Ear seeds are said to help with stress, anxiety, insomnia and joint pain. But how does it work?

Auriculotherapy is acupressure or acupuncture focused on the ear. There are over 200 acupressure points on each ear where specific points correspond to different organs and parts of the body. The pressure points in the ears are designed to send signals to the reflex centre in the brain to regulate and stabilise the nervous system. Stimulating these points with help from needles (acupuncture) or seeds (acupressure) is believed to help energy to flow smoothly through our bodies. In traditional Chinese Medicine, your health depends on the flow of qi (energy) in your body. This energy travels along invisible pathways called meridians and that are found throughout the body, including the ears.

The seeds are made from different metals, most common is silver and 24k gold. Gold seeds are known to be warming and to stimulate and boost blood flow while the silver is said to be cooling.

This practice is similar to acupuncture but uses a seed instead of a thin needle. The therapist attaches seeds to specific parts of the ear depending on the result you wish to get from them. The seeds are used to apply a light, continuous compression that is believed to help alleviate symptoms from stress to jet lag, boosting your mood and make you feel calmer. You can also get instant relief by pressing the seed with your fingers. Practitioners recommend visiting a trained acupuncturist that can show the most effective parts of the ear to place the seeds to really feel the effects before you start applying them yourself at home. The seeds should be changed every 3-5 days.

Gold ear seeds from Vie Healing are available to buy at Cult Beauty.