As a practitioner that have treated considerable number of patients with skin issues especially eczema over 10+ years, I have found this herbal medicine formula strategy to be very effective in reducing and managing eczema.
The formula that I would like to discuss today is Dao Chi San. The English name for the formula is called ‘Guide Out the Red Powder”. It is a classic formula created by Qian Yi in the 1119CE. As the name suggests, the formula with four herbs are used to clear Heat by guiding the Heat out of the body via urination. The formula contains Sheng Di Huang, Mu Tong, Dan Zhu Ye and Gan Cao.
In Chinese medicine, eczema is a form a Heat. Heat can either come from Excess or Deficiency. From my clinical experience, the majority of eczema patients that I treat often falls into the Deficiency Heat. Over time if the eczema is not managed, it consumes Yin, which leads to body’s ability to manage Heat is compromised. Therefore, causing multiple episodes of flare ups and increasing the usage or strength in topical steroids. In my opinion, topical steroids can be effective in treating very mild eczema. However, it only creates a band-aid solution, not treating the root cause as to why the eczema persist. This is where Chinese medicine is wonderful at doing - treating the root cause.
The formula Dao Chi San forms the very foundation on how I prescribe herbs to manage wet or dry eczema, together with some additions to assist with itching.
Sheng Di Huang - cooling, nourishes Yin, cools Blood and generates Fluids. Sheng Di Huang is one of the most common herb that I always prescribe for eczema. Depending on how severe the eczema is, I usually prescribe quite a high dose of Sheng Di Huang, minimum 12g for mild cases and it can reach up to 30g for chronic cases. Cautions on high doses of Sheng Di Huang with patients that have poor Spleen Qi as it may cause loose stools. Therefore, some addition of herbs to strengthen Spleen Qi may need to be added.
Mu Tong - clears Heat via urination, especially from the Heart and Small Intestines channels. This herbs clear Heat via urination very effectively, and fast too.
Dan Zhu Ye - clear Heat, irritability via urination. Dan Zhu Ye is also one of the herbs that I often deploy to manage eczema. Just think of someone is constantly battling flare ups, incessant itching at night time causing poor sleep, one would be very irritable with lack of energy to deal with life stressors.
Gan Cao - harmonise and relieve toxicity of herbs. Always add Gan Cao in the skin formula to prevent any toxicity.
The foundation of the strategy above is to
Clear Heat via urination
Cool blood
Nourish Yin
The formula forms the basis of how I tackle patients with eczema. With that in mind, there are countless of herbs that can clear Heat via urination, Cools Blood and Nourish Yin. To understand what herbs to use in each category, we must first ask detailed questions to determine the diagnosis, observe the skin, look at the tongue and take the pulse. In eczema cases, it is a must to
Clear Heat because the body is over heating up. Heat must be cleared out of the system.
While clearing Heat out, we must also think about Cooling Blood. Blood is Warm. It keeps us warm, it moves with Qi. However, when the body is over heating up, you need something to help cool it down, to reduce the redness of the skin.
Heat consumes Yin. Yin is cooling. Over time when Yin is depleted, there is nothing in the system to help balance the Heat. Since Heat must be cleared out via urination, Yin and Fluids must always be replenished.
With this strategy in mind, I find that it is most effective in reducing and managing eczema.