Sentence | Li-chi-hsien
Edit | Chestnut Hat
In ancient times, although there was no dazzling array of modern skin care and beauty products today, they discovered the rich skin care and beauty methods contained in nature with their unique wisdom.
The ancients were good at picking a variety of medicinal materials from nature, and used them to nourish and care for the skin through ingenious collocation and unique preparation methods.
The description of skin care can be traced back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. In the dictionary "Shuowen Jie Zi", there is an interpretation of bath and bath: "Mu, wash your face".
Washing the face and bathing are an important part of the ancients to pay attention to skin care and beauty, originally, the skin care method of ancient women, simple and natural, they boiled Angelica Angelica into water to drink.
Angelica Angelica, a herb with excellent efficacy, can eliminate skin dullness, promote skin metabolism, and thus achieve a brightening effect. Therefore, ancient women often drank Angelica Angelica water, hoping that their skin would become white and flawless, and rejuvenate and rejuvenate.
Later, people were well versed in the way of nature and knew how to absorb the mystery of skin care and beauty from all things in heaven and earth. In the morning and evening, when washing, some motherwort ash will be extracted, mixed into the face water, or clear spring, and stirred into mud.
Then, gently rub the clay on the face and palms, and rub it again and again, this method has a unique effect on the skin, this skin care method is quite similar to the way people use cleansers in modern times.
With the change of dynasties, in the prosperous years of the Tang Dynasty, the material life of the people became more and more abundant, and they paid more and more attention to skin care and beauty. Princess Yonghe of the Tang Dynasty has carefully developed her own unique beauty secrets.
The secret recipe for washing the face: 90 grams of chicken bone incense, supplemented with 150 grams of Angelica dahurica, Chuanxiong and melon wilted kernels, 300 grams of honey locust, plus 250 grams of soybeans and red adzuki beans, finely ground and sieved out impurities, and finally made into a delicate powder. When washing your face, use it once in the morning and once in the evening to deeply cleanse and care for your skin.
As for the secret recipe for bathing, it is to wash the rice in water, or soak the rice in water for a few days in advance, boil the remaining water, and then put in the antler gum, and then add glutinous rice to boil it into porridge after the antler gum is fully melted.
The porridge gradually solidifies into a translucent solid, similar to a beautiful soap, which is fully dried in the sun and left for later use.
Then, natural materials such as peach kernels, almonds, and black beans are carefully selected, and Chinese herbs such as Angelica Angelica, Angelica Angelica, Bai Ji, Atractylodes Macrocephala, and Poria Cocos are carefully selected, which not only have a unique aroma, but also bring nourishment and care to the skin.
Agarwood and soaphorn add a unique aroma and cleansing effect. Finally, a small amount of musk is added, and all of the above ingredients are ground until they become a fine powder.
When bathing, use the previously made "soap" and dip these delicate powders into every inch of the body, which will leave the skin delicate, smooth and fair, while exuding a lingering and charming fragrance.
The way of the ancients to maintain their beauty
In the traditional Chinese medicine classics, there are many records about Chinese medicine skin care, and more than 1,000 formulas have been included so far, both for internal and external use. Ancient beauty secrets, most of which consisted of food or medicinal herbs. For example, herbs such as reishi and ginseng are regarded as precious medicines for maintaining the skin.
In the medical masterpiece "Elbow Reserve Emergency Prescription" in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a unique skin care method was recorded - using pig pancreas to make hand fat.
First of all, fry Angelica dahurica and other medicinal materials to remove the residue and ensure the purity of the medicinal oil. Subsequently, the pig pancreas is placed in this medicinal oil and kneaded for a while, so that the lubricating juice in the pig pancreas is fully integrated into the oil. Then, add the winter melon and almond fines to make a white ointment.
Applied to the hands, this balm deeply nourishes the skin, leaving it smooth and refined. In the same book, Volume 52, there is also a method of "healing the face and body darkening", soak the fine powder of herbs and pig pancreas in wine, and apply this ointment to the face before going to bed as a skin care liquid at night. In winter, it can be used as a moisturizing skin care product for hands and face.
Since the "Elbow Reserve Emergency Prescription", pig pancreas is often used in the production, winter hand cream and face cream, and some recipes also use sheep pancreas.
In addition to skin care, the Tang Dynasty "Qianjinfang" recorded that the ancients also used pig pancreas to make soap. Although it does not have the effect of removing oil and dirt, it moisturizes the skin when cleansing. This invention of the ancients in the Tang Dynasty can not only effectively remove stains, but also have the effect of whitening and moisturizing, even modern people can't help but be amazed.
Not only that, but in the Qing Dynasty, pig pancreas also had the curative effect of traditional Chinese medicine. According to records, in the thirtieth year of Guangxu, the imperial doctor specially made a special dispelling wind and moistening the face for Cixi, this pancreas not only moistens the face, but also dispels wind, and specifically treats the symptoms of facial wind and gluten spasm suffered by the Empress Dowager Cixi.
In the late Qing Dynasty, soap and pancreatic soap coexisted as two types of cleaning products, and there was a clear difference between them. We might as well speculate on the reasons for this distinction: pancreatic soap, which focuses more on beauty benefits, while soap is mainly responsible for removing stains.
It is known that the most popular pancreas at that time was called "goose pancreas". In Emperor Guangxu's "Red File of the Big Wedding Ceremony", the list of gifts at that time was recorded in detail, including the precious "goose oil pancreas".
This unique name actually comes from the rich goose fat contained in it. Since the Tang Dynasty, goose oil has been known as the best animal fat for its excellent skin care effect, and is often used to make facial fat, which was loved by aristocratic women at that time to care for the skin and maintain the beauty and youth of the complexion.
In "A Thousand Golden Recipes", it is possible to find a way to refine goose fat. Therefore, the ancients added goose oil to pancreatic soap to enhance its beauty effect, and because of this, after washing the face with it, it not only moisturizes the skin, but also makes the complexion glow.
In addition to the above-mentioned skin care products, Jia Sixian's book "Qi Min Yao Shu" also mentions that the ancients would apply lip fat in order to prevent chapped lips. So, how did this ancient people make mouth fat?
The ancients first put the beef bone marrow into a pot to boil, and after the beef bone marrow melted, poured in a fine wine mixed with cloves and herbs, and continued to suffer. Subsequently, an herb called Artemisia annua is added to adjust its color.
After the torment is completed, it is filtered with cotton cloth and other items, and the extracted grease is poured into a porcelain bowl for cooling, and after it is completely solidified, a lipstick is made.
This lip fat is an all-natural skin care product, which not only prevents the lips from freezing and cracking, but also effectively lightens lip lines, which benefits many women.
Later, in the Tang Dynasty, people used wax to boil lipstick. At the same time, they also added comfrey to it, so that the finished product has an attractive red color.
With the development of the aesthetics of the ancients, Fandel came into being. There are two types of cosmetics, powder, which is a pigment that specifically defines the eyebrows, and powder, which is made from fermented rice and is used for skin care or makeup.
Also in "Qi Min Yaoshu", you can find the production process of powder, which is full of the wisdom and ingenuity of the ancients. After the rice is ground into powder, it is fermented, the acid is removed, and then the rice juice is precipitated into "powder", which is exposed to the sun and dried before being used for makeup.
Later, in the Qing Dynasty, Cixi had a very high pursuit of the beauty of her face. In order to perpetuate her youth, Cixi would use a precious beauty secret called red jade green every day to take care of her skin.
Ruby green has the effect of moisturizing the skin and lightening fine lines, making the complexion as bright as peach blossoms and shiny. Cixi also possessed an extremely luxurious massage artifact, the white jade ruler.
This white jade ruler is not an extraordinary object, but is made of rare white jade stones such as agate and gold stone, carefully polished, and the shape is elegant jade roller-shaped. This ruler, with its warm and delicate texture and excellent touch, is a must-have skin care tool for the Empress Dowager Cixi every day.
Legend has it that Cixi rubbed, rubbed and rolled a white jade ruler on her face every day to promote blood circulation, eliminate wrinkles, and beautify the skin.
The ancient people's way of skincare shows its unique wisdom and ingenuity, and we might as well draw inspiration from it to take care of our skin in a natural and healthy way.
At the same time, pay attention to inner cultivation and let beauty radiate from the inside out, so that you can truly have a healthy, beautiful and confident life. The ancients interpreted the true meaning of beauty and health in their own way, leaving a valuable cultural heritage for future generations.