HU ZHANG SHUI - Soothing Gel / Soothing Body Rescue

Also known as: Hu Zhang Shui, Soothing Gel, Soothing Body Rescue, Soothing Eczema Treatment. Dermatology M sells the identical formula in a 100ml bottle under the Soothing Body Rescue name. This is the 200g size.

A cooling water-based gel for hot, dry, intensely itchy skin on the body. Menthol gives it the immediate cold hit, and a stack of four classical anti-itch herbs sits underneath that.

Body only. Not for the face.

What's doing the work

• Hu Zhang (Polygonum cuspidatum, Japanese knotweed root) is the namesake. It clears heat and invigorates blood, and it is the plant resveratrol is commercially extracted from.
• Ku Shen (Sophora angustifolia), She Chuang Zi (Cnidium monnieri) and Di Fu Zi (Kochia scoparia) are the classical topical anti-itch trio in Chinese dermatology, all three in one formula.
• Chuan Jiao (Zanthoxylum bungeanum, Sichuan pepper) adds the faint numbing quality that pepper is known for.
• Tu Fu Ling (Smilax glabra) and Da Zao (Zizyphus jujuba) round it out.
• Zinc carbonate and menthol do the drying and the cooling, in the same way calamine does.

How to use

Apply to clean, dry skin on the body 3 to 5 times a day and let it absorb. Once it has absorbed, follow with Zi Cao Shui Gao if the skin needs moisture back.

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Zinc Carbonate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Menthol, Smilax Glabra Root Extract, Cnidium Monnieri Fruit Extract, Kochia Scoparia Fruit Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice Powder, Ferric Oxide, Methylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate.

Ingredient list current as of publication. Check the panel on the item you receive.

Good to know

• 6.76 fl oz / 200 g.
• Body only. Keep it off the face and away from the eyes. Menthol stings.
• Contains methylparaben. If you avoid parabens, this is not the one. Worth saying plainly, because Dermatology M's own marketing copy for this product claims it is free from parabens, and the ingredient list says otherwise.
• Contains propylene glycol, a common contact sensitiser and the American Contact Dermatitis Society's Allergen of the Year for 2018 (Jacob SE et al, Dermatitis 2018;29(1):3-5). Relevant if you have a history of reacting to topicals.
• Not for broken or open skin.
• Ferric oxide is the colourant. It can mark light fabric.
• Patch test before the first full application.
• For external use only. Keep out of reach of children.

Dermatology M, formulated by Dr Mazin Al-Khafaji. Selected and reviewed by Dr. Stacee Munroe, OMD, L.Ac. Cosmetic use only. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.