Skin Problems

Skin Problems

Every winter, the baseboard hot-water radiators in our home make the air very dry. And every year, I develop a skin irritation that I call dry winter dermatitis. Over the years, I've found a skin lotion that helps. Its ingredients are water, glycerin and aloe vera, the traditional and very effective herbal treatment for many skin problems. That's my personal Green Pharmacy success story.

I'd also like to mention a case report published in the British medical journal Lancet. It seems that there was a physician who moved from a humid subtropical climate to a very dry desert area. He developed a severe dry-skin rash on his hands. He tried steroids, medications that are sometimes prescribed to heal severe rashes. They didn't help, so he decided that he'd just have to live with it.

Four years later, several studies appeared in the medical literature showing that vitamin E reduces heart attack risk by some 35 percent in men. Because he was at risk, the doctor began taking 400 international units of vitamin E a day for his heart. It also helped his skin. In less than two weeks, his four-year-old skin rash cleared up.

Vitamin E is widely touted for skin problems, and it's an ingredient in many skin creams and cosmetics. But like many physicians, this doctor was skeptical of such supplement claims and was not convinced that he actually had vitamin E to thank for resolving his dermatitis. The following year, however, while on a winter vacation, the doctor discontinued his vitamin E, and his dermatitis returned. On returning home, after two weeks without the supplements, he began taking them again, and his rash cleared up again. That made a believer of him.

Allow me to tell you one more story before we get to the herbs. A videographer who worked with me in the Amazon developed a strange and very itchy eczema while in the rain forest. A shamanistic healer I knew suggested that she apply a poultice of crushed petals of Peruvian red hibiscus. The treatment worked.

Oddly, when the videographer returned home to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, her eczema returned, and nothing her physician offered gave her any relief. She continues to import hibiscus from Peru, since it's the only thing that is effective. In a pinch, though, she could splash Red Zinger tea on her rash. The red color of this commercial, mixed-herb tea comes from hibiscus flowers.

Green Pharmacy for Skin Problems

Fortunately, as the stories above demonstrate, herbal approaches have a great deal to offer those with skin problems. In some cases, the herbs help even when pharmaceuticals do not. Here are several of the most helpful herbs.

Aloe (Aloe vera). Aloe has been used since the days of Egypt's ancient pharaohs to treat all manner of skin problems. But aloe is more than an age-old folk remedy. Since the 1930s, when the gel inside aloe's leathery leaves was shown to speed the healing of radiation burns, many studies have shown this herb to be effective in treating a variety of skin problems. In one study of people undergoing dermabrasion, a medical procedure involving removal of the top layer of skin, aloe speeded healing by 72 hours.

Even if you have a brown thumb, aloe is easy to maintain as a potted plant. It requires little water and almost no care. For minor burns, cuts and other skin problems, simply snip off a lower leaf, slit it open lengthwise, scoop out the gelatinous pulp and apply it to the affected area. Or try one of the many commercial skin products that contain this herb.

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). Evening primrose oil (EPO) is rich in a compound called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is approved in Great Britain for treating eczema. Research I've reviewed supports this use and suggests that this herbal oil is also helpful in treating other forms of skin irritation (dermatitis).

Although evening primrose is a weed at my place, I buy EPO in capsules at a health food store, and I suggest that this is the easiest way to take this herb. Take the capsules orally, following the package directions. You can also take oils of borage, currant and hops, which are also well-endowed with GLA. As with evening primrose, you can get these other oils in capsule form; follow the package directions when you take them.

Avocado (Persea americana). There's more to avocado than guacamole. Its oil is actually patented as a treatment for some forms of dermatitis and arthritis. According to Aubrey Hampton, author of Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care, long-term treatment with avocado oil helps relieve eczema. I'm not surprised, as avocado oil is rich in vitamins A, D and E, all of which help maintain healthy skin. I suggest applying it directly to any itchy, red or irritated areas. It might also be helpful to ingest the oil and use it in salad dressings.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis). Small wonder that this pretty flower has a folk reputation for treating all kinds of skin problems. Research shows that this herb is antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antiviral. Calendula also stimulates white blood cells to gobble up harmful microbes and helps speed wound healing. I usually buy commercial calendula flower ointments and apply them as needed. That's a good way to use this herb as a skin treatment.

Camomile (Matricaria recutita). Don't just drink your camomile tea--brew it strong and use it in a compress for treating skin problems. This tasty herb is approved in Europe for treatment of inflammatory skin conditions, notably yeast infections. Compounds in camomile (bisabolol, chamazulene and cyclic ethers) are anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and fungicidal.

If you have hay fever, however, you should use camomile products cautiously. Camomile is a member of the ragweed family, and in some people, it might trigger allergic reactions. The first time you try it, watch your reaction. If it seems to help, go ahead and use it. But if it seems to cause or aggravate itching or irritation, discontinue use.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Cool as a cucumber? That's not just a figure of speech. Pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D., reminds us that cucumber has a long folk history of use for soothing dermatitis and burns and for treating wrinkles. If I had a skin problem, I'd peel and blend some cucumbers in my blender, with or without avocado, and apply the puree directly to the affected area, leaving it on for 15 to 60 minutes.

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica). This herb, native to India, stimulates the regeneration of skin cells and underlying connective tissue. In clinical trials, gotu kola has proven useful in treating eczema, wounds and other skin conditions. The latest research suggests that one compound (asiaticoside) in gotu kola is among the most promising treatments for one of history's most devastating skin diseases, leprosy. If I developed a skin problem in the tropics, I'd use crushed leaves to make a poultice and apply it to the affected areas. Here in the United States, the leaves are generally unavailable, so I'd buy a commercial tincture and follow the package directions.

Wild pansy (Viola tricolor). This is a traditional herbal treatment for acne, eczema, impetigo, itching and other skin problems. And modern research supports using this herb as a treatment for skin problems. Germany's Commission E, the expert panel that judges the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicines, approves of using pansy tea as a skin treatment. You can make a tea with about one teaspoon of dried herb per cup of boiling water; steep it for ten minutes.

Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). Witch hazel contains generous amounts of tannins, potent astringents that are useful in treating skin problems. According to studies with laboratory animals, witch hazel also increases the tone of the blood vessels in the skin, which enhances blood supply to damaged areas. One sunburn study compared three preparations: a combination of astringent witch hazel and lecithin, a camomile cream and a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream (a standard pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory). The hydrocortisone worked best, but the witch hazel­lecithin combo ran a close second.

Commission E endorses using witch hazel water externally for treating dermatitis and other conditions that damage the skin.

Witch Hazel Witch hazel, which flowers bewitchingly around Halloween, is an ingredient in astringent lotions.

Carrot (Daucus carota). Carrots are a rich source of vitamin A­like carotenoids that have been shown to enhance the health of the skin and repair skin damage. Retin-A, the prescription drug used to treat severe acne, is a carotenoid preparation.

Some herbalists recommend applying liquefied carrots (and/or tomatoes and sweet potatoes) to the skin to treat sunburn and other minor skin conditions. I can't see doing that myself, but there's no reason why you shouldn't try it if you want. I eat a lot of carrots and other red and orange fruits and vegetables because I know that ingesting carotenoids not only helps prevent skin damage but can help ward off cancer and heart disease as well.

English plantain (Plantago lanceolata). External application of cooling, soothing plantain leaves is a time-honored herbal remedy for treating minor skin problems. Modern research has shown that two compounds (aucubin and catapol) in plantain have anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties.

Ivy (Hedera helix). Compounds known as saponins, which are found in ivy leaves, are active against several bacteria and fungi that cause skin problems. Commission E endorses using ivy to treat bronchitis, which is an indication of the herb's safety.

Ivy has an extensive folkloric reputation for treating dermatitis. If I had a skin problem, I would chop some leaves in a blender and apply the paste directly to the affected area.

Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis). This herb contains a soothing water-soluble fiber called mucilage that has a long history of use for relieving skin problems. In Europe, marsh mallow mucilage is used in ointments for treating chapped skin. If I had a skin problem, I'd put the fresh root through my juicing machine, then apply the liquid directly to the affected areas.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus). One of the latest buzzwords in skin care is alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs). AHAs peel off dead skin cells by dissolving the substances that hold the dead skin together.

Dermatologists use AHA preparations clinically to treat acne, chapped skin, fine lines, wrinkles and other skin conditions. They use strong concentrations for face peels, and lower concentrations appear in dozens of over-the-counter skin cleansers, lotions and toners.

What few people know is that AHAs are often herbal products called fruit acids. As the name suggests, AHAs occur in many fruits, notably pineapple, tamarind, gardenia, apples and grapes. They also occur in sour milk. Cleopatra reportedly bathed in sour milk because it brought out the luster in her skin. I can't imagine taking a sour milk bath, but I love pineapple and eat a lot of it, and I could see rubbing the inner peel on damaged skin.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea). Like carrots, purslane is generously endowed with carotenoids. I'm not the facial mask type, but if I were, I might try putting a handful of this useful weed into a blender with a carrot and maybe even some pineapple. This would create an invigorating face mask with healing properties. I'd suggest leaving it on for 20 minutes or so.

Walnut (Juglans, various species). Commission E endorses using walnut leaves for treating mild superficial skin inflammations. Steep two teaspoons of crushed leaves in a cup of boiling water, then apply the tea when cool. Some herbalists suggest adding a handful of crushed walnut leaves to baths for treating eczema.