Disclaimer: All herbal teas, medicinal soups, acupuncture and Tui Na described in this article are only auxiliary wellness regimens for traditional health maintenance, not formal medical treatments. They cannot replace professional physician diagnosis, prescription drugs or clinical therapies. Anyone diagnosed with physical diseases shall strictly follow the treatment plans formulated by licensed medical practitioners. All TCM terminology, wellness regulation theories and traditional health philosophies in this text are solely for the inheritance, popularization and cultural exchange of traditional Chinese medicine. No content herein shall be deemed guidance for clinical diagnosis or medical treatment. Read more
1. Zhang Guifei’s Beauty-Enhancing Prescription
This formula is a beauty secret of Zhang Guihua, the imperial concubine of Chen Shubao, the last emperor of the Southern Chen Dynasty, and is said to be derived from the “Pillow Formula” of the Queen Mother of the West.
Take one egg, remove the yolk, and fill it with an appropriate amount of cinnabar powder. Seal it with wax and place it in a chicken coop along with eggs that are being incubated. After 21 days, when the other eggs hatch into chicks, take out the prepared egg, remove its shell, grind it into a fine powder, and apply it to the face. Persist in using it for a period of time, and the complexion will be completely renewed, radiating a brilliant glow.
Concubine Zhang was deeply favored by Emperor Chen Shubao. Apart from her natural beauty and her ability to sing and dance, she also benefited from the effects of this beauty formula. Using this beauty formula could not only eliminate freckles, chloasma, and similar blemishes on the face, but also improve skin laxity, leaving the complexion fair, delicate, smooth, and lustrous like jade.
Source: Waitaimiyao (Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library)
2.Baihua Beauty-Enhancing Prescription
Use 186 grams each of plum blossom, pear blossom, cherry blossom, white hollyhock flower, white lotus flower, red lotus flower, inula flower, and Zanthoxylum schinifolium, 93 grams each of peach blossom, papaya flower, clove, agarwood, eaglewood, and stalactite powder, 62 grams each of pearl and jade powder, 31 grams of Shuishua flower (a local flower in Sichuan), and 300 grams of soybean powder. Grind all these ingredients into a fine powder and store them in a bottle. Use it to scrub the face and hands once in the morning and once in the evening every day. After three months of use, the complexion will become rosy and smooth.
Source: Puji Fang (Universal Relief Prescriptions)
3. Peach Blossom and Apricot Blossom Beauty Formula
500 grams each of apricot blossoms and peach blossoms, soak in running water from the east for seven days, then use the water to wash the face twenty-one times, which is extremely effective. Tap water can also be used, and mineral water is even better. The “three seven times” in the prescription means three sets of seven times; wash the face once a day with this water for a total of 21 days.
Source: Sheng Ji Zong Lu
4. Freckle-Removing Elixir
For freckles, chloasma, and other patches on the face, soak Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma in vinegar and frequently wipe the affected areas with it.
Source: Zhou Hou Fang (Prescriptions for Emergency Use)
5.Egg-Vinegar Freckle-Removing Formula
Soak an egg in vinegar. After one month, only a thin eggshell will float in the solution. Apply the vinegar to the areas affected by freckles every night.
Source: Puji Fang (Universal Relief Prescriptions)
6. Formula for Fading Chloasma
10 grams each of Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Bai Zhi), Bletillae Rhizoma (Bai Ji), Ampelopsis Radix (Bai Lian), and Typhonii Rhizoma (Bai Fu Zi), along with 5 grams of Lithargyri Hydroxycarbonas (Mi Tuo Seng). Grind them all together into a fine powder, mix thoroughly with white honey, and store in a glass bottle. Each night after washing the face, apply the ointment to the affected area. Usually, one dose is sufficient for a supports.
Source: Folk proven recipe
7.Prescription for supports chloasma in postpartum women
Many postpartum women develop butterfly-shaped patches on their faces. A preparation can be made using equal parts of sheep bile, pig pancreas, and asarum. Boil the mixture three times (allowing it to cool after each boil), and then it is ready for use. Apply it to the face every evening and wash it off in the morning.
Source: Gu Jin Lu Yan Fang
8. Angelica Dahurica Facial Cleanser
Shennong Bencaojing states that Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Bai Zhi) “moisturizes and brightens the complexion, and can be used to make facial cream.” Take equal amounts of Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Bai Zhi), Typhonii Rhizoma (Bai Fu Zi), Talcum (Hua Shi), and Phaseoli Radiatus Semen (Lv Dou), grind them together into a fine powder. Use this powder to rub on the face; it is effective in removing various types of facial spots and marks. Alternatively, the powdered herbs can be mixed into regular facial cream for daily use.
Source: Folk facial prescription
9. Formula for Removing Freckles with Water Caltrop
The water flowers in the ditches, also known as duckweed, can be dried and ground into powder for facial application to supports freckles.
Source: Sheng Hui Fang
10. Prescription Using Almonds to supports Blackened Facial Skin
Remove the skins of apricot kernels, pound them and mix with egg white. Apply it to the face every night before going to bed, and wash it off with yellow rice wine the next morning.
Source: Dietetic Therapy Materia Medica
11. Prescription of Cremastra appendiculata (D. Don) Makino for supports freckles
Mash the root of Cremastra appendiculata (D. Don) Makino, apply it to the freckled area at night, wash it off in the morning, and the freckles can be removed in a few days.
Source: Puji Fang (The General Treatise on Prescriptions for Universal Relief)
12. Dunuoxiang Facial Application Formula
Equal parts of Opopanax, Rhizoma Typhonii Gigantei, Semen Benincasae, Rhizoma Bletillae, and Pericarpium Granati are ground into powder, soaked in wine for 3 days, and applied to the face after washing. Over time, the face will become as radiant as jade.
Source: Compendium of Materia Medica
13. Prescription for supports Freckles on the Face
Take equal parts of powdered castor bean (Ricini Semen), galena (Lithargyri Hydroxycarbonas), and sulfur (Sulfur), mix them thoroughly with sheep marrow (Ovis Aries Medulla), and apply it every night.
Source: Zhai Xuan Fang
14. Coriander Facial Cleansing Formula
Decoct coriander in water until the water boils. Use it to wash the face once a day. After using it continuously for one week, it can remove freckles and chloasma on the face. Coriander is also known as Coriandrum sativum L. (common name: cilantro).
Source: Folk proven recipe
TCM Terminology Disclaimer:All traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) terms, descriptions, and wellness expressions including but not limited to nourishing lungs, soothing throat discomfort, supporting respiratory comfort, clearing mild internal heat, balancing qi and blood, harmonizing bodily functions, and regulating general wellness featured on this website are traditional TCM cultural descriptions and historical wellness theories only. These phrases are used solely for traditional TCM knowledge sharing and cultural interpretation. They do not constitute medical efficacy claims, have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All TCM wording describes traditional auxiliary wellness conditioning effects only and should never be interpreted as clinical medical treatment results. Individuals with confirmed illnesses must seek professional medical diagnosis and follow standard Western medical treatment.
FDA Mandatory Disclaimer：These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Chinese herbal dietary supplements and traditional wellness practices are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease and serve only as daily auxiliary health support. If you have been diagnosed with any illness, please seek professional medical care and follow standard Western medical treatment regimens.
Wow, this is fascinating! I’ve always been curious about ancient beauty secrets. Zhang Guifei’s egg recipe sounds simple yet promising. Has anyone here tried it? I’m tempted to give it a go for my skin.
대단히 흥미로운 글이네요! 고대 중국 미용 비법이 현대에도 적용될 수 있다니 신기해요. 특히 계란 노른자 활용법은 집에서도 쉽게 따라 해볼 수 있을 것 같아요. 피부 미인 되고 싶은 분들에게 강추합니다!
古代中国の美容法、すごく気になります！特に卵を使ったレシピ、試してみたいけど、匂いが心配…。でも皇后さまも使ったなら効果ありそうですね！
嘩，呢啲古代美人秘方真係好神奇！雞蛋都可以用嚟護膚，仲要係張貴妃嘅配方，睇嚟古人都好識保養。不過而家啲護膚品咁多，有冇人真係會跟住整？想試下但怕麻煩。