We report the inhibitory effect of topical application of extracts of a traditional Chinese herbal prescription on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation in mice. Methanol and water extracts obtained from 22 traditional Chinese herbal prescriptions were assayed and their inhibition ratios calculated. In general, the methanol extracts produced more effective inhibition than the water extracts. Of the various traditional Chinese herbal prescriptions, the methanol extract of Rikkunshi-to was more effective than other prescriptions as far as inhibition of TPA-induced inflammation was concerned. Hoelen, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Atractylodis Rhizoma, components of Rikkunshi-to markedly inhibited the inflammatory activity induced by TPA in mice. Furthermore, topical application of the methanol extract of Rikkunshi-to markedly inhibited TPA-induced tumor promotion in two-stage carcinogenesis in mouse skin.