If in Europe paleness was perceived as a sign of poor health, then in China white skin has long been considered a privilege of the rich and high-ranking persons.
The desire of girls to achieve ideal whiteness at any cost led to the emergence of the cult of meibai, the motto of which can be translated as: “one whiteness covers three ugliness”.
The main enemy of white skin is the sun. To protect against it, Chinese girls traditionally use umbrellas, gloves, wide hats, and in clear weather they try to stay in the shade.
Diet has a great influence on skin color. In China, light-colored products are considered favorable for white skin: milk, white fish, egg noodles, poultry and pork, but beef, chocolate, coffee and other dark products should be excluded from the menu.
For a cosmetic effect, Chinese women resort to masks, compresses and decoctions of rice, medicinal Chinese plants and even pearl powder.
With the development of cosmetology, first on the Asian and then on the world market, special Maybai products appeared, which are in great demand, but many Chinese women are convinced that if they refuse traditional methods, the effect of their use will be short-term.