Bai Zhi has a pungent taste, warm nature, and belongs to the lung, stomach, and large intestine meridians. It has the functions of dispersing cold, dispelling wind, alleviating pain, opening nasal passages, drying dampness, stopping vaginal discharge, and promoting beauty and skin care. The specific analysis is as follows:
1. Dispersing cold and releasing the exterior: Bai Zhi, as a pungent and warm Chinese medicinal herb, not only dispels superficial pathogens but also enters the lung meridian, thus having the effect of dispersing cold and releasing the exterior. It can be used to treat wind-cold type of colds, relieving symptoms such as headache and aversion to cold caused by the condition. Both common cold and epidemic influenza caused by wind-cold patterns can be treated with this herb.
2. Dispelling wind and alleviating pain: Bai Zhi also has the function of dispelling wind and alleviating pain, mainly used for treating headaches, toothaches, and various types of wind-damp rheumatic pains. Its efficacy is particularly significant for conditions related to the Yangming meridian. Since the forehead, temples, upper and lower jaws are all areas where the Yangming meridian runs, Bai Zhi can effectively treat pain in these areas. For wind-cold type of temple pain, Bai Zhi can be used alone, while for wind-heat type, it should be combined with Huang Qin.
3. Opening nasal passages: With its pungent taste, Bai Zhi has a good dispersing effect, which can open up the nasal passages and improve discomfort caused by excessive nasal secretions.
4. Drying dampness and stopping vaginal discharge: Bai Zhi can warm and dry cold-dampness, thus treating cold-damp vaginal discharge in women. For damp-heat type of vaginal discharge, it should be combined with heat-clearing and damp-drying herbs such as Huang Bai and Tu Jin Pi to achieve the purpose of stopping vaginal discharge.
5. Beauty and skin care: Bai Zhi can improve local blood circulation, prevent excessive accumulation of pigments in tissues, and accelerate skin cell metabolism, thus achieving the goal of beauty and skin care. Using Bai Zhi powder as a facial mask can delay skin aging and make the skin appear whiter and more tender.
It is recommended to use this herb under the guidance of a herbal practitioner and not to self-medicate."