Old Fashioned Asian Skin Whitening Ingredients

The Beauty Osome

Light skin has been a beauty ideals for Asians for a long time. A woman with lighter skin is a sign that she does not have to do manual labor and work outside. Light symbol has been a symbol of class. Of course, things have changed these days. Tanned skin is not a sign of social status among Western men and women, signifying that they have the time and money to go on exotic vacations or to play sports for leisure. But for many Asian women, having light skin is still something they strive for. Not only light skin, but skin that is smooth and flawless. Many skin lightening products also get rid of spots, evening out the skin tone.

Now, how did Asian women in the old days whiten their skin? They used all sorts of strange products, from  nightingale droppings to poisonous lead.

Korea 

 

 During the Koryo dynasty, upper class children used peach floral water to wash their faces.

Japan

 

 

Women used nightingale droppings (uguisu no fun) that are sterilized by the sun, as a face mask.

Sake was also used, as the kojic acid in it inhibits melanin in skin. Read about sake as a skin lightener in my post.

Women in the Edo and Meiji period would whiten their face (as makeup) with a lead based face paint or powder. In a book from the Edo period for samurai class women, it advices "putting white powder on the face is a law which all women should obey. White powder is not only for make-up, nor only decorating yourself. . . .Since you were born a woman, you should not show your face without white powder even for just one day in your life"[2]. Of course, we now know lead is poisonous.

China

Chinese women wealthy enough to afford to do so, would eat crushed pearls to whiten their skin.

India

Women would bathe in turmeric. Turmeric is said to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, and acts as an anti-inflammatory when ingested or used topically, so it works well for calming skin with acne also. Turmeric powder mixed with water, rose water, or lemon juice (for an extra whitening effect) can be used as a scrub or a mask. It also may tinge your skin a yellowish color, so you also get a healthy glow!

Resources:

[1] "Skin Lightening and Beauty in Four Asian Cultures" by Li, Min, Belk, Kimura, Bahl

[2] "The memory of the women's white faces: Japaneseness and the ideal image of women" by Mikiko Ashikari