This plant has documentation of being used for over 1000 years as a ‘royal tonic’* and is known by many names, including Fleece Flower, Climbing Knotweed, and most commonly as He Shou Wu.

The name He Shou Wu translates to ‘Mr. He’s Black Hair tonic’, or ‘King He’s White Hair Turned Black’. Chinese Legends describe a sickly, middle aged, infertile man named He, who discovered this herb and reversed the aging process *. He fathered many children into old age, and turned his gray hair back to jet black * ! While there are no studies about this cosmetic ability, the plant does have a wide range of bioactive compounds, including chrysophanic acids such as anthrone and chrysophanol, anthraquinones and stilbene glucosides. According to a 2015 review published in the journal Pharmacognosy Research, “Polygonum multiflorum (PM), officially listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, is one of the most popular perennial Chinese traditional plants * .