The Beauty Hacks Of Ancient China.

Holly Watkins

Nov 18, 20222 min read

Beauty hacks seem like something the modern world came up with but fashion lovers have been beauty hacking for as long as history's been counting. The women of ancient China have been exceptionally creative with their beauty hacks.

The Barrel Look.

In the Tang dynasty, women preferred the plumper look. So to give their bodies a fuller look they would pull the belt of their hanfu above their breasts.

Tree Sap Hair Gel.

Everyone talks about Chinese women's exquisite hairpins but not about how these beauty hackers kept all that hair in place. In ancient China, they used to boil wood until the tree sap comes out, and it is then applied as hair gel.

Wooden Hair Pieces.

You've heard of wooden teeth, but what are the odds you've heard of wooden hair? But, yup, Chinese women used wooden hair pieces to plump up their hair. Cosplayers use similar tools even now.

Jade Rollers.

Yup, that wildly popular tool that everyone is raving about is actually a product of ancient China. Invented in the 17th century (Tang dynasty) and popular among elites in the Qing dynasty.

It was thought that the jade kept the skin healthy however it wasn't the stone but the increase of blood flow from the now-popular massaging tool.

HuaDian.

A HuaDian is a decorative design painted (or temporarily tattooed in the recent return of ancient Chinese clothing) on the forehead between the eyebrows. You will often find them in flowery designs, as that is how this beauty trend began.

Legend says that the HuaDian was invented when a princess named Shouyang took a nap, When she woke she found a plum blossom stuck to her forehead, which left a flowery print on her forehead that didn't seem to want to come off. Jealous of her beauty, the other women of the palace started copying her with a brush and makeup. Another story with a similar outcome is that she was taking a walk when this plum blossom landed on her forehead.

Princess Shouyang was born May 8, 1565, and died October 17, 1590, during the Ming dynasty. It is believed that this makeup trend appeared as soon as the Spring And Autumn Period.