🌿 Folk Prescriptions

TCM holds that complexion relates to the spleen: acne and blackheads arise from excessive damp-heat in the spleen; butterfly-like spots stem from liver stagnation and spleen deficiency; dull, lusterless face indicates spleen deficiency preventing qi-blood upward flow. In spring, all things rise and flourish, and the spleen’s function becomes more active. Thus, spring beauty care is best achieved through dietary therapy promoting spleen strengthening, blood circulation, liver soothing, and blood activation.
Here are several beauty-enhancing food therapies:
1. Bird's Nest and Rock Sugar Porridge: Bird's nest nourishes skin and enriches blood, enhancing beauty. Take 3 grams of bird's nest and appropriate rock sugar, cook until porridge-like. Adding 5 grams of sweet apricot kernel improves cosmetic effect.
2. Longan and Lotus Seed Egg Soup: 15 grams longan flesh, 50 grams lotus seed, two eggs, two slices ginger, four jujubes, a pinch of salt. Steam eggs separately until cooked, remove shells, rinse clean. Wash longan, lotus seeds, ginger, and jujubes. Remove lotus seed hearts, keep reddish-brown seed coats. Peel ginger, slice. Remove jujube pits. Place sufficient water in a clay pot, bring to boil over high heat, then add all ingredients, simmer over medium heat for about two hours. Add salt, serve. Calms mind, nourishes blood, moisturizes skin.
3. Lily, Red Date, and Ginkgo Nut Porridge: 50 grams lily, 10 red dates, 50 grams ginkgo nuts, 300 grams beef, two slices ginger, a pinch of salt. Wash fresh beef in boiling water, slice thinly. Remove ginkgo nut shells, soak in water to remove outer membrane, then wash. Wash lily, red dates, and ginger. Remove red date pits. Peel ginger, slice. Add sufficient water to clay pot, bring to boil over high heat, add lily, red dates, ginkgo nuts, and ginger slices, simmer over medium heat until lily nearly cooked. Add beef, continue cooking until beef is tender. Add salt, serve immediately. Tonifies blood and yin, moisturizes skin, nourishes lungs, boosts energy, relieves cough, and consolidates essence.
4. Astragalus and Brown Sugar Porridge: 30 grams astragalus, 100 grams rice, 30 grams brown sugar, 6 grams tangerine peel. Wash astragalus, cut into slices, boil in pot with adequate water, strain and collect juice. Wash rice, add tangerine peel and brown sugar to pot, pour in astragalus juice, add sufficient water, cook until rice is soft. Brown sugar is sweet and warm, moistening heart-lungs, aiding spleen, calming liver, enriching blood, breaking stasis; astragalus is sweet, warm, strengthens exterior, stops sweating, promotes wound healing; tangerine peel is pungent and bitter, warm, regulates qi, strengthens stomach, dries dampness, resolves phlegm. This porridge tonifies qi and enhances beauty, suitable for those with weak qi and blood causing pale, lusterless complexion.
5. Jujube Porridge: Use 60 grams rice and 10 jujubes. Add jujubes to rice, cook until porridge is thick and jujubes are soft. Rich in vitamin E, regular consumption of jujube porridge makes complexion rosy and vibrant.
6. Beauty Porridge: 100 grams white rice, 1200 ml chicken broth, 3 grams ligusticum, 10 grams angelica, 5 grams astragalus, 2 grams safflower. Wash rice, soak in water. Cut angelica, ligusticum, and astragalus into thin slices, place in small cloth bag with safflower. Put rice and herb bag into pot, add chicken broth and sufficient water, boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until porridge thickens. Remove bag. This porridge uses herbs based on the classic Four Substances Decoction to tonify qi, nourish blood, and activate blood. Consume once or twice daily while warm. It improves bodily functions, enhances female facial skin smoothness and delicacy, and helps prevent and treat skin-affecting diseases.