A gem of a cure

• Source: Global Times
• [10:44 July 27 2010]
• Comments

(Above) Emerald jade being used in a facial massage. (Right) Hetian jade stones. Photos: Courtesy of CHI Spa and Lotos Spa

By Mao Jiayu

In the long history of Chinese art and aesthetics, jade has played a significant role - comparable in many respects to that of gold, silver or diamonds in Western culture. The precious gemstone is regarded as a symbol of health, wealth, wisdom and longevity. Its alleged healing properties have also led to jade being used as a popular treatment in Shanghai spas. And as the Global Times discovered its reputation among health practitioners is more than just as a "spiritual" tonic.

Ci Xi's jade facial treatment

Contemporary jade treatment in China was popularized by Pansy Chong, a Singaporean therapist. Chong had been involved in the beauty industry for 20 years before moving to Bejing to work in the capital's burgeoning spas.

"I've always loved jade in particular, because it's a stone of unique symbolic energy and is very important in Chinese myths and legends," she said. When Chong learnt that the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) Empress Ci Xi used jade with western creams to reduce her wrinkles, she felt it was a treatment that was worth reviving. "They say that her face was still soft and smooth when she was in her seventies," said Chong

However, when she openly mooted the idea to colleagues, their reaction was less than encouraging. "They told me that jade is something to wear, so how can it be used in massage? But I believed in the idea and I asked them to trust me."

Today Chong oversees spa management at a number of locations including the Lotos Spa on Jinan Road where Chong personally instructs therapists in jade treatment skills.

The spa's 90-minute jade anti-aging and lymphatic drainage facial uses two kinds of jade: agate and emerald. Both the agate and emerald tools used are molded to specific shapes for massage. There are two kinds of emerald massage tools: columnar and spoon shaped. The columnar emerald is applied to special acupuncture (or acupressure) points on the face, while the spoon shaped emerald is for lymphatic drainage massage. Before the treatment, the emerald is placed in cold water for 15 minutes and is then put in a refrigerator for 40 minutes at the end of the treatment. "You can actually see that the emerald becomes more cloudy after a massage. That's the toxins being drawn out by the emerald from your body," said Chong.

A slab of jade

Few spas can claim to have an entire bed made of jade but the yellow jade slab at the newly opened Mandara Spa has been imported all the way from Pakistan.

"It's actually our first time using a complete jade bed in this way because we know Chinese people have a particular preference for this stone," said global general manager Khanita Trinidad.

The history of yellow jade dates back to the time of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang more than 2,200 years ago. Besides its healing properties, yellow jade was a prominent status symbol, symbolizing Chinese imperial power.

According to Trinidad, there are a range of body treatment programs that can be carried out on the yellow jade slab. She claims the heated slab helps draw out negative energy from the body, assists in relaxing muscles and promotes blood circulation.

The jade is normally heated to around 32 degrees, although in summer a piece of cloth usually separates the skin from the stone. Although Trinidad suggests that direct body contact produces the best results. Unheated, or cool jade treatment, is recommended for postnatal women and people wanting to lose weight. The summer treatment - known as the Pearl of the Orient - combines a floral foot bathing, a 30-minute lavender salt body scrub, a 30-minute ginseng mud backwrap on the heated slab and a 60-minute aromatic massage.

Treatment from the west

The Jade Journey, a jade body treatment at Shangri-la Resort's spa brand Chi Spa applies Hetian jade (named after its origins in Xinjiang) and incorporates a traditional Chinese medical philosophy know as the Guasha treatment. This technique originated in the Yuan Dynasty (1206 - 1368) as a method of curing common ailments by scraping the back and the back of the neck. "The Guasha with Hetian jade focuses on meridian channels to release blocked energy," Weng Jing, therapy supervisor of the Chi Spa told the Global Times.

As Guasha (literally "to scrape away fever") and Hetian jade are both for detoxification, it has obvious benefits for clients suffering from fluid retention. "Use your finger to pinch your skin and if it quickly bounces back, you don't have a problem," said Weng Jing. "But if it doesn't, then you may need therapy or a special product to eliminate the edema."

Lotos Spa - Jade Anti-Aging & Lymphatic Drainage Facial

Price: 980 yuan + 15 percent service fee

Add: West Tower of 8 Jinan Road

Tel: 3308-0088

Mandara Spa at Renaissance Hotel Putuo - Yellow Jade Slab Treatment

Price: 580 to 680 yuan + 15 percent service fee

Add: 50 Tongchuan Road

Tel: 2219-5888

Chi Spa - Jade Journey

Price: 1,680 yuan + 15 percent service fee

Add: 33 Fucheng Road

Tel: 6882-8888