Xiao Feng San
Star消风散 (Eliminate Wind Powder)
Source: Wai Ke Zhong Zong (1617)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Xiao Feng San (Eliminate Wind Powder), from the Wai Ke Zhong Zong, is used to expel wind; nourish blood; clear heat; eliminate dampness.
Presentation: itchy red skin rashes that weep after scratching due to wind, damp and heat; tongue: white or yellow coating; pulse: superficial and rapid.
Syndrome: Syndromes caused by external wind, damp, cold or heat.
Composition strategy:
- covers the main aspects of skin treatment (wind, damp, heat, blood cooling, Yin nourishing), a base formula for common skin disorders
- not very strong since it treats many aspects; often modified to sharpen one or two actions
Cautions:
- Mu Tong here is Akebia (Caulis Akebiae, 木通), as Xi & Gong 2017 specify. Do not substitute Guan Mu Tong (Aristolochia manshuriensis), which contains nephrotoxic aristolochic acids and is banned in many countries.
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 344.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fang Feng
as printed: Radix Saposhnikoviae (fang feng) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Jun (Chief) | — |
|
Chan Tui
as printed: Periostracum Cicadae (chan tui) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Jun (Chief) | — |
|
Jing Jie
as printed: Herba Schizonepetae (jing jie) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Jun (Chief) | — |
|
Niu Bang Zi
as printed: Fructus Arctii (niu bang zi) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Jun (Chief) | — |
|
Zhi Mu
as printed: Rhizoma Anemarrhenae (zhi mu) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Chen (Deputy) | — |
|
Ku Shen
as printed: Radix Sophorae Flavescentis (ku shen) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Chen (Deputy) | — |
|
Cang Zhu
as printed: Rhizoma Atractylodis (cang zhu) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Chen (Deputy) | — |
|
Shi Gao
as printed: Gypsum Fibrosum (shi gao) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Chen (Deputy) | — |
|
Mu Tong
as printed: Caulis Akebiae (mu tong) 1.5 g
|
1.5g | 4.17% | Chen (Deputy) | — |
|
Dang Gui
as printed: Radix Angelicae Sinensis (dang gui) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Zuo (Assistant) | — |
|
Sheng Di Huang
as printed: Radix Rehmanniae (sheng di huang) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Zuo (Assistant) | — |
|
Hei Zhi Ma
as printed: Semen Sesami Nigrum (hei zhi ma) 3 g
|
3g | 8.33% | Zuo (Assistant) | — |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae (gan cao) 1.5 g
|
1.5g | 4.17% | Shi (Envoy) | — |
Energetics dose-weighted
The formula's overall nature, taste balance and channel reach, weighted by each herb's dose. Classical formulas often pair warm and cool herbs on purpose, so a net figure summarises the mix — it doesn't describe every herb in it.
Nature
Net cool (-0.75)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 54%, neutral 13%, warm 33%.
Pairs warm and cool. 33% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 54% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Small but decisive: Sheng Di Huang 3g (cold, 8% of the grams), Chan Tui 3g (cold, 8% of the grams), Zhi Mu 3g (cold, 8% of the grams), Ku Shen 3g (cold, 8% of the grams), Niu Bang Zi 3g (cold, 8% of the grams), Shi Gao 3g (cold, 8% of the grams), Mu Tong 1.5g (cold, 4% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 29%
- sweet 38%
- bitter 29%
- salty 4%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Liver 67%
- Lung 46%
- Stomach 46%
- Heart 33%
- Spleen 29%
- Kidney 25%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 100% of the weighed grams.
Dose-weighted from each herb's recorded nature, taste and channels (missing values are left out, never counted as neutral). It describes the composition — it is not a recommendation.
Preparation
Decoction, taken orally on an empty stomach or applied topically after cooling; 2-3 times the listed dosages are generally used today. Avoid wind-stirring foods (alcohol, coffee, spicy food, seafood) and smoking.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 636.
Relationships
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- This formula = Dao Chi San + Chan Tui, Fang Feng, Jing Jie, Niu Bang Zi, Cang Zhu, Ku Shen, Shi Gao, Zhi Mu, Dang Gui and Hei Zhi Ma
Each entry reads as the larger formula written out: “+” adds its other catalogue cores, then the herbs none of them hold. A catalogue formula counts as a core only when at least 80% of its herbs are present, no more than 1 is absent, and the absent herb is not its chief.
Formula Network
Formulas that share herbs with this one — the closer to the centre, the stronger the match. Click a node to explore.
Similar Formulas by composition
Match score combines dosage-weighted composition (cosine, 70%) with shared-herb overlap (Jaccard, 30%).
Traditional formula information is for educational purposes only. Herbal formulas should be prescribed by a qualified practitioner — dosages and combinations are individualized and can interact with medications.
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