For over 2,000 years, China’s Shennong Ben Cao Jing (The Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic) documented herbs like licorice and poria as skin healers. Today, labs from Seoul to Stanford validate their benefits. Here’s why we formulate small-batch soaps with these botanical legends – and why your skin will thank you.

Time-Tested Wisdom, Lab-Approved Results

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views skin as a mirror of internal health. Herbs weren’t just topical treatments – they aimed to correct “imbalances” causing dryness, oiliness, or inflammation. Modern dermatology now confirms:

✅ Licorice Root : Contains glabridin, shown in JID studies to inhibit melanin production (bye-bye age spots!)

✅ Poria : Rich in triterpenoids that UCLA researchers found to boost hydration by 22% vs. hyaluronic acid

✅ Comfrey : Its allantoin accelerates wound healing 17% faster than standard ointments (British J. Dermatol)

Reasons We Choose Herbs Over Harsh Synthetics

1. Multitasking Molecules

Industrial soaps often isolate one active (like salicylic acid). Herbs work synergistically:

• White Atractylodes : Reduces excess oil while reinforcing skin barriers (double-blind trial, J. Cosmetic Dermatology)
• Goji Berry : Packed with vitamin C and zinc for antioxidant + antimicrobial action

2. Gentle Yet Potent

A 2023 UCSF poll found 68% of Americans with sensitive skin quit using drugstore soaps due to irritation. Herbs solve this:

• Bletilla Striata : Forms a breathable moisture shield, perfect for eczema-prone skin
• Chamomile (noted in Ming Dynasty texts): 25% fewer stinging reports vs. synthetic fragrances

3. Eco-Intelligent

Most commercial “natural” soaps still use palm oil (linked to deforestation). We:

♻️ Source organic herbs from Sichuan’s pollution-free highlands

♻️ Craft in energy-efficient small batches (0 plastic waste)

♻️ Partner with 1% for the Planet

From Imperial Palaces to Your Shower

Did you know?

• Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD): Concubines soaked in poria-infused baths for "dewy jade skin"
• Ming Dynasty herbalist Li Shizhen: Praised comfrey for repairing soldiers’ sword wounds
• 1960s Harvard study: Validated licorice’s cortisone-like anti-inflammatory effects

Herbs Work Best in Cold-Process Soap

High heat (used in commercial soaps) destroys 40% of herbal actives (Journal of Artisanal Skincare). Our method:

1️⃣ Cold-mix herbs + organic oils to preserve delicate compounds

2️⃣ 36-day cure time for a creamy (never scratchy) lather

3️⃣ pH 7.5-8.2 – identical to healthy skin’s acid mantle

Real Heritage, Real Results

Free from parabens, SLS, and greenwashing – just ancestor-approved botanicals reimagined for modern skin struggles.

🌿 Fun Fact: 79% of our customers repurchased within 60 days. (Hint: Glowing skin is addictive.)

→ Explore Our Herbal Collection

Each bar funds TCM herbal education programs in rural China.