Beauty and skincare have always been regarded as the most important thing for women. The ancient Chinese medicine beauty secrets used by ancient beauties are not inferior to many expensive skincare products today. Xi Shi, Diao Chan, Wang Zhaojun, and Yang Guifei, the four famous beauties, had stunning appearances that were not only due to their natural beauty but also because of their exclusive beauty secrets.
Xi Shi - Jade Beauty Powder
As the foremost among the four beauties, Xi Shi's most frequently used skincare secret was "fragrant powder". This not only made her fragrance captivating but also gave her a complexion like jade, stunningly beautiful. It was recorded in the ancient book "Pu Ji Fang" as "Jade Beauty Powder".
Method: Take 60g of mung bean powder, 30g each of Bai Ji, Bai Zhi, Bai Lian, Bai Jiang Can, Bai Fu Zi, and Tian Hua Fen, 15g each of Gan Song, Shan Nai, and Xiang Mao, 6g each of Ling Ling Xiang, Fang Feng, and Gao Ben, and 100g of Zao Jiao. Dry the above herbs together, grind them into a fine powder, and store them in a sealed porcelain bottle.
When using, take 10g of this powder from the small bottle, mix it with water to make a paste, apply it to the face, and wash it off with water after 30 minutes. Apply once every night.
Jade Beauty Powder is suitable for women of all ages. It has the effects of whitening and cleansing the skin, removing dampness and toxins, and fading blemishes. It is especially effective for women with facial skin problems such as melasma, freckles, acne rosacea, and blackheads. In addition, it also has a good effect in treating acne.
Diao Chan - Aromatic and Musky Teeth Whitener
Diao Chan, known as a beauty since childhood, was troubled by her not-so-white teeth. So how did she solve this problem?
Diao Chan's teeth whitening secret: Mix 5 parts of musk and 5 parts of ambergris, 1.2 parts each of Xi Xin, Sheng Ma, Gao Ben, Huo Xiang Ye, Gan Song, and Bai Zhi, 1 liang each of Shi Gao and Han Shui Shi. Grind them together into a powder and store it in a small bottle.
Every morning after waking up and before going to bed at night, use this powder to brush your teeth. After half a month, Diao Chan's teeth will become extremely white. However, because it contains musk, pregnant women should use it with caution.
Wang Zhaojun - Five-Fruit Soup for Hair Blackening
Legend has it that Wang Zhaojun was beautiful, but her hair was not in good condition. It was yellow, dry, and sparse. Although her skin was fair, it lacked luster, giving her a somewhat sickly appearance, all of which were due to her yin deficiency constitution.
One day, a traveling doctor presented a dietary formula to Wang Zhaojun's father, Wang Rang, called "Five-Fruit Soup with Rock Sugar". He repeatedly reminded him to avoid consuming foods that are warm, dry, spicy, and fragrant, such as chili, Sichuan pepper, fennel, and chives.
Method: Take 2 red dates, 6g of longan flesh, and 10g of goji berries. Cook them together with a bowl of water. After boiling for 10 minutes, let it cool to warm temperature. Add 1 pear (cored and peeled) and 2 bananas (peeled and mashed) to the mixture. Add an appropriate amount of rock sugar and consume it every morning.
In addition, the traveling doctor also gave Zhaojun an external hair blackening recipe: equal parts of chamomile flower, Man Jing Zi, dried cypress leaves, Chuan Xiong, mulberry root bark, Bai Zhi, Xi Xin, and Han Lian Cao. Grind them into coarse powder. Take a small amount when washing hair, boil it in two large bowls of water until it reduces to one bowl, remove the residue, and use the medicinal juice to wash the hair. Girls with thinning and yellowing hair may want to give it a try.
Of course, "Five-Fruit Soup with Rock Sugar" is not suitable for everyone. This formula has the effect of nourishing yin and replenishing blood, suitable for women with yin deficiency and weak physique. It may have the opposite effect for girls who are not yin-deficient.
Yang Guifei - Jade Red Ointment for Moisturizing and Anti-inflammatory
"One smile from her could charm all living beings, and her beauty surpassed all the palace beauties." Yang Guifei was undoubtedly the most skilled in beauty and skincare among the four beauties. "Yang Taizhen's Jade Red Ointment" is her most famous beauty secret.
Method: Peel the almonds, equal parts of talc and light powder, grind them into a fine powder, steam them in a basket, add a little dragon brain and musk, and mix well with egg whites.
Almonds are rich in fatty oils, which have the effect of moisturizing the skin. Light powder is white as snow and, when applied externally, not only makes the skin fair and delicate but also treats various skin diseases, with a moisturizing, cleansing, and anti-inflammatory effect. Talc is extremely smooth and has a fine texture. When used externally, it can absorb irritants and toxins on the skin, as well as cover up defects such as freckles, pigmentation, and scars. This formula can "make the face red and pleasant, and after ten days, the complexion will be like red jade".
