In China, the tradition of washing hair with pure plant-based ingredients actually goes back thousands of years.
As early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties, people in China used rice water, plant ash, Gleditsia pods, and soapberries to wash their hair. Among the nobility, in addition to these natural cleansing ingredients, herbal hair-washing formulas were also prepared according to the traditional Chinese medicine principle of “Jun, Chen, Zuo, Shi”—a system of combining herbs according to their different roles in a formula.
The Imperial Grace Formulary of the Tai Ping Era (Yu Yao Yuan Fang), a medical text from the Yuan Dynasty’s imperial court, specifically records a traditional palace hair-washing formula called “Bai Ye San,” or Arborvitae Leaf Powder. It was used to care for the hair of members of the imperial family and nobility.
The formula called for the following four key herbs:
- Oriental Arborvitae Leaf (Ce Bai Ye)
- He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti)
- Chinese Wolfberry Root Bark
- Dahurian Angelica Root
These were first ground into coarse pieces. Each time the hair was washed, about half a liang (roughly a small handful) of the herbal mixture was used, along with about ten slices of fresh ginger. The herbs were then boiled together in a large bowl of water.
Once the decoction was ready, the herbs were strained out, and the warm herbal liquid was used to wash the hair before going to bed.
Traditionally, this herbal wash was used to help “clear heat” from the scalp, dispel wind, and nourish the hair, with the goal of supporting healthier-looking hair.
