Itchy, itchy, itchy! Does the cold weather make your whole body itch as if you've got fleas? It could be due to excessively dry skin and poor keratin metabolism, leading to what's commonly known as "winter itch"! A Chinese medicine practitioner explains that to alleviate skin dryness, itchiness, and flaking, it's not enough to just moisturize the skin's surface; internal hydration is also crucial. Drinking a daily Yin-nourishing and skin-moisturizing tea can help transport moisture from within the body to the skin, reducing the discomfort of dryness, itchiness, and scratching.
Improving Winter Dryness and Itchiness Depends on Body Constitution: Yin Deficiency and Blood Deficiency Are Different
Patients suffering from winter itch generally have a "Yin Deficiency" or "Blood Deficiency" constitution. The shared symptoms are dry, itchy skin and a lack of skin luster. In severe cases, there can be abnormal keratin metabolism and flaking. The difference is that for those with Yin Deficiency, winter itch symptoms worsen over time and are often accompanied by poor sleep quality, a dry mouth and throat, "heatiness," dry eyes, and a sore lower back. Those with Blood Deficiency often present with a sallow complexion, fatigue, and lack of energy. This condition is typically in the early stages of winter itch and is also common in women after their menstrual period.
In Chinese clinical practice, treating winter itch requires conditioning based on the individual's body constitution. For Yin Deficiency, the focus is on nourishing Yin and moistening the lungs, often using the Shashen Maidong Tang prescription. Depending on the individual's level of skin dryness and itchiness, herbs like Yuzhu, Baihe, and Fangfeng may be added. For those with Blood Deficiency, the emphasis is on nourishing blood and moistening the skin, using the Siwu Tang as a base prescription combined with skin-moisturizing herbs. Depending on the symptoms, Difuzi or Baixianpi can be added to relieve skin heat and swelling; Kushen and Huangbo can be added to improve redness, heat, and skin exudate; and herbs like Baizhi, Jingjie, and Fangfeng can be added to expel "wind."
Hydrate from Within to Prevent Winter Dryness: Drink This Tea
To improve winter itch symptoms or prevent them from occurring, in addition to having a Chinese medicine practitioner prescribe personalized medication, Dong Yirong, a Chinese medicine practitioner, suggests that the general public can also use Yin-nourishing Chinese herbs such as Baihe, Yuzhu, and Shashen to make a tea or soup. Drinking it daily can nourish the skin and prevent discomforts like dryness and itchiness.
Yin-Nourishing and Skin-Care Tea
Ingredients: 3 qian of Baihe (Lily Bulb), 3 qian of Yuzhu (Solomon's Seal Rhizome), 5 qian of Shashen (Glehnia Root), 500-600 c.c. of water.
Instructions: Rinse the ingredients, place them in a pot with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Drink once a day.
Description: This soup has a Yin-nourishing and skin-moisturizing effect and is suitable for the general public. However, because Yuzhu and Shashen are taken from the roots of plants, they need to be simmered for a long time for their medicinal properties to be released and to exert their proper health benefits.
Notes: In addition to easily dry and itchy skin, if you often have indigestion, you can add 2 qian of Chenpi (Dried Tangerine Peel) to the above maintenance tea recipe. If you have some symptoms of Blood Deficiency, such as listlessness and a poor complexion, you can add 1 qian of Danggui (Angelica Sinensis), 3 qian of Huangqi (Astragalus Root), and 3 qian of Hongzao (Red Dates) to the above ingredients to increase Qi-tonifying and blood-nourishing effects.