Yirong Gao: The Scar-Removing, Beauty-Enhancing Ointment from the Song Dynasty's Taiping Shenghui Fang

In Jin Yong's wuxia novels there are often masters of disguise who can use simple ointments and flour to change their appearance into another person—for example, Ah Zhu in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is such a clever, whimsical character. Did such things as a "disguise ointment" exist in ancient times? They did. The Song-dynasty text Taiping Shenghui Fang (Imperial Grace Formulary) records a formula called "Yirong Gao" ("Appearance-Transforming Ointment").

The composition is: sesame oil 250 g, frankincense (Ruxiang) 30 g (finely ground), pine node (Songjie) 30 g (filed), rosin 60 g, yellow wax 60 g, Bletilla rhizome (Baiji) 30 g (filed), Cimicifuga (Shengma) 30 g, and Ampelopsis root (Bailian) 15 g. Grind the Shengma and Bailian into a fine powder. First decoct the pine node and Bletilla in the oil until yellowish-red, then strain out the dregs. Add the rosin and yellow wax and decoct again until both melt; then add the powders of frankincense, Shengma, and Bailian, simmer into an ointment, and pour into a porcelain bottle, sealed for later use. When using, apply it to the face just as we now apply cosmetics or a facial mask.

However, this Yirong Gao was not used for disguise; rather, the ancients used it to treat facial scars and pigmentation. Of course, it can also be used for scars and pigmentation on other parts of the body. Judging from the properties of the herbs used, Yirong Gao has some effect, though it is not especially miraculous; for long-standing scars and pigmentation, the result may be less than ideal.