Shipping herbal cream to the U.S.

[Kenny同志]

Hi xinoxanu,

Many thanks for your offer to help. That’s very kind of you. It is an over-the-counter medication called 白花地丁. Here are a few pictures of the product.  
 

[xinoxanu]

Tried my luck but no dice... and it's indeed difficult to even find this cream in Baidu.

 

But there are other things we can try:

• Am I correct to assume that the main ingredient of this cream is 白花地丁or China violet/Viola patrinii? 
• If so, based on this website https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Viola+patrinii the plant seems to grow in Japan/Siberia, so there's a chance this ingredient is used in products from those two countries, which broadens the possibility of finding a similar cream.
• Either way: can you post a picture of the medical leaflet/list of ingredients, if there's any?
• The company producing this in China doesn't seem to be a big one. Maybe you can go to a local pharmacy and ask them if they have an alternative made by a bigger "brand"? 

[Kenny同志]

@xinoxanu
Thanks a million, xinoxanu. I really appreciate all that you have done for me, which might have taken you quite some time. J

I think there may be few similar products on the market, however, as the cream, which is made from, among others, about fifteen herbs, has been patented.

[anonymoose]

I have been receiving parcels from China regularly over the past few months, and there has never been a problem shipping to me. Admittedly none of them have been sent by China Post. However, I don't understand why couriers say they are not shipping internationally.

[Kenny同志]

May I know through which postal services you have been receiving those parcels, anonymous?

[abcdefg]

On 10/3/2020 at 4:53 AM, Kenny同志 said:

When I told the clerk that someone else had successfully posted things to the United States through China Postal Services, she replied that different rules might apply in different provinces or prefectures and they did not even have the forms for international shipping. She then added that they requested such forms a while ago but it was in vain.

 

I ran into this in Kunming in late December. The clerk at China Post told me shipping to the USA had been suspended "for the time being." （暂停服务) I did not ask about shipping to other countries. This was just before the "front page" public announcements of Covid being an international problem. She was a reliable employee at a busy China Post substation. I had known her over 5 years and she always gave me straight information. 

 

Out of frustration I went to a larger post office in a more central part of Kunming. There I convinced a clerk to accept my package. (Sent via China Post SAL Sea/Land/Air, not EMS.) Three or four days later I received a notice at home (my apartment in Kunming) telling me to come claim my package since it had been rejected and returned by a larger regional sorting station (in Guangzhou.)

 

Both clerks, the one from my neighborhood office and the one from the more central Kunming office told me the contents of the parcel were not the issue. (My parcel consisted of decorations for Spring Festival, sent to a US friend who wanted to use them for something different and less seasonal.) Neither was able to tell me what was going on beyond that. Neither was able to tell me why my items could not be sent. In retrospect, I am guessing it had to do with the Covid pandemic in its early stages. 

 

I have gone back to the US and am there now, so I have no first-hand information about the status of sending parcels from the Chinese Mainland to the US today. 

 

-------------------------------- 

 

Edited to add: 

 

A Chinese friend sent me some medical face masks in late February or early March, but she used a commercial kuai di 快递 carrier, not China Post. 

 

Kenny, have you considered doing that? (Using a 快递 carrier.)

[xinoxanu]

56 minutes ago, Kenny同志 said:

I think there may be few similar products on the market, however, as the cream, which is made from, among others, about fifteen herbs, has been patented

 

I see. Well that definitely complicates things, but keep in mind that what makes the cream effective is probably not the sum of all its ingredients, but rather how they aid one of them in particular which is what does most of the work in the end... otherwise it would be impossible to have competing products in the market, because patenting something always comes before it's even developed, and it's not like we are talking about Bayer holding a miraculous cure for cancer in a secret vault.

 

I am sure there are more approachable alternatives and since you are deadset on your gf being able to enjoy this product, if it turns out that in the end you are unable to ship the cream to the US, then at that point the best would be to consult with the pharmacy (and maybe a doctor, although this cream is not actually considered a medical product) to try to find the closest approximation that can be directly manufactured or imported to the US by legal means.

[Kenny同志]

@abcdefgThanks for sharing your experience, abcdefg. I have tried a few local 顺丰 outlets but was told that they could not even process any parcels to be sent to Taiwan... I'll try my luck with China Post's Changde branch. 

 

@xinoxanu

Thank you very much again for sharing your idea, xinoxanu. I think it's worth a try. I'll keep it as my last resort. ?

[anonymoose]

1 hour ago, Kenny同志 said:

May I know through which postal services you have been receiving those parcels, anonymous?

 

Various, as far as I recall. The last one was FedEx. One of the previous ones was DHL.

 

However, these were all to the UK. Maybe the USA is different.

[Kenny同志]

Thanks anonymous. This is immensely helpful! 

[Kenny同志]

This is an update.

 

My girlfriend’s eczema has flared up really badly recently so I want to ask for a favour here. I know shipping cream to the United States is infeasible but visitors are allowed to enter the country with cream products.

 

Such being the case, I was wondering whether there are any forum members returning from China to the United States within the next few weeks. If you’re one of such forum members and willing to help, could you please get in touch with me? Basically, I need someone to take the herbal cream to the United States and then post it to my girlfriend who lives in Tulsa—I will post the cream to you first.

 

I’ll bear all the postage and as a token of my gratitude, I can pay you 100 dollars.

 

Thank you.  

[abcdefg]

I'm already in the US, Kenny, and cannot help you as a courier. 

 

This eczema ointment is available on Amazon US. Here's a photo and a brief description. I realize it's not the same as the brand you were originally seeking. (Disclaimer: I know nothing else about it.) 

 

If you want me to send your girlfriend an order of this ointment, we can discuss how to best go about it. Should not be difficult. No payment necessary beyond the cost of the item. Please note that it is an ointment, not a cream. (It has a petroleum jelly base.)

 

  

5pcs/Lot Chinese Herbal Eczema, Psoriasis Creams Dermatitis and Eczema Pruritus Psoriasis CEZUBEM Ointment

Brand: BIPL

Price:

$14.99 ($3.00 / Count)

 

Brand	BIPL
Active Ingredients	Seven swords, iron Holly, white petroleum jelly, menthol, purified water.
Specific Uses For Product	Eczema, psoriasis,
Use for	Whole Body
Item Form	Creams

---

About this item

• Recommended: Acute or chronic dermatitis, eczema, tinea manus (Hong Kong foot), body tinea (sweat stain), psoriasis, peeling, blister, bad feet, the feet itch, pruritus vulvae, hemorrhoids, mosquito bites, acne, prickly heat, itchy skin.
• It is easy to carry out. New, brand-new, unused, unopened.
• How to Use : External use - 1. Wash affected area; 2. Apply propriate amount of this cream to the affected part skin; 2-3 times a day; 3. Can be used again 1-2 weeks after symptoms disappear to prevent recurrence.
• After you bought,if you have any other question,please feel free to contact us.
• Keep to the original all selects the superior soil park skin of Chinese herbal medicine, refined from natural herbal essence of the new generation of skin cream preparation for external use traditional Chinese medicine.

--------------------------------------------------------- 

Amazon US link: https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Psoriasis-Dermatitis-Pruritus-Ointment/dp/B08NHN26VF/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=chinese+eczema+cream&qid=1629553660&sr=8-5 

 

[889]

The active ingredient in Kenny's cream seems to be 白花地丁 Viola patrinii, sometimes called Chinese violet.

I don't see any indication that 奇草钢目 contains 白花地丁. Not to say it might nonetheless be effective.

https://img30.360buyimg.com/popWaterMark/jfs/t1/102681/24/1070/246649/5db90175Ea01e1b2e/b5f3225c13e18d4b.jpg

 

[abcdefg]

Yes, that is true. I don't know whether or not it would be satisfactory. 

[Kenny同志]

@abcdefg

Thank you so much for offering to help and doing the research, abcdefg. I am very grateful. ?

 

I have managed to find the ointment on Taobao, where there is quite some positive feedback on the product so it may be worth a try. 

 

I really appreciate your offer to send the herbal ointment to my girlfriend. Since the product is available on Amazon, it might be better for her to order it directly from there—she uses Amazon regularly.

 

I am aware that the ointment may not be as effective as the cream I used but from what I have read, it can be a great alternative.

 

On a side note, about two months ago, I recommended the cream to my cousin for treating eczema. It worked wonders: within just two weeks, the inflammation was gone. If eczema is a headache to any of you, I’d highly recommend it.

 

@889

Thanks for your concern, 889. I understand their ingredients are different, but I think it’s possible for different ingredients to achieve similar results. ?

 

.............................

I will come back with feedback on the ointment.

 

For what it's worth, 鋼目 makes no sense and sounds rather bizarre. The correct term should be 綱目.  

Edited August 22, 2021 at 02:33 PM by Kenny同志

[abcdefg]

8 hours ago, Kenny同志 said:

I really appreciate your offer to send the herbal ointment to my girlfriend. Since the product is available on Amazon, it might be better for her to order it directly from there—she uses Amazon regularly.

 

You're welcome, Kenny! That sounds like an excellent plan! Just give her the link to the product, and since she is in the US, she can order if from Amazon and have it delivered right to her door. Hope that she finds it beneficial.