Many girls want to have fair and radiant skin, but due to work stress, staying up late, and various other reasons, their complexion becomes yellow and dull. The lack of radiance in the skin is actually closely related to the body’s blood and energy. This time, Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner Ni Wing Mui will analyze the reasons for yellowing skin from a Chinese medicine perspective and recommend a whitening tea that can easily whiten the skin from the inside out while reducing water retention, helping you achieve a radiant and beautiful complexion!
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the qi and blood of the five organs and six viscera flow through the meridians and nourish the face. When there is insufficient qi and blood, the complexion naturally becomes dull and lifeless, giving the appearance of being lackluster and even developing wrinkles. However, when the blood is sufficient, the circulation of blood in the face improves naturally, making it easier to remove melanin and giving the complexion a bright and radiant appearance.
Different skin tones reflect various internal organ problems, and the most common ones among Hong Kong women are yellow or grayish skin. The cause of yellow skin is mostly due to spleen and stomach deficiency, blood deficiency. Because the spleen and stomach are responsible for the yellow color, when the spleen and stomach are not functioning well, the yellow color of the skin becomes more noticeable. This yellow color is not the bright yellow of hepatitis, but rather a dull yellow tone. The person may also experience edema and fatigue easily. The reason is that the spleen and stomach are weak and have difficulty metabolizing body fluids, which leads to yellowing of the face and the presence of eye bags.
The reason for spleen deficiency is related to high stress and irregular eating habits. It is also a common cause among Hong Kong women who love to eat cold and raw foods such as frozen drinks, ice cream, and salads. If it is blood deficiency, the face will appear yellow and the palms will have a wax yellow tone, indicating that it is time to replenish blood!
Further reading:
- Transitioning Season Eczema Diet: Traditional Chinese Medicine Recommends Dampness-Reducing Tea! Turns Out, These Two Types of Food Should Be Avoided for Dampness-Prone Skin
- 2023 Recommended Whitening Essence! Plus Essential Whitening Drinks for Radiant Skin Inside and Out
- “Imitation Offender” 47-year-old Lin Xinru has smooth and firm skin, all thanks to this exercise that sculpts the body and reduces water retention
A gray complexion refers to a face that always appears dull, as if covered with a thick layer of dead skin cells, and with dark circles under the eyes. This is mostly related to kidney deficiency, as traditional Chinese medicine believes that the kidneys are associated with the color black. Individuals with kidney deficiency tend to have a gray or dark complexion and darker eye circles. Kidney deficiency is mainly caused by overwork, such as staying up late, working night shifts, giving birth multiple times, or having a busy work schedule, all of which can damage kidney qi and make the skin appear dull and lackluster.
The principle of whitening in traditional Chinese medicine focuses on regulating the qi and blood, rather than immediately lightening the color of the skin. It aims to create whitened skin from the inside out, allowing the skin to appear its naturally fairest with a radiant complexion. You can refer to the inner side of your elbow or your abdomen. Sometimes, feeling “not white enough” is not about the color of the skin, but rather the lack of a radiant complexion.
For the most common summer problem of spleen deficiency and yellow skin, Dr. Ni recommends the “Three White Skin Drink”. The ingredients include 30 grams of raw and cooked barley, 10 grams of Poria cocos, 5 grams of Angelica dahurica, a suitable amount of rock sugar, and 500 milliliters of water. First, rinse all the medicinal ingredients slightly and put them in a cloth bag. After the water boils, add all the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, then season with a suitable amount of rock sugar. If you prefer it without sugar, you can skip this step.
Barley whitens and reduces swelling, Poria cocos whitens and strengthens the spleen, Angelica dahurica promotes blood circulation and whitening of the face. However, please note that “洋薏米” is not actually barley, so be sure not to buy the wrong thing!
Learn more: Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner Ngai Wing Mui
