Minority women's hair in the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan regions is our natural material. To find impeccable and ethical raw materials, we purchase directly without intermediaries.
Whether it's the raw material of hair from the YunGuiChuan regions, the product packaging, or the handling process, our materials all meet rigorous standards.
Location
The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in southwest China is a diverse region covering 500,000 square kilometers. It has the largest ethnic minorities in China and a unique topography, characterized by mountainous terrain and a subtropical monsoon climate. Despite the challenges, it is an ideal habitat for ethnic minorities who have developed resource conservation habits to adapt to the humid environment. The region's lack of flat and fertile land means that the Sweton farming model is prevalent, and forestry is well-developed in the eastern and southeastern mountainous areas. However, the region's high slopes and closed transportation present challenges for residents, so the minorities live from what the land can provide. The mountainous terrain, abundant rainfall, and natural filtration in the region result in the production of high-quality mountain spring water, which is clear, transparent and rich in minerals, making it an important source of both drinking and production water for the local residents.
Life Concept
The ethnic minorities of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau prioritize nature and protecting the environment. They respect and revere nature, practice moderate use, and protect natural resources in sacred mountains and forests. Their production activities follow the laws of nature with techniques such as terraced fields and water management. They use mountain sealing and forestry techniques to protect natural resources. Their houses are built to adapt to the mountain ecological environment without causing damage. They give special attention to protecting the living environment.
Living habits
For the minority people on the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau, the plant raw materials for cooking are basically locally sourced, and the types of meat are relatively small, with pork, beef, fish and other meats being the mainstay. This region has a subtropical monsoon humid climate with heavy rainfall and high humidity, which can cause "wet diseases". To prevent and cure these diseases, the local ethnic minorities have developed unique techniques, including eating spicy and sour foods and drinking wine.
Eating acid can not only help digestion to stop diarrhea, but also can enhance appetite; it can neutralize the excessive alkaline ions in the body to prevent the body from being too acidic or too alkaline, so as to achieve acid-base balance, which is one of the reasons why the ethnic minorities in the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau generally like to eat acid. Hair is composed of many protein cells and cystine, salts, hydrogen, oxygen, is acidic, such as washing with soap containing alkaline, it will neutralize the effect, so that the hair loses elasticity and is prone to become brittle and yellow. The special diet makes their hair tough and coarse.
Traditional Hair Care
Southwest minority women only use original plant ingredients to wash their hair. They use rice water as an "advanced shampoo" to nourish their hair. They also use ingredients like orange peel, tea oil dregs, and herbs to create unique hair care recipes. For example, the Miao people use honey, egg yolk, and rice water, while the Yi people use tea tree oil and aloe vera. Tibetan people use yak butter to protect their hair from the harsh climate, and the Bai people use a mixture of black tea and herbs... Due to the unique geographical location and unique lifestyle, the rice here is raised on the sunny Longji terraces, and the rice it produces is rich in minerals, trace elements and vitamins, and the rice water obtained from this precipitation and fermentation is rich in effective nutrients.
Additionally, ethnic minority women regularly soak their feet and bathe in medicinal soups to promote scalp health and unblock meridians.