Damp days
The defining use: muggy weather leaving the head heavy and the middle out of sorts.
Traditional Chinese herbal formula
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San
藿香正气散 · Patchouli · also known as Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Wan
Yes, that patchouli. Long before it was a festival perfume, patchouli leaf was a Chinese herb for Damp, and Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San is its most famous formula. Herbalists have used it for nine hundred years for that heavy, muzzy, off-colour feeling when muggy weather meets an unsettled tummy.
Twelve herbs led by patchouli, with perilla leaf, magnolia bark, tangerine peel and more. Made into 5:1 tablets. Six a day, and a bottle lasts ten days. Explore the formula
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- 5:1 strength
- DaoDi herbs
- Vegan & gluten-free
- GMP certified
- Free UK delivery £40+
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A short history of Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San was published around 1110 in the He Ji Ju Fang, the Song government's official book of recipes. State pharmacies made it to a fixed standard. Standardised medicine, nine hundred years early, and with a lot more patchouli.
'Zheng qi' means 'upright' or 'correct' Qi. The idea was to set the body's Qi straight when muggy, unseasonable weather had thrown the stomach off balance. Southern China, hot and humid much of the year, has relied on it ever since.
These days it's everywhere in China, especially in summer, sold as pills, tablets and a famously pungent liquid that people either love or really, really don't. Ours are the tablets. Much easier to live with.
In Chinese medicine
How herbalists understand it
Chinese medicine counts Damp as one of the outside influences that can upset the body, along with Wind, Cold and Heat. Damp is heavy and sticky. It's the muggy weather of a British August, basically, but more so.
When Damp gets into the middle, the Spleen and Stomach are said to struggle. Herbalists describe a heavy head, a fuzzy feeling, no appetite and a tummy that's thoroughly out of sorts. Add a bit of a chill on the outside, from a fan or a cold drink on a hot day, and you've got the classic Huo Xiang picture.
Patchouli is the hero. It's aromatic, and in Chinese herbalism aromatic herbs 'transform' Damp. Perilla leaf and dahurian angelica deal with the chill on the surface. Pinellia, tangerine peel and magnolia bark settle the Stomach and get Qi moving downwards, while white atractylodes and poria help the Spleen dry things out.
The Five Elements
An Earth element formula
The Spleen and Stomach belong to Earth, and Earth's great enemy is Damp. A formula built to clear Damp from the middle is Earth through and through.
Late summer
Season
Earth's season, the humid, heavy end of summer. Exactly when this formula comes into its own.
Spleen
Organ
Said to hate Damp and love dryness. Patchouli takes its side.
Yellow
Colour
Earth's colour. Ripe grain, warm soil.
Sweet
Taste
Earth's taste. Jujube and liquorice add a little sweetness to an otherwise very aromatic mix.
Worry
Emotion
Herbalists say overthinking weighs on the Spleen, just like Damp does.
Traditional use
How it has traditionally been used
Here's where Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San turns up in tradition. It's a record of how herbalists have used it, not a medical claim.
Summer tummies
A traditional pick when hot weather, cold drinks and rich food don't mix.
On the road
Chinese travellers have long packed it for unfamiliar food and changes of climate.
A chill with Damp
Chosen when a bit of surface chill comes along with heaviness inside.
This section describes traditional use in Chinese herbal practice. Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San is a food supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Inside the formula · Ingredients
Twelve herbs, one fragrant leaf
A big formula, but a well-organised one. One herb leads and the rest each handle a piece of the picture. Amounts are per daily serving of 6 tablets.
Chief
Patchouli (Guang Huo Xiang)
Pogostemon cablin505mg
Pogostemon cablin505mg
Patchouli is aromatic and warm. It's said to clear Damp from the middle and ease the surface at the same time. Herb Glossary
Ministers
Perilla Leaf (Zi Su Ye)
Perilla frutescens168mg
Perilla frutescens168mg
Dahurian Angelica Root (Bai Zhi)
Angelica dahurica168mg
Angelica dahurica168mg
Pinellia Rhizome (ginger-prepared) (Jiang Ban Xia)
Pinellia ternata337mg
Pinellia ternata337mg
Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi)
Citrus reticulata337mg
Citrus reticulata337mg
Perilla leaf and dahurian angelica help the chief at the surface. Pinellia and tangerine peel dry Damp and bring Stomach Qi back down. Herb Glossary
Assistants
White Atractylodes (Bai Zhu)
Atractylodes macrocephala370mg
Atractylodes macrocephala370mg
Poria (Fu Ling)
Wolfiporia hoelen202mg
Wolfiporia hoelen202mg
Magnolia Bark (Hou Po)
Magnolia officinalis337mg
Magnolia officinalis337mg
Platycodon Root (Jie Geng)
Platycodon grandiflorus337mg
Platycodon grandiflorus337mg
White atractylodes and poria strengthen the Spleen. Magnolia bark moves Qi through the middle, and platycodon opens up the chest. Herb Glossary
Envoys
Liquorice Root (Gan Cao)
Glycyrrhiza glabra403mg
Glycyrrhiza glabra403mg
Fresh Ginger (Sheng Jiang)
Zingiber officinale101mg
Zingiber officinale101mg
Jujube Date (Da Zao)
Ziziphus jujuba101mg
Ziziphus jujuba101mg
Liquorice, ginger and jujube settle the Stomach and harmonise the formula. Herb Glossary
Inactive ingredients: Cassava starch, Hypromellose, Magnesium stearate, Polyethylene glycol, Talc.
These are used in very small amounts to form and coat the tablets. They don't add to the formula itself.
How to take
A simple daily ritual
3In the morning
Tablets with water.
3In the evening
Tablets with water.
WeeksSteady use
Most people take a formula for several weeks.
Always follow the label. If you take any medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, please speak to your GP or pharmacist before use.
Choosing between them
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San or Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang?
| Compare | Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San | Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang |
|---|---|---|
| First recorded | Song dynasty, around 1110 | Qing dynasty, 1600s |
| The idea | Clear Damp and set the Qi straight | Build up the Spleen and move Qi |
| Herbs | 12, led by patchouli | 9, led by white atractylodes and poria |
| Character | Aromatic and dispersing | Gentle and strengthening |
| Often chosen when | Damp or the weather has knocked the tummy off course | The middle has been weak and slow for a while |
Is it the same patchouli as the perfume?
The same plant, Pogostemon cablin. In Chinese herbalism it's the leaf that's used, and it's prized for being aromatic. Don't worry, the tablets won't make you smell like 1972.
What is Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San traditionally used for?
For Damp affecting the Spleen and Stomach, often with a little surface chill. In everyday terms, that heavy, muzzy, off-colour feeling in muggy weather. It's a food supplement, though, not a medicine.
Is it the same as Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Wan or the liquid?
Same formula family. 'San' is powder, 'wan' is pills, and the liquid (shui) is another modern form. Ours are 5:1 tablets.
How many do I take?
Three in the morning, three in the evening. A bottle lasts ten days.
Are there any cautions?
Please speak to your GP first if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication. There's a fair amount of liquorice, which can raise blood pressure, so take care if yours runs high or you take blood pressure tablets, diuretics or heart medicine. And if a tummy upset is severe or doesn't settle, see your doctor.
Is it one for travelling?
A lot of our customers keep a bottle in the suitcase, as Chinese families have done for generations. It's traditionally used short-term, when the need arises, rather than every day for months.
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Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Keep out of reach of children.