Is the higher the moxa stick content, the better the effect?

As more and more people pay attention to health, moxibustion can be said to have developed by leaps and bounds in recent years and has been recognized by more and more people. At present, the moxibustion industry as a whole can be said to be developing by leaps and bounds, but it has also brought about many negative impacts, especially the issue of moxa sticks. More people pay too much attention to the characteristics of moxibustion itself, such as caring about The issue of smoking is not big, but the need for moxa sticks to treat the disease itself is ignored. Coupled with the unintentional propaganda of some manufacturers and the various answers on Baidu, it can be said that many judgments about moxa sticks are wrong, which has directly led to the majority of buyers entering a misunderstanding when choosing moxa sticks. For this reason, as a moxibustion practitioner and producer, it is necessary to explain my personal views here, hoping to give everyone a reference.

1/How are moxa sticks produced?

The production of moxa sticks is very simple, just two materials: moxa velvet and rolling paper. Rolling paper can be classified into rice paper, mulberry paper, etc. Many sellers here particularly emphasize the benefits of so-called handmade mulberry paper, but it is actually unnecessary. The foundation of moxa sticks for curing diseases is moxa velvet. No matter how good the rolling paper is, it can only be an auxiliary. Therefore, we don’t need to worry about the paper when buying moxa sticks. Anything else will do, and the difference is not much different. Let’s talk about moxa, the difference lies in the proportion (proportion will be discussed below). With different proportions, moxa will show different postures. Moxa velvet is mainly the flocculent substance left behind after the moxa leaves have been crushed and screened, and what is sifted out is moxa powder. The more times it is crushed, the less moxa velvet will be and the more delicate it will look. To put it simply, after the leaves of mugwort are dried, they are crushed by a machine, leaving the velvet part, and then rolled into strips with paper, which are moxa sticks.

2/What does the ratio of moxa sticks mean?

For example, 8:1 means that 8 kilograms of moxa leaves produce 1 kilogram of moxa velvet, which means purity. To use an analogy, if you crush it twice, it may be 8:1, and then crush it twice more, it may become 15:1. The higher the ratio, the higher the purity and the more delicate it is. In other words, the 15:1 one is more delicate than the 8:1 one, with less "impurities". The impurities here do not mean that they are mixed with other things, it is just a difference caused by different processes. As a plant, mugwort has different parts such as mesophyll, veins, petioles, etc., just like humans have skin, flesh, bones, and hair. Finally, each part has a different color and posture that each part presents. As far as the current level of velvet extraction in our country is concerned, no matter how fine the processing is, there will always be a little petiole fiber of mugwort. This is what everyone calls "impurities". It is impossible to have no "impurities" at all! It's like the difference between corn grits and cornmeal.

3/The problem of the size of the moxa stick

Whether the moxa stick is large or small, there are too many problems involved. This is related to the characteristics of the moxa stick and its usage. . The main component of mugwort is mugwort. mugwort is actually an ordinary plant. How can any plant be burned without smoke? Generally speaking, the proportion of moxa sticks is relatively high, less paper is used, the roll is tighter, and it is drier, and the smoke is relatively less when burning. So I personally don’t want to delve into the issue of cigarettes. There is no moxa without smoke, so the real moxa sticks look exactly like they burn. I really can’t stand it, so I suggest adding smoke exhaust equipment.

4 Is the variety of mugwort important? Is Qi mugwort really the best mugwort? Regarding this issue, I really don’t want to say more for fear of offending people. Looking through ancient Chinese books, we can find that there are four places where mugwort is the most famous. These four types of mugwort are called Northern mugwort, Hai mugwort, Qiyang mugwort, and Qiyang mugwort. Different mugwort corresponds to different regions. As for whether these four kinds of mugwort are the best, I have no way of knowing. Today, among them, Qi Ai is the most popular. Because of Li Shizhen’s recommendation, many people also recognize it. Everyone knows that Qi mugwort is a kind of big-leaf mugwort in Qichun, Hubei Province. It grows very tall. But I don’t understand why the "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that "short seedlings are good" for mugwort. Isn't this exactly the opposite of Qi mugwort? This is simply talking about our Shandong small-leaf mugwort, which is small and inconspicuous. Ha ha. Finally, let me share my personal opinion. Moxibustion is popular in thousands of households. Since ancient times, the mugwort used must be sourced from nearby sources. It is said that the soil and water nourish a person. Please believe that the mugwort around you is good mugwort.

5 Is there any difference between wild mugwort and worker-grown mugwort?

This question is actually very big and difficult to answer.

For example, which one is better, wild ginseng or artificial ginseng? But there are also many excellent varieties of crops that are artificially bred from the wild. Take mugwort as an example. I am not a scientist and cannot give you a scientific identification method. I just hope that those selling moxa sticks will tell the truth. As for whether wild or artificial cultivation is better, buyers can make their own judgment.

6What is the difference in the prices of moxa sticks with different proportions?

The price mainly differs in different proportions. The higher the proportion, the more expensive the price. Because the high proportion has been purified many times, the same mugwort leaves produce less and less moxa velvet, so it is more expensive.

7Why are some sellers’ moxa sticks so cheap?

Nowadays, many manufacturers' moxa velvet is no longer produced from pure moxa leaves. Instead, the whole moxa is crushed together with the stems, so the cost is very low. In addition, it is basically good if it is one year old. Also, they are basically cultivated artificially and collected several times a year. In addition, many cheap moxa sticks look golden on the surface, but they are actually low-proportion moxa velvet mixed with moxa powder. These moxa sticks have a golden surface and are tightly rolled.

8 Why are moxa sticks different in tightness?

Normally speaking, low-proportion moxa sticks are more important than high-proportion moxa sticks, because low-proportion moxa sticks are not as fluffy and therefore easy to roll. Of course, this also involves issues of labor level and equipment. In the normal process, it is difficult to roll moxa velvet tightly, because good unadulterated moxa velvet has a strong expansion force. If it is rolled too tightly, the moxa stick paper will easily break, so sometimes the moxa stick paper will appear to be more. It's not to reduce costs, it's mainly to prevent paper from cracking. If the moxa sticks are rolled tightly, firstly, the hard rolling method may be used, which has a very low yield; secondly, the moxa sticks are mixed with moxa powder and the moxa velvet will not be fluffy and easy to roll. Nowadays, many people think that tight is better, but ignore the essence of moxa. I personally think that the middle level is better, because many people now like to use moxibustion boxes, which require sealing to prevent smoke from coming out. If it is too tight, it will burn out easily.

9Which proportion of moxa sticks has good quality?

Many new customers often ask me "What disease do I have and which moxa stick to choose?" The proportion of moxa sticks has nothing to do with the quality of the moxa sticks, nor does it have anything to do with the disease being treated. The difference in proportions only reflects the difference in the production process of moxa velvet. It’s not that a high ratio makes a good moxa stick. The specific moxa stick suitable for each person depends on personal feelings and physical condition. I do not recommend a high ratio, because over-crushing the mugwort at a high ratio will destroy the medicinal properties of the mugwort itself, and a too low ratio will cause too much smoke and too much residue. The ratio in ancient times was only 3:1. Compared with 15:1, 8:1 has more firepower and smoke. This feeling is different for different people. If your body is cold and damp, then when using 15:1 moxa sticks, you may feel that the firepower is not enough, it is too mild and has no effect. In this case, 8:1 moxa sticks are very suitable. Similarly, if your body is not severely cold and damp, you may feel too dry if you use 8:1, but it will be much more comfortable if you use 15:1. Different proportions have different characteristics, your body knows it. It is recommended to try it yourself and feel it. If someone claims that moxa sticks with a high proportion and no impurities are good moxa sticks, they will basically follow what others on the Internet say. I prefer to recommend moxa sticks with a low proportion.

10What are the so-called 3-year-old, 5-year-old, and 10-year-old?

3-year-old means that the mugwort leaves have been stored for 3 years and then processed into moxa velvet. The main reason is that the mugwort leaves are aged, which is different from the new mugwort leaves that are processed into moxa velvet and then stored for 3 years. Because this age is difficult to identify, and now it is advertised that the more years the better the quality, so many merchants mark the age very high. The actual situation is that more than 90% of the moxa sticks are basically new moxa sticks of the year, with 1-year-old moxa sticks accounting for a minority, and 3-year-old moxa sticks even less. As for 5-year-old and 10-year-old moxa sticks, those are all nonsense. Mugwort storage occupies a large area. Who would dare to store mugwort for 10 years without the strength? The annual maintenance cost is money, so how expensive is it? The key issue is that I personally don’t think the older the moxa sticks, the better. Mugwort is actually an ordinary plant. Over time, only plant fiber is left, and even the taste is gone. How can it have any curative effect? . So I think moxa sticks can be used from 1 to 3 years old. If you are older, just treat it as a joke.

11 Are there any handmade moxa sticks?

Yes, only for your own production and use. It is impossible to sell in batches purely handmade. The so-called pure handwork is pounding moxa with a stone mortar. In fact, the daily output is extremely low, and the human output is too large. With the current labor cost, just think about how much the moxa sticks cost.

There is also a stone mortar moxa stick or a moxa stick that looks like a handmade one. In fact, in many cases, the first step is not purely manual. In many cases, a machine is used to crush the moxa leaves in the initial stage, and then the so-called pure manual processing is done at the end. , it looks good that way and the yield is high. Today, when industrialization is so advanced, we have to see the convenience brought by technological progress. Machine manufacturing is almost the same as so-called pure handwork.

Moxibustion, a traditional Chinese medical method, is developing and growing today, which is inseparable from the country's promotion and its good reputation for treating diseases. The production of moxa sticks has also benefited from the promotion of moxibustion and has been increasingly improved. The moxa stick industry has become a relatively complete industry. In addition to bringing us profits, we hope that everyone will not forget their original aspirations. Moxibustion treats diseases and can make money, but I hope you don't act against your conscience. Producing real and effective moxa sticks is fundamental.