🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Melasma, also known as liver spots or butterfly spots, is a common pigmentary disorder. It is frequently associated with endocrine imbalance, especially sex hormone disorders, and most commonly occurs in women during reproductive years. Numerous causes contribute to melasma formation: impaired liver or kidney function combined with excessive UV exposure easily triggers facial melasma. Genetic predisposition to melasma also plays a role. Other contributing factors include psychological stress, chronic wasting diseases, pregnancy in women, and irritation from low-quality cosmetics. Diet has a close relationship with melasma. Experts suggest that long-term deficiency of glutathione in diet can lead to the conversion of tyrosine into dopaquinone in the skin, which then oxidizes into dopa, forming melanin and resulting in pigment deposition. Therefore, proper dietary habits can help prevent and manage melasma.
Practical evidence shows that melasma patients should regularly consume foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, green peppers, hawthorn, fresh jujubes, kiwifruit, and fresh leafy greens. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, inhibiting the oxidation of dopaquinone in the skin, converting dark oxidized pigments into lighter reduced forms, thus suppressing melanin formation. Regular intake of vitamin C-rich foods can reduce pigmentation and greatly benefit melasma prevention and treatment.
Lemons contain citric acid, pectin, and abundant vitamin C and vitamin D. When made into a bath solution, they moisturize and smooth the skin. Citric acid also helps prevent skin pigmentation and aids in treating this condition.
If melasma is caused by pregnancy, it may naturally fade within half a year postpartum. If it persists, under medical guidance, patients may take vitamin C orally: 2 tablets each time, three times daily; or compound vitamin B: 0.2g each time, three times daily.
Additionally, melasma patients should avoid excessive consumption of stimulating foods like alcohol, strong tea, and coffee, which may worsen the condition.
Dietary Remedies for Melasma
(1) Dry Persimmon Spot-Removal Formula: Eat dried persimmons daily; long-term use is effective. Benefits: moistens heart and lungs, removes dark spots. Suitable for facial dark spots and freckles. (From *Puji Fang*)
(2) Peach Kernel Milk Sesame Porridge: 30g walnut kernels, 300ml milk, 200ml soy milk, 20g black sesame seeds. Grind walnut kernels and black sesame seeds finely in a small mill, mix with milk and soy milk, boil in a pot, add sugar to taste, consume one small bowl twice daily (morning and evening). Benefits: moisturizes skin and improves complexion. Suitable for skin with melasma or wrinkles.
(3) Pig Kidney Coix Seed Porridge: 1 pair of pig kidneys, remove tendons and odor glands, chop and wash thoroughly, combine with 100g peeled and chopped yam, 200g rice, and 50g coix seed, add water appropriately, simmer gently into porridge, season with condiments and eat in portions. Benefits: tonifies kidney and nourishes skin. Suitable for skin with spots or dark spots.
(4) Milk Walnut Drink: 200g milk, 200g soy milk, 200g black sesame seeds, 300g walnuts. Place walnuts and sesame seeds in a small stone mill; mix milk and soy milk, slowly pour into the mill while grinding. After grinding, transfer to a pot and boil, add a little sugar for flavor. Can also beat in raw eggs while boiling, stirring continuously. Consume once daily, one small bowl each time. Can be eaten regularly.
(5) Hawthorn Tangerine Peel Drink: Use suitable amounts of hawthorn and tangerine peel, boil together, cool, filter through gauze, extract juice, and mix with honey for consumption.
(6) Beauty-Enhancing Juice: 100g snow pear, 200g sugarcane, 300g grapes, 100g honey. Wash and juice snow pear, sugarcane, and grapes, remove pulp, mix with honey, store in bottle. Consume 10ml twice daily (morning and evening), diluted with warm water.
(7) Spot-Reducing Drink: 100g yellow beans, 100g green beans, 100g red beans, sugar to taste. Soak beans until swollen, mash into juice, add water, boil, sweeten with sugar, drink three times daily.
(8) Goat Milk Egg Custard: 250ml goat milk, 2 eggs, 50g rock sugar. Dissolve rock sugar in water, add goat milk and boil, beat in eggs, stir well, boil again, ready to eat.
(9) Three Nuts Beauty Porridge: 10g peach kernel, 10g sweet apricot kernel, 10g ginkgo nut, 1 egg, 10g rock sugar, 50g rice. Grind peach kernel, sweet apricot kernel, and ginkgo nut into fine powder; wash rice, place in a clay pot, add the powdered herbs and water, bring to a boil over high heat, beat in egg, reduce to low heat and simmer into porridge. Add sugar to blend evenly. One dose daily, consumed at breakfast. Ten doses constitute one course; after a 5-day break, proceed to the next course. This porridge promotes blood circulation, resolves stasis, moistens intestines, relieves constipation, and enhances skin beauty. Elderly people consuming this porridge regularly can reduce pigmentation spots and delay skin aging.
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