The Empress Dowager Cixi was also a beauty enthusiast. It is said she had poor skin prone to acne and frequently suffered from facial tics. Yet her public image remained impeccable. Even past sixty, she retained her charm and radiant spirit, described as having "skin like jade and hair as black as silk."
Daling, a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager, recorded in her work Imperial Fragrances: A Record of the Imperial Court that even in her old age, the Empress Dowager's skin remained as white, tender, and smooth as a young girl's, delicate and radiant.In 1904, American artist Carl, commissioned to paint the Empress Dowager's portrait, noted in her memoir that despite approaching seventy, Cixi "appeared no older than forty at most." She possessed "a lovely and charming disposition that instantly inspired joy in those who met her."
So what extraordinary beauty secrets did Empress Dowager Cixi possess to maintain her youthful, porcelain-like complexion? How did she retain her charm even in her seventies?
According to Yuan Hongqi, Deputy Director of the Palace Museum's Department of Imperial Court, "When discussing Empress Dowager Cixi's elixir of eternal youth, one must mention ginseng and pearls—both were regularly consumed as medicinal tonics."Beyond these, another remarkable beauty secret worth mentioning is the cosmetic powder she used throughout her life: 'Jade Complexion Powder'."
"Jade Complexion Powder" was specially formulated for Empress Dowager Cixi in the sixth year of the Guangxu reign (1880) by imperial physicians Li Deli and Zhuang Shouhe. They drew inspiration from the "Eight Whites Powder" formula used by women in the Jin Dynasty court for facial cleansing.According to the Ming Dynasty medical text Essential Compendium, the Eight-White Powder primarily contained white clove, white cocklebur, white stiff silkworm, white begonia root, white puffball fungus, white angelica root, white aconite, and white poria. As the first character of each ingredient was "white," it was named the Eight-White Powder.
However, the "Jade Complexion Powder" used by Empress Dowager Cixi did not incorporate all eight herbs. It selected only six from the Eight-White Powder: white angelica root, white ipomea, white clove, white silkworm pupae, white asarum, and white aconite. These were combined with white lotus pistils,Eagle's-bill white, Pigeon's-bill white, Fangfeng, Gansong, Sanai, White Lian, Sandalwood, and other eight herbs. These were ground into a fine powder, mixed with water into a thick paste, and applied to the cheeks for rubbing. Afterward, it was washed off with hot water. This was done two to three times daily.
Those with basic knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine recognize that the Jade Complexion Powder formula primarily employs classical herbal ingredients. Among these, white licorice root and angelica dahurica are essential for beauty. The Divine Farmer's Classic of Materia Medica records: "They moisturize and enhance complexion, suitable for facial ointments."White牵牛, Sweet Flag, Sandalwood, and Galangal specifically treat ailments caused by stagnant qi and blood; White Aconite and White Stiff Silkworm possess wind-dispelling properties, capable of expelling invading pathogenic wind and eliminating all facial ailments. White Clove, Eagle Dung, and Pigeon Dung refer respectively to sparrow droppings and the feces of male eagles and pigeons.
In other words, Empress Dowager Cixi's cosmetics contained bird droppings! She even issued an imperial decree designating "Jade Complexion Powder" as her lifelong cosmetic. These animal excrements were reputed to possess miraculous effects: dissolving impurities, fading dark spots, preventing wrinkles, and erasing blemishes.
Beauty treatments using animal droppings? It sounds jaw-dropping, even somewhat hard to accept. Yet today, a bird-dropping beauty method is trending. This treatment uses nightingale droppings, sterilized and processed into facial masks. Moreover, this bird-dropping mask has gained quite a following among the global elite, with David and Victoria Beckham being two of its devotees.
Editor's Note: Since ancient times, women's facial cleansing and beauty recipes have included bird droppings as ingredients. These substances cleanse and moisturize the skin while preventing acne, freckles, pigmentation, and itching. However, due to safety concerns and usage risks, such avian excrement is rarely used in modern clinical medicine.Yet ancient Chinese texts hold a wealth of untapped beauty wisdom, such as "Jade Maiden Powder" and "Deer Antler Ointment." Their cosmetic efficacy may rival that of bird-dropping remedies without the latter's repulsive nature.