What are ear seeds?

Ear seeds are either seeds from the Vaccaria plant or small objects, such as 24k gold plated magnets that are placed on specific points on the ear. It is a type of auriculotherapy, a commonly used modality in Chinese Medicine.

Auriculotherapy is widely used for pain relief and treatment of many disorders including insomnia, depression, anxiety, obesity, allergies and addictions.

How do ear seeds work?

The ear in Chinese Medicine contains more than 90 acupuncture points for each specific area of the body. After seeds are taped to the skin, they are massaged to act as acupressure, activating the targeted organs or body systems to promote a healing response.

Directions for use:

1. Clean and dry the outside of your ear (not the ear canal) with rubbing alcohol.

2. Choose your points from the reference images below.

3. Use tweezers to apply the ear seed. Try not to touch the sticky part of the tape with your hands.

4. Press the seed gently to make sure that it sticks.

5. For the best result, apply seeds to the same points on both ears.

6. Massage ear seeds gently by rubbing them in circular motions (2-3 times a day, 1-3 minutes each time).

7. Remove them with tweezers or your nails after 3-5 days and let skin rest for a few days before re-applying new seeds.

If you are feeling any discomfort after applying the seeds, please remove them or apply less pressure when massaging them as to not damage the skin.

Here are five of our most commonly used points for general wellness. Select one or multiple points based on your desired outcome:

Below is a map of the zones for treating physical pain and disorder in the body. Combining the point(s) related to the body area as well as the “Adrenal” and “Shen Men” points from the above diagram is an excellent auriculotherapy point selection protocol.