control method. This is actually kind of fun, very easy, and has worked for me in three different apartments. One treatment has always been enough, but maybe for people in subtropical and tropical areas you might have to do it every year.

Put all animals in crates or carriers. Tell all friends you'll be out of town, don't come over.

Take a container of ordinary table salt, Morton's 26 oz. is fine, and run gleefully around
sprinkling and spreading it liberally on everything: floors, rugs, under beds and other furniture, on all upholstery, soft chairs, under sofa pillows, everywhere a flea larva could be. (This will cost about fifty cents per room or less.) Then rub it in to everything (except maybe the black leather sofa!) Just let it sit on any surfaces you can't rub it into.

Leave it overnight, then vacuum it up the next day. You don't have to do all your rooms on the same day. Fleas will get the idea.

***********************************

Hope this helps someone!

Mary

free skin care · Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:25 pm

Hi Suk Han,

The following recipe should make about an ounce ...

1 tbls + 2 tsp boiled distilled water
1 tbls + 2 tsp aloe vera gel [food grade ... found in Health Food stores]
2.5 tsp pearl powder
2 capsules Vitamin E
30 drops HA
1/4 tsp PG
1/4 tsp alcohol [preservative]

Mix the distilled water and aloe vera gel.

Add the pearl powder and using an electric mixer or blender, mix until all the pearl powder is dissolved.

Add the Vitamin E, and HA and PG [if using]

Add the alcohol.

Mix this well ... and decant into a jar [preferrably an amber glass jar] ... and let it sit.

Once it's thickened [this will just take time] add, drop by drop, the emu oil [or any other oil you want to use] and mix well. [5-8 drops is what I use of Rose Hip Seed Oil]

If you want it more moisturizing, add more Emu oil ...

That should work.

Good luck

Mary

free skin care · Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:00 pm

a link...

http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/pearl-skin-care.htm

free skin care · Sat Jan 06, 2007 11:04 am

Quote:

Agent OO-CAT wrote:

I haven't noticed a difference in breakouts...sadly. Do you need to apply it directly to the breakout o/n?

Can someone please tell me the difference in a word between the creme v/s paste? I know it's probably buried in this thread...

Well perhaps I'm the only one who had different types of "breakouts"! Laughing

There were those not-too-deep ones that came to a head and went away. Then there were the ones that you could feel before they got there. Those were the bain of my existence!

I could feel a "tender" spot on my face ... which would, within days, become a bump. I always referred to them as "blind" pimples ... because they never came to a head. I know this because years and years ago I would try to pop them ... but there was never anything there. Perhaps they were cystic ... but the bump would seem huge ... and they would take a very long time to go away ... and inevitably left long-lasting red marks [scars?]

Once I got older, I seemed to get more of this type of blemish than the other ... although I got the other type as well. None of the over-the-counter acne meds would do more than overly dry them ... make them peel ... ensuring that they left those nasty red "scars".

Once I began OCM the "ordinary" type seemed to not be a problem ... and I often wonder if they were simply the result of cloggged pores. Confused

At any rate, while OCM reduced my blackheads and general breakouts to practically nil ... those tender spots that would develop into blind bumps were still a problem once in a while. Crying or Very sad

However, once I'd made Pearl Paste for the first time, I happened to feel one of these blind bumps emerging. I spot-treated the area with Pearl Paste one night ... and by the next morening, not only had the "bump" that was forming disappeared, but the tenderness was gone ... and there was no red mark! Very Happy

My girlfriend gets these sometimes as well ... so I gave her some and told her what to do ... and the Pearl Paste made her's vanish as well.

Then I used Pearl Paste as a spot treatment ... but now I use Pearl Paste all over my face. If, however, I notice one of those "tender spots" I use a smidge more Pearl Paste to spot treat it.

I've also used Pearl Paste as a spot treatment on just about any bump I might get on my body ... with very satisfying results!

I hope this helps clarify what I meant ...

Mary

free skin care · Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:55 pm

catski, "addicted-to-nice-things-girl". thank you what a compliment, lol. I wish it were true though!

Hi poohlisey,

Of course I will update Very Happy

. In the meanwhile, here is an article about cooking with EOs:

http://www.aroma-essence.com/cooking.html

I also want to say a HUGE thank you to Mary and of course Carrie for formulating and relaying this information about pearl powder to us all. It has done incredible things for my skin!

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:20 am

Hi Wildcat,

You don't need to add either the aloe vera or the alcohol. I was using the alcohol because I didn't have any other preservative ... however, as it turned out I wasn't using enough alcohol to actually "preserve" it! Rolling Eyes

I don't use the alcohol now because I do have preservatives ... however, the small amount of alcohol in the recipe probably does assist as a penetration enhancer ... which may or may not be of benefit.

As for the Aloe Vera [which is the health food store type ... not the drug store type] ... I included that because otherwise I found it just too dry ... but you can certainly leave it out and include other things.

The trick with the recipe is to get "just enough" liquid mixed with the pearl powder. Very Happy

Too little and the pearl powder absorbs it all and you get either a "pearl rock" or you will get lumps/chunks of undissolved pearl powder. You also have to be fast because pearl powder absorbs the liquid very quickly. Mad

Too little and it's the wrong consistency ... and depending upon the other ingredients, may separate a bit. Sad

As for your source of pearl powder, the one Markey sells at GoW is supposed to be finer ... but a look at her website says that it's not fine enough for use in MMU ...

I've found the pearl powder from TKB Trading to be great ... and I just run it through the coffee grinder a few times for use in my Primer. Otherwise it dissolves very well in water ...

I think the people who think they have a problem getting it to dissolve aren't using enough liquid and as I said above, pearl powder absorbs liquid really fast. You'll want to add about double the liquid to the amount of pearl powder ... more or less depending upon the nature of the liquid. Very Happy

Good luck!

Mary

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.