Chi Shao | Radix Paeoniae Rubra | Red Peony Root
Properties: sour, bitter, slightly cold
Channels entered: liver, spleen (heart)
Chi Shao invigorates the blood, dispels blood stasis, relieves pain, clears heat and cools the blood. This herb also help reduce swelling from sores and abscesses.
Chi Shao is part of the three peony sisters found in Chinese medicine pharmacopeia. The other ‘sisters’ are Bai Shao, white peony root and Mu Dan Pi, peony root bark. Chi Shao is known to be the most astringent of the three and helps with excessive heat whereas Mu Dan Pi helps with both excessive and deficiency type heat. Both Chi Shao and Mu Dan Pi are found in our Skin Wash Nourish formula.
Chi Shao comes from the red peony root, which helps to denote its affinity with the blood and the channels its works with as previously discussed are directly related with the blood.
The sour and bitter properties are what give Chi Shao its astringent actions. The actions this herb has is both individual and synergetic, as mentioned two of the three peony sisters are in our nourish formula. They work together to help dermatological conditions with a root cause of disharmony with the blood. General disharmonies you may see are deficiency, excess heat in the blood, liver not nourishing the blood, stagnation or stasis of the blood. Blood is an important factor in skin health as it moves vital nutrients through the body and skin. When someone has a dermatological condition such as psoriasis, we can see the lack of vital nutrients present in that area on the body. This means the skin will be dull, dry, scaling, flaking or have plaques. From a Chinese Medicine perspective this indicates a lack of blood and body fluids in that area and the potential for an underlying root cause related to the blood.
Chi Shao excels when it comes to clearing heat in the blood and cooling the blood, while Mu Dan Pi excels at nourishing the blood without damaging the yin or body fluids. This combination helps target what we consider mixed patterns of excess and deficiency especially seen in dermatological conditions such as chronic eczema and psoriasis.
From the chemical compounds Chi Shao has the ability to improve microcirculation and dilate blood vessels. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor pharmacological effects.
References:
PMID: 32754038