Skip to content
Cura x Cura

Dang Gui Yin Zi当归饮子

Dang Gui Drink (Tang-kuei & Tribulus Combination)

Dispelling Wind 治风剂

Ingredients11 herbs

当Dang Gui当归12 g君 ChiefNourishes and moves the blood that should be moistening the skin生Sheng Di Huang生地黄12 g君 ChiefCools and enriches the blood, moistens dryness白Bai Shao白芍9 g臣 DeputyNourishes blood and softens the Liver川Chuan Xiong川芎6 g臣 DeputyMoves qi within the blood and carries the formula to the surface何He Shou Wu何首乌6 g臣 DeputySupplements essence and blood so the skin is fed from below白Bai Ji Li白蒺藜9 g佐 AssistantCalms the Liver and scatters wind — the main anti-itch herb here荆Jing Jie Sui荆芥穗9 g佐 AssistantDisperses wind at the surface and vents rashes防Fang Feng防风9 g佐 AssistantExpels wind throughout the surface, working with Jing Jie黄Huang Qi黄芪6 g佐 AssistantAugments qi and secures the exterior so wind does not return生Sheng Jiang生姜3 slices (added to the decoction)佐 AssistantHarmonizes the middle and helps the wind herbs reach the surface炙Zhi Gan Cao炙甘草3 g使 EnvoyHarmonizes the formula and moderates the acrid herbs

Indications

Nourishes blood and moistens drynessDispels wind and stops itchingAugments qi and secures the exterior

Blood deficiency with wind-dryness: the blood no longer moistens the skin, so wind is generated internally and the surface itches without an obvious external cause. Nourishing the blood removes what the wind feeds on.

Clinical Manifestations

  • Chronic urticaria, worse at night or in dry weather
  • Dry, scaly, itchy skin in older or depleted patients
  • Eczema without much weeping or heat
  • Itching during convalescence or after childbirth
  • Recurring itchy rashes with a pale complexion
TonguePale with a thin coating
PulseThin, sometimes thin and wiry

Health Categories

Skin HealthAllergy Relief

Modern Applications

Chronic urticariaEczemaSenile pruritusAtopic dermatitisXerosis

Common adjustments

  • Severe itching — add Bai Xian Pi 白鲜皮, Di Fu Zi 地肤子
  • Heat signs — red, hot lesions — add Ku Shen 苦参, Mu Dan Pi 牡丹皮
  • Marked dryness and scaling — increase Sheng Di Huang 生地黄; add Xuan Shen 玄参, Mai Men Dong 麦门冬
  • Poor appetite or loose stools from the rich herbs — add Chen Pi 陈皮, Sha Ren 砂仁

Contraindications

Too rich for acute damp-heat skin disease with weeping, pus or marked redness — those need clearing and draining first — and the cloying herbs can weigh on a weak digestion. He Shou Wu has been associated with idiosyncratic liver injury: it should not be used where liver disease is present, and the formula should be stopped if jaundice, dark urine or unexplained fatigue appear.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.

Pregnancy

Practitioner supervision required — the formula contains blood-moving Chuan Xiong and surface-dispersing herbs, and He Shou Wu is not suitable for unsupervised use in pregnancy.

References

Source Yan Shi Ji Sheng Fang 《严氏济生方》 · Southern Song

「治心血凝滞，内蕴风热，发见皮肤，遍身疮疥，或肿或痒。」
— 《严氏济生方》(classical source, public domain)
  1. Classical source (public domain), cited in the source-quote section.
    2. Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. — composition & dosage cross-checked.
    3. 《方剂学》（全国中医药行业高等教育规划教材）— pattern analysis cross-checked.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.