Damp-Heat

How to use: Soak overnight, then simmer until soft for congee or soup. The cooking water is equally therapeutic — do not discard.

Where to find: Any supermarket, Asian grocery, or health food store. Buy whole, not split.

How to use: Dry-roast in a pan on medium heat until lightly golden before cooking. This removes the cold nature and enhances dampness-draining without harming the Spleen.

Where to find: Asian grocery stores (labeled "Coix seeds" or "Job's tears"). Amazon also carries it.

How to use: Steep in 500ml hot water as a daily tea. Can also be used to wrap and steam rice. Excellent combined with mung bean water.

Where to find: Asian herb stores, online (Amazon, Starwest Botanicals). Use dried — not lotus root.

How to use: Blanch slices in boiling water 2 minutes to reduce bitterness, then stir-fry with a small amount of oil. Or juice raw with cucumber.

Where to find: Asian supermarkets year-round. Select firm, bright green specimens.

Benefit: The primary Damp-draining acupoint in TCM. Clears Damp-Heat from the Spleen, promotes urination, and relieves the heavy, bloated sensation characteristic of this constitution.

Location: On the inner (medial) side of the lower leg. Find the large bony prominence below the knee (medial condyle of tibia). SP-9 is in the natural depression just below and behind that bony angle, at the same level as the top of the shin bone.

Frequency: Once daily, morning

Benefit: Strengthens Spleen to actively transform and transport dampness. Without a strong Spleen, clearing herbs and foods cannot be metabolised — ST-36 ensures your dampness-clearing program actually works.

Location: On the front of the lower leg, four finger-widths below the kneecap, one finger-width lateral (outside) from the shin bone (tibia). Find the bony edge of the shin, then move one finger-width outward into the muscle.

Frequency: Daily, morning

Benefit: Master point for clearing Heat from the Blood and skin. Directly treats the skin manifestations of Damp-Heat: acne, redness, eczema, and any hot, red, itchy skin condition.

Location: At the outer end of the elbow crease when the arm is bent at 90°. Find the crease at the elbow, trace it to the outer (thumb-side) end — LI-11 is in the small depression right there.

Frequency: Daily, especially if skin symptoms are active

Exercise to sweat moderately — sweating is your primary dampness exit

Unlike Qi-Deficiency types who must avoid sweating, Damp-Heat types NEED to sweat to expel dampness and heat. Swimming is ideal — the cool water counteracts the heat generated. Jogging in the early morning is excellent. Avoid exercising in hot, humid conditions (gymnasiums without air conditioning in summer) as this generates more external Damp-Heat. Target: 40 minutes moderate-intensity exercise 5 days per week. You should sweat, but not be completely drenched.

⏰ 6:00–8:00 AM, before the day heats up. Avoid evening exercise after 7 PM — it raises Yang and disrupts Liver-Gallbladder clearance during sleep.

Shower immediately after sweating — never sit in damp clothes

After exercise, sweat carries expelled dampness and heat to the skin surface. If you remain in damp clothing, this expelled dampness re-enters the body through the skin pores. Shower within 15 minutes of stopping exercise, every time, without exception. Use lukewarm water (not hot). Pat dry thoroughly, including between toes and all skin folds.

⏰ Within 15 minutes of any physical exertion that causes sweating.

Maintain strict sleep hygiene — sleep before 11 PM always

The Liver and Gallbladder meridians perform their detoxification function between 11 PM and 3 AM. Damp-Heat types already have an overloaded Liver-Gallbladder system. Staying awake past 11 PM prevents this clearing function and accumulates one more night's worth of uncleared Heat and toxins. Over weeks, this is one of the most common reasons Damp-Heat patients fail to respond to their food therapy protocols.

⏰ Non-negotiable: in bed by 10:30 PM, lights out by 11:00 PM during the entire correction period.

Avoid hot, humid environments — this directly feeds your constitution's pathology

External Damp-Heat invades the body and combines with internal Damp-Heat, dramatically worsening symptoms. In summer: use air conditioning, avoid outdoor activities between 11 AM and 3 PM, never sit in wet swimwear. In daily life: dry bathrooms properly, use dehumidifiers in humid climates, avoid prolonged time in saunas or steam rooms.

⏰ Year-round lifestyle habit. Most critical June–September.

🌱 Spring

Spring Liver Qi rises strongly in March–May, which can fan your existing Liver-Channel Heat. Add more celery, chrysanthemum tea, and bitter greens to your diet. Reduce red meat completely through spring. This is your most difficult season — Liver Yang rising × Damp-Heat internal = peak symptom expression. Stay consistent with your morning exercise routine.

☀️ Summer

Summer Damp-Heat weather is the most challenging season for your constitution. External Damp-Heat compounds internal Damp-Heat. Maximise mung bean soup consumption (daily during July–August). Swim rather than run for exercise. Increase Job's tears barley water intake. Keep bedroom cool with air conditioning. Avoid outdoor midday activities completely.

🍂 Autumn

Autumn is your relief season. As external dampness and heat decrease, symptoms naturally improve. Use this seasonal improvement to solidify dietary habits. Begin incorporating slightly more warming foods in October, but continue avoiding fatty meats and spicy foods. This is the best time to do an intensive 30-day food protocol.

❄️ Winter

Winter cold slows Damp-Heat slightly, but do not become complacent. Continue your clearing foods (mung bean, Job's tears) at reduced frequency. The risk in winter is overheating indoors — Damp-Heat types often feel uncomfortable in over-heated spaces. Keep rooms moderately warm only. Avoid hot pot, alcohol at holiday gatherings, and spicy winter warming foods that others consume freely.

What causes Damp-Heat constitution?

Damp-Heat develops from a combination of Dampness accumulation (poor Spleen function, wet environments) and internal or external Heat (overconsumption of spicy, fried and hot-natured foods, alcohol, emotional heat from chronic stress). It commonly affects the skin, digestive tract and liver-gallbladder system.

What foods should I avoid with Damp-Heat?

Strictly avoid alcohol, fried and oily foods, spicy cuisine, shellfish, and warming-natured meats (lamb, venison). Also limit refined sugar, which generates dampness. Foods to emphasize: mung beans (绿豆), lotus leaf (荷叶), bitter melon (苦瓜), celery, and chrysanthemum tea (菊花茶).

Is Damp-Heat related to acne?

Yes — Damp-Heat is one of the most common TCM patterns behind adult acne. Heat forces fluids upward and outward, while dampness makes the discharge thick, oily and slow to resolve. LI-11 (Quchi) and SP-10 (Xuehai) are the key acupressure points to clear skin heat and dampness. Dietary changes typically reduce acne within 4–8 weeks.

Can Damp-Heat affect mood?

Strongly. Damp-Heat obstructs the Liver's free-flowing nature (疏泄), causing irritability, short fuse, and emotional reactivity. People with Damp-Heat constitution often notice their mood worsens in hot, humid summer weather and improves in cool, dry conditions.