🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Yang Guifei, originally from Sichuan Province, named Yu Huan, was a legendary ancient beauty. The idiom "Huan Fei Yan Shou" (round-faced Yang, slender Yan) contrasts her with Zhao Feiyan of Emperor Cheng of Han, representing two different ideals of female beauty in ancient China. Originally the daughter-in-law of Emperor Xuanzong, after the death of Wu Huifei, she was recommended into the palace by Gao Lishi. Due to concerns about propriety, Emperor Xuanzong could not directly bring his son’s wife into the palace. So, he officially ordained her as a Daoist nun under the name "Tai Zhen Gong" to live in the Tai Zhen Palace. In the fourth year of Tianbao, he formally bestowed upon her the title of Consort. At that time, Yang Yu Huan was a mature woman whose charm lay in her naturally delicate skin, earning her the affection of three thousand court ladies and making all other beauties pale in comparison. This proves Yang Guifei possessed genuine beauty secrets, enabling her to retain favor for a long time.
Secret One: Rejecting heavy makeup in favor of light, natural cosmetics to highlight innate beauty. In Tang Dynasty, cosmetics were primarily made from lead and mercury. Long-term use caused chronic poisoning, leaving dark spots and accelerating skin aging. During her five years as a Daoist nun, Yang Guifei avoided heavy makeup and the dangers of lead and mercury. Later, she continued to prefer subtle, light makeup with faint eyebrows.
Secret Two: Hot spring baths and body tapping. The Tang Dynasty inherited Northern Dynasty customs, establishing hot spring palaces. Huaqing Pool was the most famous. Legend holds that hot springs expel evil spirits and prevent epidemics. Modern medicine confirms that minerals like sulfur in hot springs treat skin diseases. Bai Juyi’s poem “Song of Everlasting Regret” says: “In spring chill, the emperor grants a bath at Huaqing Pool; the warm waters glide over skin like cream. The maids lift her, dazed and weak—this was her first moment of grace.” While bathing, Yang Guifei would soak mulberry leaves and stinging nettles in the water. These plants soothe nerves and stimulate skin regeneration, making the skin smooth and glossy. In “Dream of the Red Chamber,” Jia Baoyu wrote: “After emerging from the bath, Taizhen looks like ice.” During bathing, she practiced body tapping—lightly slapping her entire body, especially her face—to stimulate acupoints, enhance blood circulation, and improve skin function for beauty.
Secret Three: Mixing apricot kernels, talc, and light powder to create Yang Tai Zhen Hongyu Qing. According to legend, applying this mixture for ten days would make the complexion as rosy as red jade—a secret formula cherished by beauties throughout history, even used daily by Empress Dowager Cixi. Apricot kernels contain abundant bitter almond oil, offering unique skin moisturizing effects. Light powder has antibacterial properties and lubricates passages, acting “to open pores above and clear urinary pathways below.” Combined, these three ingredients cleanse dirt, moisturize skin, and open pores—effectively avoiding the hazards of lead and mercury found in traditional cosmetics.
Secret Four: Eating lychees and taking ginseng to nourish health and win favor. Yang Guifei loved lychees—everyone knows this. Du Mu wrote: “Looking back at Chang’an, the city appears embroidered with flowers; thousands of gates open one after another on the mountain peak. A rider raises dust, and the concubine laughs—no one knows it’s lychees being delivered.” To please Yang Guifei, Emperor Xuanzong ordered rapid transport of lychees from Fujian and Guangdong to Chang’an, costing enormous manpower and resources—just to make her happy. Lychee, a tropical southern fruit, is rich in nutrients, sweet and neutral in nature, non-toxic. Regular consumption benefits heart and spleen, nourishes liver blood, and improves complexion. Yang Guifei’s diet always included ginseng. Small amounts of ginseng can “tonify the five organs, calm the spirit, improve eyesight, and enhance intelligence.” Today, ginseng remains a top tonic in health care. Regular, moderate intake can reduce fatigue and balance yin-yang.