Mu Dan Pi | Moutan Cortex | Tree Peony Root Bark
Properties: Bitter, Acrid, Slightly Cold
Channels Entered: Heart, Liver, Kidney
Mu Dan Pi, the root bark of the tree peony, is a treasured herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It clears heat, cools the blood, invigorates circulation, and reduces inflammation. Traditionally, it has been prescribed for women’s health, especially menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and irritability, because of its ability to ease internal restlessness and clear heat from the blood.
Mu Dan Pi also shines when it comes to the skin. In TCM, it addresses redness, swelling, and heat-toxin irritation, and it can even be applied topically to drain pus and reduce swelling. That’s why we include it in our Skin Wash: Nourish, where its cooling and soothing properties help restore balance to irritated, depleted skin. Modern research supports these traditional uses, highlighting compounds like paeonol, which exhibits antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing effects.
Active Constituents:
- Paeonol - anti-inflammatory and analgesic, reduces prostaglandins and inflammatory cytokines
- Paeonoside & Paeoniflorin - calm the nervous system and modulate immune responses
Research Highlights:
- Lou et al. (2017) demonstrated that paeonol blocks key inflammatory pathways (PI3K/Akt/NF-κB) and reduces inflammatory markers
- Chun et al. (2006) found that methanol extracts of Mu Dan Pi exhibited significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects
Healthy skin starts with support, not quick fixes. KYA Skin Wash: Nourish helps maintain your skin’s natural balance, leaving it supple and hydrated. While many use it for specific skin conditions, it also works beautifully as a gentle facial wash, perfect for dry months or naturally dry skin.
Ready to give Nourish a try?
Citations:
Bensky, D., Clavey, S., & Stöger, E. (2004). Chinese herbal medicine : materia medica. Eastland Press, Cop.
Chun, S.-C., Jee, S. Y., Lee, S. G., Park, S. J., Lee, J. R., & Kim, S. C. (2006). Anti‐Inflammatory Activity of the Methanol Extract of Moutan Cortex in LPS‐Activated Raw264.7 Cells. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 4(3), 327–333. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nel093
Lou, Y., Wang, C., Tang, Q., Zheng, W., Feng, Z., Yu, X., Guo, X., & Wang, J. (2017). Paeonol Inhibits IL-1β-Induced Inflammation via PI3K/Akt/NF-κB Pathways: In Vivo and Vitro Studies. Inflammation, 40(5), 1698–1706. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-017-0611-8