You may have already encountered ear seeding without knowing it. This centuries-old practice is suddenly cropping up everywhere, from beauty TikTok to in-flight wellness kits. Claims abound that pressing these tiny beads into your ears can ease a host of travel woes, including motion sickness and that dreaded post-plane puff. But what exactly is it? Does it actually work, or is it just the latest wellness hack du jour?
What is ear seeding?
At its simplest, ear seeding involves sticking tiny beads – traditionally made from actual plant seeds, but now often crafted from gold, silver, or crystal studs – on specific pressure points of the ear.
These points are mapped according to auriculotherapy, a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which sees the ear as a microsystem of the whole body. Just as acupuncture needles are placed along meridians for balance, ear seeding stimulates similar points – without needles – by applying pressure to specific points on the ear that are said to have direct influence over various organs and systems within the body.
“Ear seeding is one of those quietly incredible practices,” explains Joanna Ellner, a board-certified TCM practitioner and founder of Reome. “By pressing tiny seeds or beads into those points, you can directly influence the flow of qi – or energy – to specific organs, circulation, hormones, even our emotions. They’re non-invasive, an alternative to ear acupuncture, and create a whisper of stimulation - just enough for the body to remember its own healing pathways. Most patients find them immediately calming, like a moment of reset for the mind and the body.”
Where did ear seeding come from?
Ear seeding has roots stretching back over 3,000 years in China, but its global rise is more recent. In the 1950s, French physician Paul Nogier mapped the modern “ear reflexology” system, famously describing the ear as a curled-up foetus (which, once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee). Since then, auriculotherapy has been folded into both TCM practice and integrative medicine clinics worldwide.
For centuries, practitioners used vaccaria plant seeds taped onto the ear with adhesive. The beauty-wellness crossover came later, when brands like Vie Healing in LA and Ear Seeds in New York began offering gold and Swarovski-crystal versions, turning what was once a clinic-only treatment into a fashionable accessory.
Why is ear seeding big right now?
In short, TikTok, anxiety, and the rise of “wellness you can wear” are the reasons you’re seeing ear seeds everywhere. The visual appeal certainly helps, too: they look like delicate piercings, but without the commitment (or pain). Ear seeding also fits the current wellness landscape because it has its roots in time-honoured, ancient practices, but also happens to look stylish.
Do ear seeds help with motion sickness?
One of the most common claims is that pressing certain points on the ear can help reduce nausea – including the kind you get on planes, boats, or winding train journeys. Clinical studies are small but promising: a 2020 review in Complementary Therapies in Medicine suggested auriculotherapy may reduce post-operative nausea, while anecdotal evidence for travel sickness is strong. “In Chinese Medicine, motion sickness is often seen as a disharmony of the Heart yang or a depletion of Yin. When our reserves of Yin are unsettled, or the Heart loses its Yin anchor, the senses can feel unmoored, causing dizziness, nausea, a sense of instability, “ Joanna explains.
By stimulating specific auricular points, ear seeds help restore that anchor. “Shen Men – the point just in front of the ear canal – is the most widely used point for calming and balancing the mind. It generates immediate calm. Pressing on it intermittently during turbulence, prior to takeoff or when you feel nauseous directly stimulates the Heart channel, and exerts a blanket of calm over the whole body,” Joanna advises.
Do ear seeds help with de-puffing?
In-flight puffiness is another traveller’s nemesis: that mix of cabin pressure, dehydration and lymphatic stagnation that leaves you stepping off a red-eye looking distinctly less fresh. Could ear seeds help here, too? “Healthy, abundant blood flow is everything in Chinese Medicine. By working with auricular points linked to blood flow, ear seeds gently encourage movement – of blood, of warmth, of energy – that can help reduce puffiness caused by circulation stagnation,” Joanna adds. Of course, you should keep moving, hydrate and use compression garments to aid blood flow, but if you’re prone to post-flight puffiness, ear seeds might just be the cure you’re looking for.
Do ear seeds work?
Like many wellness rituals, ear seeding occupies that liminal space between empirical science and time-honoured tradition. With centuries of practice behind it, anecdotal endorsements, and a growing body of small-scale studies, it’s compelling enough to merit attention. Add to that its pain-free application, accessible price point, and the fact that it doubles as a discreet ear adornment, and the barrier to entry is refreshingly low. At best, ear seeds may support issues such as nausea, sleep, or circulation; at worst, they serve as a stylish reminder to pause, breathe, and take a mindful moment in transit.
How to use ear seeds
Of course, the best way to try ear seeds is with a licensed TCM practitioner. “Once you’ve been shown by a Chinese Medicine practitioner where the points are located, you can treat yourself in moments of pause – at your desk, on the train, before a flight. It’s discreet yet deeply grounding. But it’s absolutely crucial to be accurate with your point location - or you won’t get the desired effects,” Joanna says.
Once you’ve identified the correct points, application is remarkably simple: cleanse the ear, position the seed, and press gently a few times a day to activate. For long-haul travel, apply them the night before to help support rest and reduce stress. A practical on-board tip: pair the habit with your in-flight skincare. Each time you reach for a face mist, pause to press your ear seeds for 30 seconds - a ritual that grounds both body and mind mid-journey.
