Release exterior
Bo He
薄荷
Field mint
Mentha haplocalyx
Cool and aromatic. A light herb for wind-heat and a tight head.
Not for self-dosing. This page is not a formula, not a strength, and not a substitute for a licensed herbalist or physician.
Category
Cool · Acrid
Meridians entered
Traditional uses
Used when a fresh pattern looks like wind-heat: sore throat, headache, and red eyes in textbook language. Also said to gently move liver qi because it is aromatic. The cooking note in schools is “add near the end,” which tells you the aroma is the point.
Common pairings
- Ju Hua 菊花
Both rise to the head and eyes. A gentle classroom pair for wind-heat in the face.
- Chai Hu 柴胡
Mint’s lightness is sometimes added when liver qi feels stuck and the head is tight.
Cautions
Not for self-dosing. Large amounts are traditionally avoided in nursing and in qi deficiency with lots of sweating. Peppermint tea is a different, milder plant use and still not a treatment.
Points with a similar aim
Cubit Marsh
Elbow crease point for lung-heat patterns and local elbow tension.
Broken Sequence
Wrist point for the nape, a fresh cold, and the Ren vessel.
Use caution
Fish Border
Thenar point taught for throat heat and local thumb tension.
Lesser Shang
Thumb-tip well point. Learn it; do not bleed it at home.
Use caution
Welcome Fragrance
Beside the nostril, the point people find for a stuffy nose.
Use caution
Four Whites
Cheek point under the pupil. Keep it gentle.
Use caution
Lesser Marsh
Little-finger well point, start of the Small Intestine channel.
Use caution
Gathered Bamboo
Inner eyebrow notch. Light touch only.
Use caution