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. Li Hua Run Mian Formula
Ground plum blossom (Prunus mume Siebold & Zucc.) can be incorporated into facial creams to moisturize the skin and has the effects of removing freckles and melasma.
Source: Compendium of Materia Medica
2. Beauty supports with Watermelon Juice
Watermelon is a nutritious fruit ideal for midsummer. The juice of watermelon contains almost all the nutrients required by the human body.
The use of watermelon juice for beauty has long been practiced among the people. One can frequently apply watermelon juice to the face or hands, or cut the watermelon rind into small pieces for wiping.
Watermelon juice can beautify the skin. The method is simple and the effect is obvious. Persisting in using it throughout the summer can make the skin fair and delicate. If possible, using it for a longer period is even better.
Source: Folk proven recipe
3. Beauty-enhancing Recipe with Aromatic Vinegar
Mixing balsamic vinegar and glycerin in a ratio of 4:1 and applying it to the face can make the skin delicate, smooth, and reduce wrinkles.
Source: Folk empirical prescription
4. Trichosanthes Kirilowii Whitening Facial Cream
Trichosanthes fruit has the effects of “moisturizing and beautifying the face” and helps maintain and supports “wrinkles on hands and face”. Use 90 grams of Trichosanthes kirilowii pulp, 60 grams of almonds (peeled), and 1 pig pancreas. Grind them together into a paste and apply it every night.
It can make the skin smooth and shiny, and helps maintain wrinkles in winter.
Source: Sheng Ji Zong Lu
5.Fang Ji Rong Yan Fang
Take 250 grams of Benincasae Semen (winter melon seed), 200 grams of Pruni Persicae Flos (peach blossom), and 100 grams of Populi Albae Cortex (outer rough bark of white poplar removed), dry them in the shade and grind them into a fine powder. Take 1 gram after each meal, three times a day. To make the face whiter, increase the dosage of Benincasae Semen; to make it redder, increase the dosage of Pruni Persicae Flos. According to Ge Hong, a renowned medical expert in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, after taking it for 30 days, the face will become white, and after 50 days, both the hands and feet will turn white.
There is also another prescription that uses dried tangerine peel instead of white poplar bark.
Source: Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang
6. Tianluo Beauty Tonic
The juice from the stem of loofah, also known as Tianluo water, has the effects of promoting blood circulation, dredging meridians, clearing heat, detoxifying, and reducing inflammation. It is commonly used in folk supports for skin care and facial moisturizing, with remarkable results. It can not only remove freckles, butterfly-shaped patches, etc., but also moisturize the skin and helps maintain wrinkles. In Japan, loofah stem juice is also used for beauty purposes. There is a female writer named Hirabayashi Hideko in Niiza City, Saitama Prefecture, who is over 80 years old but has no wrinkles on her face. She uses loofah stem juice for beauty.
The method for collecting the juice from the stem of loofah is to cut the stem at a height of 20 cm to 30 cm above the ground and insert both ends into a clean glass bottle. The juice from the loofah stem can be collected after one night. To ensure a long-term supply of loofah stem juice, an appropriate amount of preservative can be added.
It is believed among the folk that it is better to collect the juice from the stem of loofah on the Beginning of Autumn.
Source: Folk proven recipe
7. Beauty-enhancing Prescription with White Gourd Pulp
The flesh of white gourd is a commonly used beauty product in both ancient and modern times. Wiping the face and the whole body with fresh white gourd flesh can make the skin glossy and fair. Just as Li Shizhen said, “(The flesh of white gourd) used for washing the face and bathing the body can remove dark spots and make the skin pleasant, glossy and fair.”
Source: Compendium of Materia Medica
8. Beauty-enhancing Prescription with Ophiopogon japonicus
Asparagus root is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Compendium of Materia Medica states, “When cooked and eaten, it makes the body smooth, fair, and white, and eliminates all malignant and unclean conditions from the body.” It also records numerous methods of consumption, including one recipe that says, “Take ten jin of asparagus root and one jin of almonds, pound them into a powder, and marinate them in honey. Take one cubic inch spoonful each time.” When used externally, asparagus root can have the effect of “making a dark complexion fair.” Pound dried asparagus root into a powder, mix it with honey to form pills, and use them daily to wash the face. After less than a month of use, the skin can become fair and delicate.
Source: Sheng Ji Zong Lu
9.Egg White Facial Mask
Soak three eggs in white wine for 28 days. Then, apply the egg whites to the face every night to make the complexion as white as snow.
This prescription is simple and easy to implement, with remarkable cosmetic effects.
Source: Puji Fang (Universal Relief Prescriptions)
10. Royal Jelly Beauty Agent
Royal jelly and honey contain a variety of nutrients required by the human body. When taken internally, they serve as a food for promoting health and longevity, and also help to darken hair, improve eyesight and hearing, and moisturize the skin.
Source: Folk proven recipe
11. Bee Larvae Beauty Prescription
Bee pupae (also known as fengzi) contain a variety of nutrients. When taken internally, they can beautify the skin and prolong life. As stated in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, “Long-term consumption makes one radiant, improves complexion, and helps maintain aging.” Tao Hongjing, a renowned medical expert in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, said that bee pupae “applied to the face after being soaked in wine can make the skin fair and pleasing.” Earth bee pupae or vespa mandarinia pupae have similar effects.
Source: Compendium of Materia Medica
12. Mako Formula for Changing Dark Complexion to White
Conch shell (a type of shellfish), Rhizoma Typhonii, Coral, and Eagle Excrement (each in equal parts) are ground into powder. Every night, mix it with human milk and apply it to the face, then wash it off with warm water in the morning. Regular application can whiten the complexion.
Source: Sheng Hui Fang
13. Goat Milk Whitening Formula
Goat milk is a nutrient-rich beverage. When taken internally, it moistens the Heart and Lungs, nourishes deficiency and fatigue, and benefits essence and qi. When applied externally, it has the effects of moisturizing the skin and whitening it. One can use 1500 milliliters of goat milk and 3 goat pancreases, mash them together, apply the mixture after washing the face every night, and wash it off the next morning.
Source: Sheng Ji Zong Lu
14. Milk Skin Care Recipe
Milk is a globally recognized nutritious and health-promoting beverage with a long history of consumption in China. Both internal consumption and external application of milk can moisturize the skin. According to folklore, bathing in milk can make the skin delicate and elastic. The author does not advocate bathing in milk but suggests applying milk to the face or body after washing and then rinsing it off after 10 to 20 minutes.
Source: Folk empirical formula
15. Facial Medication for the Elderly
After cleaning, simmer pig’s trotters into a thick juice, apply it to the face at night, and wash it off the next day. This will make the skin moist, delicate, white, tender, and wrinkle-free. This is a commonly used facial supports for the elderly in China, which is simple to prepare and has obvious effects. Of course, its use is not limited to the elderly; young and middle-aged people can also use it.
Source: Qian Jin Yi Fang
16. Prescription for supports Rough, Ugly and Dark Complexion
Use 5 pig pancreases, 60 grams of Brassica rapa seeds, 30 grams of almonds (soaked and peeled), and 30 grams of Cucurbita moschata roots. Soak them in white wine. Apply the medicinal wine to the face every night and wash it off the next morning. According to reports, this prescription can make “the old look younger and the dark-skinned look fairer.”
Source: Zhou Hou Fang (Prescriptions for Emergency Use)
17. Elk Antler Beauty-Enhancing Prescription
Meng Shen, a renowned pharmacologist of the Tang Dynasty, said: “Grind the maguey (Agave americana) pulp into a paste and apply it to the face; it will make the skin radiant, with a rosy-white complexion as lovely as jade.”
Source: Compendium of Materia Medica
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.
Toller Artikel! Ich habe schon viel über TCM-Hautpflege gehört, aber Pflaumenblüten in der Gesichtscreme ist mir neu. Das klingt super interessant – muss ich unbedingt ausprobieren! Danke für die Tipps! 🌸
Love these traditional remedies! I’ve been experimenting with plum blossom in my DIY creams and my skin feels so soft. Watermelon juice sounds refreshing too—perfect for summer. Thanks for sharing these TCM secrets!
伝統的な中医学のスキンケア方法、興味深いですね！特に梅の花を使ったフェイスクリームのレシピが気になります。瓜のジュースも夏にぴったり。実際に試してみたくなりました。
Interesting read! I’ve always been curious about TCM for skincare. The plum blossom cream sounds lovely—never thought of using it for freckles. And watermelon juice as a beauty support? Makes total sense with all that hydration. Might try blending some into my routine this summer!