Three White Decoction for Fair and Smooth Skin
A widely circulated traditional Chinese medicine beauty formula, possibly originating from the Ming Dynasty (16th century) medical text "Introduction to Medicine," which records the Three White Decoction: "5 grams each of white peony root (Bai Shao), white atractylodes (Bai Zhu), and poria (Bai Fu Ling), 2.5 grams of licorice root, decocted in water and taken warm." Originally used to treat deficiency heat due to exogenous febrile diseases, it was later found effective in tonifying qi and blood, whitening skin, and moisturizing. Thus, it became popular in folk traditions. The formula is well-balanced and suitable for rough, sallow skin, chloasma, and pigmentations caused by qi and blood deficiency with cold constitution. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that skin luster is closely related to organ function; if internal organs are diseased or qi and blood are imbalanced, skin becomes coarse and facial spots appear. Therefore, this formula works by harmonizing qi and blood and regulating the five zang organs to achieve skin whitening and spot removal.
White peony root, white atractylodes, and poria are traditional herbs for skin hydration and whitening. Together with licorice, they can also delay aging. In TCM theory, white peony root has sweet and sour flavors, slightly cold nature, nourishes blood, treats sallow complexion, facial pigmentation, and lack of luster; white atractylodes is warm, sweet and bitter, delaying aging; poria is sweet and bland, neutral in nature, helps remove spots and brighten skin; licorice is neutral, sweet, moisturizes skin and eliminates bad odors, used for halitosis due to spleen-stomach weakness and skin fissures.
Modern pharmacological studies confirm the beauty benefits of these herbs: white peony root clears free radicals and has antioxidant effects; white atractylodes and poria enhance immune function and dilate blood vessels; licorice has immunomodulatory effects, external use can provide sun protection, whiten skin, reduce spots, and prevent skin roughness—thus, many whitening skincare products contain licorice extract.
Women can purchase these four herbs from pharmacies and decoct them into a tea. If inconvenient, they can make a ready-to-brew tea bag: take 150 grams each of white atractylodes, white peony root, and poria, 75 grams of licorice, grind into coarse powder, mix evenly, pack into 30 small bags. Each day, steep one bag in boiling water like tea.
In fact, traditional Chinese medicine cosmetics have a long history. Besides the Three White Decoction, Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty created a facial mask using eggs, fragrant powder, and apricot kernels in his "Emergency Formulas from the Elbow Rear." Numerous formulas with whitening and spot-removing effects exist, such as Qiong Yu Gao (containing ginseng, raw rehmannia, poria, and honey) recorded in "Collected Verified Formulas of Hong," which tonifies qi and yin, moisturizes skin, and enhances radiance.