Classic formula · Tonify qi
Yu Ping Feng San
玉屏风散 Jade Windscreen Powder
Three herbs that build the body's outer screen. For the person who catches every cold, sweats for no reason, dislikes wind and drafts, and has allergies that flare in spring. It is taken when you are well, to stop the next cold, not during one.
The defensive qi is a screen around the body. When it thins, every wind gets through. Astragalus rebuilds the screen, atractylodes feeds it from inside, and a little siler patrols the edge.
Also sold as: Yu Ping Feng Wan · Jade Screen Teapills · Astragalus and Siler Formula
Who Yu Ping Feng San is for
This formula is chosen for 3 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Frequent colds, one after another
- Sweating for no reason, worse with mild effort
- Dislike of wind and drafts
- Hay fever and allergic rhinitis in a tired person
- Pale face, tiredness
- Chronic hives that flare with wind, when prescribed
- Tongue
- Pale with a thin white coat.
- Pulse
- Floating and weak.
What is in Yu Ping Feng San
Amounts are the classic decoction range in grams. Patent pills use the same herbs in the same proportion, so read the box for these names.
| Herb | Amount | Role | Job in the formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huang Qi Root of Membranous Milkvetch Use caution | 12 g | Chief | Astragalus tonifies the defensive qi and firms the surface. |
| Bai Zhu Rhizome of Largehead Atractylodes | 12 g | Deputy | Atractylodes strengthens the Spleen that feeds the defensive qi. |
| Fang Feng Divaricate Saposhnikovia Root | 6 g | Assistant | Siler, a small dose, expels wind without opening the pores. |
How Yu Ping Feng San works
Astragalus is the screen. Atractylodes keeps it supplied. The small amount of siler is the clever part: it chases out wind that has crept in, while the astragalus keeps the gate closed so more cannot follow. Build the screen while you are well and the next cold bounces off it.
Actions in classic terms
- Tonifies qi and stabilizes the exterior
- Stops sweating and expels wind
Common changes to Yu Ping Feng San
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Hay fever with a runny nose add Xin Yi, Cang Er Zi Magnolia bud and xanthium open the nose.
- Exhaustion with the colds add Dang Shen Or combine with Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang.
Cautions with Yu Ping Feng San
- Not during an active cold. Astragalus holds the surface closed and can trap the illness. Stop at the first sore throat and start again when the cold is gone.
- Not for sweating from heat, with thirst and a red tongue, or night sweats from yin deficiency.
- Pregnancy: use only under a qualified practitioner.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, concentrated tablets, granules, powder.
- Teapills
- 8 pills, three times a day with warm water, the usual label dose
- Course
- Two to three months, often through the cold season or before allergy season.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Yu Ping Feng San
The box reads Yu Ping Feng San or Wan with the characters 玉屏风. Three ingredients: Astragalus, Atractylodes, and Siler (Saposhnikovia).
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Yu Ping Feng San
- Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang 补中益气汤 A deeper Spleen and Lung tonic with lifting herbs, for exhaustion rather than just frequent colds.
- Gui Zhi Tang 桂枝汤 For a cold that is already here with sweating and chills. Treats, where Yu Ping Feng San prevents.
Conditions where Yu Ping Feng San comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and cautions.
Important Note
Formula pages describe classic use so you can read a label, ask a better question, and find the right monographs. They are education, not a prescription. A formula that fits the wrong pattern can make things worse, so match the picture first.