Herb

Er Cha

Catechu | 儿茶

Also known as:

Hai Er Cha (孩儿茶) , Hei Er Cha (黑儿茶)

Er Cha

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Properties

Substances for external application (外用药) · Cool

Traditionally supports*

Skin and Wound Care Skin Health Oral and Dental Health Bleeding Disorders

Parts Used

Processed / Derived product (加工品 jiā gōng pǐn)

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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About This Herb

Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties

Herb Description

Catechu is a dried extract from the Acacia catechu tree, used primarily for healing stubborn wounds, stopping bleeding, and drying weeping skin conditions. It is applied externally as a powder for sores, ulcers, eczema, and mouth sores, and taken internally in small doses for bleeding or coughs with yellow phlegm. Despite its name, it is not a tea but a concentrated herbal paste with strong astringent and wound-healing properties.

Herb Category

Substances for external application (外用药) Astringent herbs that stop bleeding (收敛止血药)

Main Actions

  • Stops bleeding and promotes tissue regeneration
  • Absorbs Dampness and Heals Sores
  • Invigorates Blood and Alleviates Pain
  • Clears Lung Heat and Transforms Phlegm

How These Actions Work

'Stops bleeding and promotes tissue regeneration' means Er Cha can both halt bleeding and encourage the growth of new tissue over wounds. Its astringent taste gives it a natural ability to constrict and bind, which helps control bleeding from cuts, trauma, or internal hemorrhage. It is used both internally (for vomiting blood, nosebleeds, blood in the stool or urine) and applied directly to wounds as a powder.

'Absorbs dampness and closes sores' refers to its ability to dry out weeping, oozing skin lesions and promote their healing. This is the action Er Cha is most famous for. When sores, ulcers, or eczema patches are slow to heal and continue to seep fluid, Er Cha's astringent and slightly cooling nature helps dry the area, reduce inflammation, and encourage the skin to close over. It is commonly applied as a fine powder mixed with other herbs.

'Invigorates Blood and stops pain' means that despite being astringent, Er Cha also has a bitter taste that can move stagnant Blood and relieve pain from traumatic injuries. This is why it appears in famous trauma formulas. It enters the Heart channel, which governs Blood circulation, allowing it to disperse bruising and blood stasis from falls and blows.

'Clears Heat from the Lungs and resolves Phlegm' refers to its cooling, bitter nature acting on the Lung channel to clear Heat and transform thick, yellow Phlegm. This action is used for coughs with yellow sputum caused by Lung Heat. It can also address mouth sores, sore throat, and other signs of upper body Heat.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Er Cha is traditionally associated with these specific patterns.

The following describes this herb's classification within Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and is provided for educational purposes only.

Why Er Cha addresses this pattern

Er Cha's cool temperature and bitter, astringent tastes directly counter Damp-Heat lodged in the skin. Its bitter taste drains Dampness and clears Heat, while its astringent quality absorbs seepage and tightens tissue. When Damp-Heat causes weeping eczema, persistent sores, or ulcers that ooze fluid and refuse to heal, Er Cha dries the dampness, cools the inflammation, and promotes the growth of new tissue. It enters the Heart and Lung channels, both of which are connected to skin health in TCM (the Lung governs the skin, the Heart governs Blood).

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Eczema

Weeping, oozing lesions

Ulcer

Chronic non-healing sores

Skin Rashes

Red, inflamed, moist skin lesions

TCM Properties

Temperature

Cool

Taste

Bitter (苦 kǔ), Astringent (涩 sè)

Channels Entered
Heart Lungs
Parts Used

Processed / Derived product (加工品 jiā gōng pǐn)

This is partial information on the herb's TCM properties. More detailed information is available on the herb's dedicated page

Product Details

Manufacturing, supplier, and product specifications

Product Type

Granules

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Botanical & Sourcing

Quality Indicators

Good quality Er Cha (the dried extract block) should be black to dark brownish-red on the surface with a smooth appearance and slight glossy sheen. The texture should be hard and brittle, breaking easily to reveal an uneven cross-section with fine pores and a lustrous interior that is brownish-red in colour. It should become sticky when exposed to moisture. The taste should be astringent first, then bitter, with a slight sweet aftertaste. There should be minimal odour. When burned, good quality catechu should foam and produce a fragrant smell. Smaller, more compact blocks with a moist lustre are considered superior. Large blocks that appear dry, scorched, or crumbly are of lower quality. According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia standards, the combined content of catechin and epicatechin should be no less than 21%.

Primary Growing Regions

Native to South and Southeast Asia. The tree grows wild across the Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Pakistan), Myanmar, Thailand, and China's Yunnan province. In China, Yunnan (southern regions) is the primary producing area, with Hainan also having cultivation. Guangxi is another noted Chinese source region. Internationally, India remains the largest producer, particularly in the Himalayan foothills, the Western Ghats, and drier riverbank regions. The dao di (terroir) source in China is Yunnan, where the tree finds suitable tropical to subtropical climate conditions.

Harvesting Season

Winter (December to March). Branches and trunk sections are harvested, bark removed, chopped into large blocks, boiled in water, and the decoction is concentrated and dried into a solid extract.

Supplier Information

Treasure of the East

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Miscellaneous Info

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Usage & Safety

How to use this herb and important safety information

Important Medical Disclaimer

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. This herb is a dietary supplement and has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking other medications. Discontinue use and consult your healthcare provider if you experience any adverse reactions.

Recommended Dosage

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Instructions for safe storage and consumption

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Traditional Dosage Reference

Standard

1–3g

Maximum

Up to 3g internally per day as decoction (wrapped for decoction) or in pill/powder form. External use has no strict upper limit. The herb is not typically used at high internal doses.

Notes

Er Cha is used internally at low doses (1 to 3g) and more commonly applied externally as a powder. For internal use, it is typically taken as pills or powder (each dose 0.3 to 1g) rather than in standard decoctions, as its astringent extract dissolves poorly in boiling water. When included in a decoction, it should be wrapped in cloth (包煎) to prevent it from making the liquid cloudy and sticky. For external use, the appropriate amount of finely ground powder is sprinkled on wounds, mixed into pastes for sores and ulcers, or blended with borax for mouth sores. Different clinical applications: - Hemostasis (stopping bleeding): often combined with Long Gu, Bai Ji, and Xue Jie as a topical powder. - Mouth sores and gum disease: ground to fine powder with Bing Pian and/or Peng Sha, applied directly. - Phlegm-Heat cough: taken internally as pills with appropriate formula partners. - Diarrhea and dysentery: small internal doses in pill form.

Toxicity Classification

Non-toxic

Er Cha is classified as non-toxic in classical sources. The Ben Cao Gang Mu states its nature is "bitter, neutral, non-toxic" (苦平无毒). The Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists no specific toxicity warnings for the standard medicinal product. However, one of its metabolic components, pyrocatechol (焦性儿茶酚), has shown toxicity in animal studies at high doses: oral administration to cats and rats at 50 mg/kg caused convulsions and death, while chronic dosing at 30 mg/kg caused anemia, jaundice, and kidney damage. These doses far exceed anything encountered in normal clinical use. At standard medicinal dosages (1 to 3g), the whole extract is considered safe. The tannin content, while therapeutically useful, means that very large or prolonged doses could theoretically irritate the gastrointestinal tract or interfere with nutrient absorption. Use within recommended dose ranges ensures safety.

Contraindications

Avoid

Cold-Damp patterns (寒湿证): Er Cha is cool and astringent in nature. Using it in people with Cold-Damp conditions (such as watery diarrhea from Spleen Yang deficiency, or cold-type oozing sores) can worsen the condition by further congealing Dampness.

Caution

Yin-deficiency with internal Heat and no Dampness: The astringent nature of Er Cha may trap residual Heat or pathogenic factors inside the body. It is best avoided when the pattern is one of Yin deficiency with dry Heat and no dampness or oozing to address.

Caution

Active bleeding from Blood Heat without concurrent wound or ulcer: Er Cha is primarily an external hemostatic and astringent. For internal bleeding caused by Blood Heat, cooling and Blood-moving herbs are more appropriate, and Er Cha's astringency may retain stasis.

Avoid

Known allergy to Acacia catechu or related Fabaceae (legume) family plants: Individuals with sensitivity should avoid use.

Special Populations

Pregnancy

There is limited specific data on the safety of Er Cha during pregnancy. Classical sources do not list it as a forbidden herb in pregnancy, and its primary traditional use is external (wound powders, mouth rinses). However, given the lack of formal safety studies in pregnant women and its astringent, cooling, and blood-moving properties (活血止痛 is listed among its actions in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia), caution is warranted. Internal use during pregnancy should only occur under professional guidance.

Breastfeeding

No specific studies exist on the transfer of Er Cha constituents (catechins, tannins) into breast milk. Because the herb is most commonly used externally or in very small internal doses (1 to 3g), systemic absorption is likely low. However, tannins can theoretically affect iron absorption, which is a concern for nursing mothers. Use during breastfeeding should be limited to external application or undertaken with professional guidance if taken internally.

Pediatric Use

Er Cha has traditional use in pediatric conditions, particularly infantile malnutrition-Heat (疳热) and childhood digestive problems. Historical dosage for children's oral use: approximately 0.15g per dose for children around 1 year old, and 0.2g per dose for children over 2 years, taken 3 times daily. It is most commonly used externally in children for mouth sores and skin conditions (as a powder applied topically), which carries minimal risk. Internal use in children should be guided by a qualified practitioner and kept to low doses appropriate for age and weight.

Drug Interactions

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications: Er Cha has hemostatic (blood-stopping) and astringent properties. Theoretically, it could counteract the effects of blood-thinning medications such as warfarin, heparin, or aspirin. Conversely, given that one of its listed actions is "invigorating Blood" (活血), there is a theoretical dual risk. Concurrent use with anticoagulants should be monitored.

Iron supplements and iron-containing medications: Er Cha is very rich in tannins (20 to 50% catechutannic acid). Tannins are well known to bind dietary and supplemental iron, reducing its absorption. People taking iron supplements for anemia should separate the timing of Er Cha use from iron supplementation by at least 2 hours.

Antidiabetic medications: Preclinical research has shown catechins from Acacia catechu possess blood-sugar-lowering effects. Patients taking insulin or oral hypoglycemic drugs should be aware of the possibility of additive blood sugar reduction, though this is unlikely to be clinically significant at the low standard doses used in TCM.

Dietary Advice

Because Er Cha is cool in nature and strongly astringent, people taking it internally should avoid excessive cold or raw foods that could compound its cooling effect, especially if there is any underlying Spleen weakness. The high tannin content means it is best not taken together with iron-rich foods or supplements, as tannins bind iron and reduce absorption. Avoid taking it with strongly alkaline foods or drinks, as alkaline conditions can degrade catechin compounds.

Cautions & Warnings

Although this herb is typically safe for most individuals, it may cause side effects in some people. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, postpartum women, and those with liver disease should use the formula with caution.

As with any Chinese herbal remedy, it is advisable to seek guidance from a qualified TCM practitioner before beginning treatment.