What Sang Xing Tang is for
This light formula is for dry, itchy skin on the face that arrives with dry weather or follows a mild febrile illness, when the Heat is small and the dryness is the main problem.
The skin is dry and itchy rather than inflamed. Patches on the face feel rough and tight, fine scaling appears, and scratching leaves marks but little else: there is no oozing and no deep redness. The itch is worse in dry weather and easier when the air is moist. The surface looks underfed and papery, and the dryness usually follows a spell of dry weather or a mild febrile illness, because the Lungs govern the skin and dryness that settles there reaches the surface first.
The herbs are light, because the problem is light. Sang Ye clears the small amount of Heat and moistens at the same time, which suits a picture where clearing too strongly would dry the skin further. Xing Ren descends the Lung Qi so the fluids move outward and the surface is not left parched. Bei Sha Shen and Li Pi restore the fluids the dryness has used, Dan Dou Chi releases any remaining surface pathogen gently, and Zhi Zi with Zhe Bei Mu work on the upper body so the face is reached.
It is for the early, mild stage, and it is not for Dampness with a greasy surface, where moistening would make the congestion worse, nor for cold patterns, nor for deep Yin deficiency, which needs a heavier tonic and a longer course. The response should come within days, and if the itch persists or the skin thickens, the picture has changed. Dry itchy facial skin that does not settle needs medical assessment, because dryness describes the surface rather than diagnosing what causes it.
Actions
- Clears mild Heat from the Lungs
- Moistens Lung dryness
- Descends the Lung Qi
- Relieves dry itch and dry cough
Properties
- Taste and temperature: Predominantly sweet and bitter with a cool quality. Sweet and cool moisten, bitter clears mild Heat.
- Organs: Lungs, Stomach
- Channels: Lung, Stomach
The pattern behind it
The pattern is dry Heat in the Lungs. The Heat is mild and the dryness is the main feature, so the skin and the respiratory tract both dry out. The formula clears the light Heat and moistens the dryness together, which is why it is used for surface dryness after a mild illness rather than for deep depletion.
Composition
The herbs in Sang Xing Tang, with their role and dose.
| Role | Herb | Dose | Properties | Why it is there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sang Ye | 3 g | Cold, Bitter, sweet | Clears mild Heat from the Lungs and moistens gently. | |
| King | Xing Ren | 4.5 g | Slightly warm, Bitter, sweet | Descends the Lung Qi, relieving the cough. |
| Dan Dou Chi | 3 g | Cool, Sweet, pungent | Releases any remaining surface pathogen gently. | |
| Bei Sha Shen | 6 g | Slightly cold, Sweet | Moistens Lung and Stomach Yin and generates fluids. | |
| Li Pi | 3 g | Cool, Sweet | Moistens and generates fluids, easing the dry throat. | |
| Zhi Zi | 3 g | Cold, Bitter | Clears mild Heat from the upper body. | |
| Zhe Bei Mu | 3 g | Cold, Bitter, sweet | Transforms Phlegm and disperses nodules in the chest. |
Patterns it treats
Dry Heat in the Lungs
Dry, itchy facial skin with fine scaling and a rough, papery surface, worse in dry weather and easier in moist air. There is no oozing and no deep redness, which marks it as dryness with a little Heat rather than an inflamed eruption.
How the formula is built
Two herbs clear and release, three moisten and two descend and transform. The formula is light by design: it is for the early, mild stage of dry Heat rather than for deep deficiency, and its small doses suit that purpose.
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.
Modifications
- If the dryness is marked, more moistening herbs are added.
- If the Heat is marked, more cooling herbs are added.
- If Phlegm appears, Phlegm-transforming herbs are increased.
- If the pattern becomes deep Yin deficiency, a heavier tonic is used.
Timing
Taken warm in two divided doses.
Duration
Three to seven days, reassessed.
Diet while taking it
Moistening food and fluids; avoid dry spicy food.
Safety
Contraindications
Avoid in Dampness with a greasy coat and in Wind-Cold patterns. It is a light short-course formula.
Interactions
No major interaction is recorded in the reference.
Pregnancy
Generally considered mild, but use with professional guidance in pregnancy.
Breastfeeding
Use only under professional guidance.
Children
Used in children with reduced dose for dry cough and dry itchy skin.
Before you use it
Recorded from the classical record and rewritten in this project's own words. Educational only: not a prescription.
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
Wen Bing Tiao Bian (温病条辨, Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases) by Wu Jutong, Qing dynasty, 1798.
Sang Xing Tang is Wu Jutong's formula for the mild dry Heat that follows a fever or comes with dry autumn weather. Its lightness is deliberate: it is designed for the early stage before the dryness becomes a deep deficiency.
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
Can it help itchy skin?
Where the itch is dry and accompanied by a dry throat and recent mild illness or dry weather, yes.
How is it different from Yin Qiao San?
Yin Qiao San is for Wind-Heat with a sore throat and stronger fever. Sang Xing Tang is for dry Heat with dryness dominating.
How long is it used?
Three to seven days, reassessed.
Who should avoid it?
People with Dampness and a greasy coat, or with Wind-Cold patterns.