What Dang Gui Yin Zi is for
This is the formula for dry, rough, scaly skin that itches worse at night on a pale, depleted person. Blood is what moistens the skin, so when Blood is low the surface dries and the dryness stirs up the Wind that itches; the formula rebuilds the Blood and settles the Wind together.
The skin looks dry, rough and finely scaly, often with a dull or sallow complexion and a surface that feels thin and papery. The itch is persistent and classically worse at night or in bed, when the skin is warm under covers, and scratching leaves it rougher still. Patches settle where the skin is driest, in the flexures, on the breast, around the anus and between the toes, and they come and go with the person's reserves rather than with the weather alone.
Blood moistens the skin, so when Blood is low the surface dries, and dry skin is said to generate Wind, which is what itches. Dang Gui leads, nourishing the Blood while keeping it moving; Sheng Di Huang, Bai Shao, Chuan Xiong and He Shou Wu build it further; Ji Li, Fang Feng and Jing Jie settle the Wind that drives the itch; Huang Qi with Gan Cao support the Qi so the skin can hold its own moisture and resist external Wind. The formula treats the dryness and the itch as one problem.
It is not for every itch. Where the skin is red, hot and weeping, or the tongue is red with a yellow greasy coat, the picture is Damp-Heat and this nourishing formula would make it worse. It is avoided in pregnancy because of the Blood-moving herbs. Improvement is slow, measured over weeks, because Blood is rebuilt slowly and the itch usually settles after the dryness does.
Actions
- Nourishes Blood and moistens Dryness
- Dispels Wind and stops itching
- Tonifies Qi and consolidates the exterior
- Invigorates Blood and disperses stasis
- Supplements the Liver and Kidneys
Properties
- Taste and temperature: Predominantly sweet and acrid, with a mild bitter note. Sweet nourishes Blood and Qi, acrid moves Blood and opens the surface.
- Organs: Heart, Liver, Spleen, Kidneys
- Channels: Heart, Liver, Spleen, Kidney
The pattern behind it
The pattern behind it is Blood deficiency with Wind. Blood is what moistens the skin, so a lack of Blood leaves the skin dry, and dry skin is described as generating Wind, which shows as itch. The deficiency also explains why the skin is pale and thin and why the person tires. Nourishing the Blood removes the source of the dryness while the Wind-dispelling herbs deal with the itch already present.
Composition
The herbs in Dang Gui Yin Zi, with their role and dose.
| Role | Herb | Dose | Properties | Why it is there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | Dang Gui | 9 to 12 g | Warm, Sweet, pungent | Nourishes Blood and keeps it moving, so the skin has substance and the circulation reaches the surface. |
| Sheng Di Huang | 9 to 15 g | Cold, Sweet, bitter | Nourishes Yin and Blood and cools any residual Heat, useful where the dryness has a hot quality. | |
| Bai Shao | 9 to 12 g | Slightly cold, Bitter, sour | Nourishes Liver Blood and softens tension, supporting the nourishment of the skin and sinews. | |
| Chuan Xiong | 6 to 9 g | Warm, Pungent | Moves Qi and Blood so the nourishing herbs reach the surface rather than stagnating. | |
| He Shou Wu | 6 to 12 g | Slightly warm, Bitter, sweet, astringent | Nourishes Blood and Essence; the processed form is used for dry hair and skin. | |
| Ji Li | 9 to 12 g | Slightly warm, Bitter, pungent | Dispels Wind and stops itching, aimed at the surface where the itch arises. | |
| Fang Feng | 6 to 9 g | Slightly warm, Pungent, sweet | The standard Wind herb, used to settle the Wind that dry skin generates. | |
| Jing Jie | 6 to 9 g | Slightly warm, Pungent | Releases the surface and vents Wind, working with Fang Feng and Ji Li. | |
| Envoy | Huang Qi | 6 to 15 g | Slightly warm, Sweet | Tonifies Qi and consolidates the exterior, so the skin holds its moisture and resists Wind. |
| Envoy | Gan Cao | 3 to 6 g | Neutral, Sweet | Harmonises the formula and supports the middle. |
Patterns it treats
Blood Deficiency with External Wind
Dry, rough, scaly skin that itches worse at night on a pale, depleted person. Low Blood dries the surface and the dryness generates the Wind that drives the itch.
How the formula is built
The formula splits into two jobs that support each other. Dang Gui, Sheng Di Huang, Bai Shao, Chuan Xiong and He Shou Wu rebuild the Blood that the skin is short of; Ji Li, Fang Feng and Jing Jie disperse the Wind that dry skin generates; and Huang Qi with Gan Cao give the surface enough Qi to hold its moisture. Nourishing alone would leave the itch for weeks, and Wind-dispelling alone would dry the skin further, which is why they are given together.
Skin conditions it is used for
Where this formula appears in the skin conditions of the library.
Preparation and use
Decocted in water and taken warm, in two divided doses through the day.
Modifications
- If the dryness is severe, moistening herbs are increased.
- If the itch is severe and generalised, the Wind-dispelling group is strengthened.
- If there is underlying Qi deficiency with fatigue, the Qi tonics are increased.
- Where Heat is also present, cooling herbs are added, but only after the Damp-Heat picture has been excluded.
Timing
Taken warm, usually in two divided doses through the day.
Duration
Typically four to eight weeks for chronic skin conditions, reassessed by a practitioner, and longer in stubborn cases with periodic review.
Diet while taking it
Avoid drying and heating food while the skin is dry and itchy: alcohol, fried food and heavy spice. Nourishing food supports the Blood-building side of the treatment.
Safety
Contraindications
Avoid in pregnancy. Avoid where the skin condition comes from excess Damp-Heat with heavy oozing and thick yellow exudate, or where the tongue is red with a greasy yellow coat: the formula is nourishing and warming and would feed that pattern.
Interactions
Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong may add to anticoagulant and antiplatelet medication such as warfarin, heparin, aspirin or clopidogrel, so anyone on these needs medical advice before taking it.
Pregnancy
Contraindicated. Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong both activate Blood and may stimulate uterine activity, and He Shou Wu carries separate concerns in pregnancy.
Breastfeeding
Use only under professional guidance, because the formula is warming and Blood-moving.
Children
Used in children with dose reduction and professional supervision.
Before you use it
Recorded from the classical record and rewritten in this project's own words. Educational only: it is not a prescription, and the formula should be used under professional guidance.
General safety references
General references for herbal hepatotoxicity and herb-drug interactions; they are not specific to this formula.
- Review article: Herbal hepatotoxicity - an update on traditional Chinese medicine preparations. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2014. PMID: 24844799.
- Interactions between herbal medicines and prescribed drugs: an updated systematic review. Drugs, 2009. PMID: 19719333.
- Warfarin and food, herbal or dietary supplement interactions: a systematic review. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2021. PMID: 32478963.
Origin and history
Yan Shi Ji Sheng Fang (严氏济生方, Yan's Formulas to Aid the Living) by Yan Yonghe, Song dynasty, 1253 CE.
Yan Yonghe, a Song dynasty physician, created the formula and published it in the Yan Shi Ji Sheng Fang in 1253. Its classical indication is the one the page still uses: Blood that has become stagnant or deficient, with Wind-Heat held inside, erupting on the skin as itchy sores and rashes. Over the centuries it became a standard formula for chronic dry itch, and the modern pattern language describes that as Blood deficiency with Wind.
Classical record
治心血凝滞，内蕴风热，发见皮肤，遍身疮疥，或肿或痒，或脓水浸淫，或发赤疹㾦㿔。
It treats stagnation of Heart Blood with Wind-Heat held inside, erupting on the skin as sores and scabies over the whole body, with swelling or itching, oozing pus and fluid, or red rashes and papules.
Yan Shi Ji Sheng Fang (严氏济生方, Yan's Formulas to Aid the Living), Yan Yonghe, Song dynasty, 1253 CE.
Evidence note
No controlled trial of this treatment in skin conditions was identified for this entry. What is described here rests on the classical and later materia medica record and on traditional clinical use, not on controlled trial evidence, and it is not a prediction of benefit. Where skin-specific research does exist it is linked above.
Common questions
How do I know this is the right formula for my itch?
The signs are dry, rough or scaly skin, a pale or dull complexion, an itch that is worse at night or in bed, and depletion signs such as tiredness or dizziness. If the skin is red, hot and weeping, it is the wrong formula.
Why does it contain Wind herbs if the problem is Blood deficiency?
Because in this framework dry skin generates Wind, and Wind is what itches. Nourishing the Blood removes the cause, while the Wind herbs handle the itch that is already established.
Can it be taken long term?
It is generally used for weeks rather than days, and reassessed periodically. Because it is warming and Blood-moving, it is not intended for indefinite unsupervised use.
Is it safe with blood thinners?
No, not without medical advice. Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong may add to the effect of warfarin, heparin, aspirin and similar medicines.