Xin Yi San辛夷散
Magnolia Flower Powder
Ingredients10 herbs
Indications
Wind-cold — often with some lingering damp-heat — obstructing the nasal passages in someone whose Lung qi is already weak, so that clear yang cannot reach the orifices of the face.
Clinical Manifestations
- Blocked nose with unrelenting discharge
- Chronic rhinitis and sinusitis
- Reduced or absent sense of smell
- Frontal or brow-ridge headache with nasal congestion
- Post-nasal drip in a wind-cold pattern
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Discharge thick and yellow, damp-heat evident — add Huang Qin 黄芩 and lighten the warmest of the wind herbs
- Nasal blockage stubborn — add Cang Er Zi 苍耳子, pairing it with Xin Yi as in Cang Er Zi San
- Weak Lung qi, catches every passing cold — add Huang Qi 黄芪 so the surface is secured rather than only opened
- Headache severe — increase Chuan Xiong 川芎 and Bai Zhi 白芷
Contraindications
Not for a dry, atrophic nose, and not for nosebleed arising from yin deficiency or heat — the formula is acrid and drying. The Mu Tong must be Akebiae Caulis: the Aristolochia-derived that was once sold under the same name is nephrotoxic and is no longer permitted, so the botanical source of this ingredient matters. Xi Xin is used in small amounts only, in decoction or in a properly manufactured product.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Avoid in pregnancy unless a practitioner directs otherwise. Mu Tong is a downward-draining herb traditionally withheld in pregnancy, Chuan Xiong moves blood, and Xi Xin is used only with caution — gentler options exist for a blocked nose.
References
Source Ji Sheng Fang 《济生方》 · Southern Song
「治肺虚，风寒湿热之气，加之鼻内壅塞，涕出不已，或气息不通，或不闻香臭。」
- Classical source (public domain), cited in the source-quote section.
2. Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. — composition 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.