Herbs For Healing The Skin
Many internal remedies for dermatitis start with the herb sarsaparilla. Michael Murray, N.D., and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., authors of A Textbook of Natural Medicine, believe that this herb aids people with psoriasis by binding toxins in the intestine and stopping the production of polyamines. For centuries, sarsaparilla was regarded as an important "blood purifier." Doctors and herbalists used it to treat all sorts of serious skin problems. Doctors were still using it in the 1940s when an article in the New England Journal of Medicine described it as "dramatically" successful in helping cure psoriasis. Little research has been done since, but herbalists continue to use this herb for psoriasis and eczema. Psyllium and berberine, a compound found in barberry and goldenseal, can also halt production of polyamines. Bitter melon, a Chinese plant that is a relative of cucumber, also interferes with the production of this chemical.
Psoriasis and eczema often respond to herbs used to enhance the immune system's function and to herbs that help the liver do its work. Indeed, researchers have found that outbreaks of eczema lower immunity, making people who have this skin condition more likely to get viral diseases like herpes and warts. Burdock root and the Chinese herb bupleurum have long been recommended to treat dermatitis, especially eczema.
Studies have shown that the popular liver herb milk thistle also helps combat psoriasis. Another herb that is potent against both liver and skin problems is the Indian plant gotu kola. According to French studies, compounds in gotu kola, which has long been used to treat leprosy, rapidly heal broken skin. The Rudolf Stiftung Hospital in Vienna uses a salve and also an injection of these compounds to help wounds heal faster.
An immunity-enhancing herb with a particularly good track record for improving dermatitis is pau d'arco, the bark of a South American tree. For other ways to improve immunity, see "Boosting Immunity" on page 101, and for other herbs to help improve liver functioning, see chapter 45.
Licorice root may seem a surprising choice for helping the skin, but researchers find that it combats many types of dermatitis, improves liver health, reduces skin inflammation and is useful in treating symptoms of stress and allergies.
Numerous studies show that gamma linoleic acid (GLA), which is found in evening primrose oil, and compounds in licorice and chamomile can reduce skin inflammation even better than cortisone. In one study of almost 100 adults and children with eczema, evening primrose oil significantly reduced the itching, redness and severity of the problem within three months. Other studies show that GLA also helps in treating impetigo, a crusty outbreak of pustules that usually occurs around the mouth and nose and is caused by a bacterial infection. I have also heard reports that GLA helps fight ichthyosis, a condition that makes the skin dry and scaly, resembling that of a fish.
Stress seems to play a big role in many skin disorders. Over one-third of the people who have psoriasis say that their initial outbreak happened within a month of a very stressful event. In Laura's case, she realized which stresses in her life—exams at school, a visit from her in-laws and pressure at work—set off her skin condition, and that those stresses needed to be controlled. For herbs to combat stress, see "Stress" in chapter 20.
Dermatitis Tea
½ teaspoon each sarsaparilla root, licorice root, burdock root, pau d'arco bark and bupleurum root ( if available)
3 cups water
Gently simmer herbs in water for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let steep for another 10 minutes. Strain. Drink a cup of tea 3 or 4 times a day. This combination of herbs can also be taken as a tincture, using the same proportions as the tea. Or you can purchase a similar tincture formula at a natural food store. Take half a dropperful 3 or 4 times each day.
