Time and space shift, and although modern humans have entered the highly advanced 21st century, we still constantly feel the wisdom and blessings of our ancestors. Especially profound is the ancient Chinese concept of Yin-Yang, which permeates all aspects of life, nature, and the universe—ever-changing, yet always rooted in Yin and Yang. For example, the human body: men are Yang, women are Yin; skin: outer epidermis and dermis are Yang, subcutaneous fat is Yin; hormones: male hormones are Yang, female hormones are Yin—everything can be categorized under Yin and Yang.
Ancient people called beauty enhancement “Yi Rong Shu,” where “Yi” consists of “sun” above and “moon” below, implying the change of Yin and Yang. Thus, “Yi Rong” essentially means regulating Yin and Yang to erase aging marks and alter one’s appearance. In this sense, traditional Chinese cosmetic medicine is fundamentally a practice of balancing Yin and Yang. It adjusts Yin and Yang based on different times, natural changes, and bodily rhythms—supplementing Yang with Yin, supplementing Yin with Yang, reducing Yin to boost Yang, reducing Yang to boost Yin—to achieve harmony between the body and nature, thereby preserving youthful appearance and longevity.
According to Yin-Yang principles, women are water, belong to Kun, and are inherently Yin. Their essence lies in blood, so when caring for women’s beauty, one must consider their higher estrogen levels, thicker subcutaneous fat, and thinner epidermis—characteristics of Yin dominance and Yang deficiency. Thus, beauty care should primarily focus on nourishing Yin and enriching blood. However, Yin-Yang theory also emphasizes that nothing is purely Yin or Yang. As the saying goes, Yin and Yang are interdependent, mutually supportive, interactive, and complementary—Yin contains Yang, Yang contains Yin. Therefore, women’s beauty care must also recognize that the female body possesses a “Yin in form, Yang in function, Yin containing Yang” aspect. One must never ignore the interconnection between Yin and Yang but instead adjust them organically and reasonably according to the ebb and flow of Yin and Yang at different stages to maintain relative balance.
During adolescence, due to massive secretion of sex hormones, the body grows rapidly, and Yang energy is particularly abundant. Thus, TCM describes adolescents as having a “pure Yang body.” Even though women are naturally Yin, their male hormone levels can be relatively high. Combined with genetic, nutritional, and psychological stress factors, this period is most prone to imbalance between Yin and Yang.
Some adolescent girls, due to higher male hormone levels or lower female hormone levels, experience hyperactive sebaceous glands and excessive sebum production, triggering acne. This explains why acne is common in adolescence. Thus, adolescent girls with acne, especially those with excessive body hair, often exhibit a constitution of Yin deficiency and Yang excess, with intense internal heat. Treatment should primarily focus on calming Yang and supporting Yin to restore hormonal balance.
For women with high male hormone levels (Yang excess), oral administration of “Er Pi Si Wu Tang” (Lycium bark, White Fungus Skin, Peony Bark, Raw Rehmannia, Red Peony Root, Angelica, Ligusticum, Achyranthes) can clear heat and cool blood. Treatment usually starts 12–15 days after menstruation ends (the Yang phase of the menstrual cycle), twice daily, for 6–9 doses, continuing for three menstrual cycles. If accompanied by excessive body hair (indicating high male hormone levels and excessive Yang), increase the strength of nourishing Yin and calming Yang by taking “Bai Yu Sheng Hua Tang” (Raw Rehmannia, Houttuynia Cordata, Purple Gromwell, Tian Dong, Tian Hua Fen, Dendrobium, Calcined Oyster Shell, Scrophularia, White Flower Snake Tongue Grass, Tangerine Peel, Anemarrhena, Stir-fried Phellodendron) to nourish Yin, clear heat, and reduce fire.
After adolescence, the female body matures gradually. However, during early and middle adulthood, physiological changes caused by sexual activity, marriage, childbirth, and psychological stress from society and family lead to dramatic fluctuations in the nervous and endocrine systems—a “troublesome period” prone to hormonal and endocrine disorders. This manifests as reduced skin hydration, weakened collagen and elastin fibers, and issues like allergies, pigmentation, and wrinkles.
TCM holds that the primary cause of such decline in middle-aged women is the progressive depletion of Yin blood (declining estrogen levels). Therefore, after adolescence, women should not only choose moisturizing, water-based skincare products externally to replenish skin moisture but also address the core issue of Yin blood deficiency internally by strengthening the spleen, nourishing Yin blood, and replenishing body fluids. Only such comprehensive internal and external regulation can preserve and maintain internal Yin fluids (moisture) and delay aging. At this stage, one may use “Jin Shui Liu Jun Jian” (Angelica, Prepared Rehmannia, Poria, Licorice, Pinellia, Tangerine Peel) combined with “Da Bu Yin Wan” (Phellodendron, Anemarrhena, Prepared Rehmannia, Tortoise Shell), adjusted as needed, to treat and supplement Yin blood deficiency in middle-aged women. The optimal timing is from the end of menstruation to ovulation (the Yin phase of the menstrual cycle).
After menopause, with overall decline in bodily functions, hormone and nutrient levels drop sharply. Skin becomes dehydrated, oily, visibly shriveled, dry, aged, and loses transparency. Thus, menopausal skin aging stems from deficiency of essence and blood, imbalance of Chong and Ren vessels, and dual deficiency of Yin and Yang. Therefore, treatment differs from adolescent Yin-calming or middle-aged Yin-nourishing approaches. Menopause requires emphasis on regulating Chong and Ren vessels, replenishing essence and blood, and balancing Yin and Yang. One may use “Er Xian Tang” (Cistanche, Epimedium, Angelica, Morinda, Phellodendron, Anemarrhena) combined with “Da Bu Yin Wan” (Phellodendron, Anemarrhena, Prepared Rehmannia, Tortoise Shell) to nourish the skin and slow aging.
Pregnancy is a unique physiological phase in a woman’s life. Due to fetal growth, the mother’s endocrine system undergoes major changes, affecting her appearance. For instance, melanocytes are stimulated by both estrogen and progesterone, leading to pigmentation. Pregnant women may notice darker pigmentation in areas like the nipples, armpits, abdomen, perineum, anus, and inner thighs. Dark brown or coffee-colored spots may appear on the cheeks, nose, forehead, and around the mouth, sometimes merging into butterfly-like patches. These spots usually fade naturally after childbirth as hormone levels return to normal. In early pregnancy, progesterone increases sebum production, causing some women to experience acne flare-ups or worsening.
The skin changes during pregnancy are mainly due to fetal development. The fetus, formed from parental essence and blood, embodies the vital energy of heaven and earth. More importantly, it is in a rapid growth phase with intense cell division and synthesis. Thus, TCM calls the fetus a “pure Yang body.” Although the mother is Yin, she carries a pure Yang body inside—like holding a “fire within the womb.” This creates a Yin body containing Yang fire. Pigmentation and acne during pregnancy are attributed to this “fire rising upward.” Especially from the fifth month of pregnancy onward, as the fetus grows larger, this internal fire intensifies, making the skin drier and coarser.
Since pregnant women carry “fire” within, traditional Chinese medicine holds the principle: “Pre-natal care should be cooling, not warming; postnatal care should be warming, not cooling.” Skincare during pregnancy should follow this rule—using cooling, nourishing, and harmonizing herbs to clear the fire within the womb and nourish the mother’s Yin. A recommended formula is “Zuo Jin Wan” (Coptis, Evodia) for clearing liver fire and descending heat, combined with “San Xian Tang” (Fresh Reed Rhizome, Fresh Dendrobium, Fresh Rehmannia) and “Sheng Mai San” (Ginseng, Ophiopogon, Schisandra) to generate Yin, produce fluids, and quench thirst—effectively providing sun protection, moisturization, and spot reduction.
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