TCM DIY Empress Dowager Cixi’s Spot Removal Mask

According to legend, after the Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty in China gave birth to Emperor Tongzhi while in her 20s, black spots appeared on her face. However, under the care and treatment of the imperial doctor, the dark spots on her face gradually faded.

Shen Yunzhi, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner of Changsheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, introduced the ancient Qing Dynasty Yurong (Beautiful Face) Mask in NTD’s program “Ancient Chinese Medicine in the Modern World” on its Asia-Pacific Channel.

It can be used with Beauty Herbal Flower Tea and Brightening Sishen Porridge for better whitening and brightening effects of dark spots.

Shen said that dark spots are caused by abnormal accumulation of melanin in a certain part of the skin. There are many reasons for freckles on the face, including genetics, UV rays, hormones, and so on.

Diet is also one of the reasons for dark spots. If people eat light-sensitive foods, such as citrus, crustacean seafood, and so on, and do not have enough sun protection, the skin is prone to getting dark spots.

Dark spots are called “facial miscellaneous diseases” in TCM. They are mostly caused by a pathogenic factor, the evil qi (vital energy) invading the skin, resulting in the disharmony of qi and blood, stagnation of the Liver qi, stagnation of qi and blood stasis on the skin, and then spots are formed.

The so-called “exogenous evil” refers to ultraviolet rays and pollutants in the environment and so on.

According to the treatment based on the syndrome differentiation theory of TCM, there are three main reasons for getting dark spots:

1) Weakness of the Spleen and the Stomach: Insufficient qi and blood, such as eating too much raw and cold food, will weaken the stomach and cannot generate enough qi and blood to nourish the facial skin.

2) The stagnation of Liver qi: stagnation of qi, blood, and phlegm under the skin are mostly related to long-term stress or emotional instability, and these dark spots are generally darker than the dark spots formed by the weak spleen and the weak stomach.

3) Deficiency of the Kidney: It is usually related to aging, chronic disease, or excessive sexual intercourse. These dark spots are long-lasting and gradually deepen, accompanied by dull skin. These spots usually appear in the eye sockets or chin.

According to Shen, the spots often reflect the condition of the internal organs. The forehead belongs to the heart, the left side of the cheek to the liver, the right side to the lungs, and the nose or the area around the cheeks may be related to the spleen and stomach. 

If the color of the lips is dull, there may be some stagnation in the uterus. These dark spots related to internal organs can be treated with acupuncture, herbal medicine used internally or externally, ear acupuncture, and so on.

Empress Dowager Cixi’s Spot Removal Mask

According to Shen, Empress Dowager Cixi’s whitening formula is called Yurong Powder, which helped her to eliminate spots, and whiten and moisturize her skin.

According to the “Golden Mirror of Medicine” (a series of TCM classics complied by the imperial doctors in the Qianlong government of the Qing Dynasty), Yurong Powder contains 19 traditional Chinese medicines, namely, Pearl powder, Mung bean powder, Poria, Angelica root, Bighead atractylodes rhizome, Fructus tribuli, Bombyx batryticatus, Typhonium giganteum, Asarum, Ampelopsis japonica, ​Bletilla rhizome, Nardostachys jatamansi, Indian Sandalwood, Saposhnikoviae Radix, Job’s tear, White clove, Dried lotus seed, mint, Chinese Morning Glory.

Using 19 herbs to make a “palace-level” luxurious mask is a bit difficult. Shen introduced the simplified version of the Yurong mask:

Ingredients: 3g (0.10 oz) Bletilla rhizome, 3g (0.10 oz) Fructus tribuli, 3g (0.10 oz) Angelica root, 3g (0.10 oz)  Job’s tear, 3g(0.10 oz) Poria, 3g (0.10 oz) Mung bean, 3g (0.10 oz) Bighead atractylodes rhizome, 3g (0.10 oz) Swallowwort root, 3g (0.10 oz) Bombyx Batryticatus, 1g (0.03 oz) Pearl powder, 5cc (1.7 fl oz) of honey and appropriate amount of water.

How to use: If it is used for regular brightening and whitening skin care, such as lightening the small spots on the face, you can apply it once a week; if the problems of dark spots are serious, you can apply it daily.

For those with acne, sunburn, or inflammation on the face, the Yurong Mask can still be used. As Shen pointed out that swallowwort root in the mask formula has the effect of clearing heat and anti-inflammatory, which can calm the skin.

Although the above formula has been simplified, it still takes a lot of effort to buy the ingredients one by one, and then grind them to make a Yurong mask. Shen introduced a simpler and easier-to-make “Blemish & Whitening Mask,” which can be made at home.

Ingredients: 30g (1 oz) almond flour, 1/4 egg white, 5cc (0.17 fl oz) honey, 5cc (0.17 fl oz) milk.

Users should pay attention to the fineness of the particles of the almond flour. If the particles are too coarse, they may hurt the skin.

Method: Put almond flour into a bowl, then add egg white, honey, and milk, and stir into a paste. Then apply directly to the face with your hands or by mask brush. Avoid contacting the eye area when applying the mask. Wash it off after 10-15 minutes. To prevent the mask from drying too quickly, ensure the texture is smooth and the mixture is not too thick.

Usage: Once a week.

It should be noted that people with egg allergies are recommended to skip the egg white, and then just slightly adjust the amount of milk or water to make the mask with the right consistency.

In addition to the external use of the mask, food therapy can further nourish the body and achieve a physique that is not prone to spots. Shen introduced a Beauty Herbal Flower tea and a Brightening Sishen Porridge.

Beauty Herbal Flower Tea video:
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Beauty Herbal Flower Tea

Ingredients: 20g (0.71 oz) mother-of-pearl, 5 roses, 10g (0.35 oz) white chrysanthemum, 20g (0,71 oz) Poria, 10g (0.35 oz) loofah, 10 jujubes.

Mother-of-pearl is a pearl shell, which is more effective when broken before cooking.

Poria strengthens the spleen and the dampness, which can reduce the formation of dark spots due to the deficiency of the spleen. Poria also helps reduce tyrosinase activity, thereby inhibiting melanin production.

Chrysanthemum clears heat and soothes the liver, which can reduce the formation of dark spots due to liver stagnation.

Rose can activate Qi (vital energy) and blood, improve the circulation of Qi and blood on the face, lead to rosy cheeks, and fade the spots.

Jujubes nourish the spleen and replenish Qi. Cutting jujubes will release more sweetness from the fruit.

Loofahs dredge and activate the meridian system, clearing heat and getting rid of phlegm, and eliminating blood stagnation in the meridian system.

Shen pointed out that this kind of herbal flower tea is mild and is suitable for ordinary people to drink. If you have a sweet tooth, you can add a little honey after brewing to moisturize the skin.

Don’t waste the cooked ingredients after brewing the tea. You can brew it for a second time. Take the juice and apply it to the face. It is recommended to dip the mask paper into the juice and apply it for 10 minutes. Be careful to remove the mask when it is half dry, otherwise, it will absorb the moisture of the skin.

Brightening Sishen Porridge

Ingredients: 10g (0.35 oz) red beans, 10 jujubes, 15g (0.53 oz)  lotus seeds, 100g rice (3.5 oz), 50g (1.75 oz) raw yam, 15g (0.53 oz) raw Gordon euryale seed, 15g (0.53 oz) Poria, 15g (0.53 oz) job’s tear, 10g (0.35 oz) white lentils.

Method: After the ingredients are boiled for 40 minutes, add rice and cook into porridge. This portion can serve for two meals.

Efficacy: It can strengthen the spleen and remove dampness in the body, remove fat and eliminate spots on your skin. In addition to whitening your skin, it also helps in weight loss.