Timeless Herbs for Timeless Beauty: Classical and Secret Chinese Herbal Recipes for Hair Care and Hair Loss Treatment (Journal of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture)

The herbal recipes introduced in here are classical and secret recipes from imperial palaces in ancient China. It was recorded that because of using some of the recipes, Empress Dowager Cixi in the Qing Dynasty still had thick and beautiful hair when she was more than 70 years old. These natural herbal recipes can help clean and nourish the hair and scalp to make the hair texture smoother and softer, enhance natural hair color, stop itching, and prevent dandruff and scalp diseases. Some can prevent and heal hair loss, treat baldness, and boost hair growth. Some recipes can be used to heal carbuncles on the head. These recipes are selected and translated from ancient classical Chinese medicine books including Imperial Herbal Formulas (Yu Yao Yuan Fang), Taiping Benevolent Prescriptions (Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang), and Prescriptions for Caring All People (Pu Ji Fang). These recipes have been proven useful for hundreds of years by billions of people. Historical backgrounds of the recipes are introduced. Explanations in terms of Chinese medicine theories are provided for each recipe. Scientific studies of the herbal ingredients in each recipe are reviewed.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Emperor Guangxu’s Shampoo Recipe
3. Imperial Recipe from the Yuan Dynasty
4. Hair Sheen
5. Traditional Hair Growth Recipe
6. Empress Dowager Cixi’s Shampoo Recipe
7. Fragrant Hair Care Oil
8. Scalp Nourishing Shampoo
9. Dr. Ge’s Hair Growth Recipe
10. Hair Powder
11. Magic Hair Care Recipe
12. Imperial Hair Rinse for Enhancing Natural Color
13. Herbal Hair Oil
14. Dr. Sun’s Anti-Dandruff Herbal Shampoo
15. Imperial Recipe for Preventing Hair Loss
16. Imperial Hair Restoration Recipe

Excerpts:

“This herbal recipe was used by Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. Before using this recipe, the emperor was suffering from headache, dizziness, and severe hair loss. His problem was most likely caused by the severe stress he was enduring during his time, as he was often abused by the powerful Empress Dowager Cixi. So this recipe can be especially helpful for those with hair loss caused by stress. The imperial physicians prescribed this recipe to help the emperor deal with the health problems. After using this recipe to wash hair frequently for some time, the emperor’s headache and dizziness were significantly reduced. He no longer lost hair, and his hair became full and nourished….”

“This recipe can clean and nourish the hair and scalp to make the hair texture smoother and softer. An additional benefit of this recipe is that it can help brighten the eyes….”

“Dr. Guozhen Xu was an imperial physician who served emperors and empresses in the Yuan Dynasty. Imperial Herbal Formulas collected secret recipes used by imperial families. This recipe has two effects, one is to nourish the dry hair, the other is to help with hair growth….”

“…was often used by ancient Chinese for warm baths on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Day to ‘make one has healthy hair until very old’…”

“An ancient Chinese medicine book, Illustrated Materia Medica Classic praised it as an ‘herb for immortal.’ It is a well-known herb for brightening eyes and helping hair growth. It was recorded that Empress Dowager Cixi loved using this recipe….”

“The whole recipe can help make hair clean and soft, remove dandruff, and enhance natural hair color. These multiple functions make it a ‘magic recipe’ for hair care….”

“This is a hair care recipe commonly used by women before the Ming Dynasty. It was recorded in the chapter ‘Women’s Makeup’ in the book edited by the government of the Ming Dynasty, Yongle Encyclopedia….”

“This recipe can help stop itching, remove dandruff, boost hair growth, and make hair clean, soft, and shiny. The original book, Yongle Encyclopedia said that this recipe can ‘make hair manageable immediately.’…”