Best Herbs For Rosacea

Herbs have long been used in the treatment of skin and other disorders. Rosacea is a chronic problem and many people find that the long-term use of prescription medication is unsatisfactory and decide to look to more natural treatments.

A paper entitled ‘Treatment of rosacea with herbal ingredients’ by Dr Wu was published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology in 2006. This paper discussed the most useful and frequently used herbs in the treatment of rosacea. Let’s take a look at these herbs to see whether they really are beneficial in the treatment of rosacea.

I recommend you take a look at Zenmed Skin Support System makes use of several of these herbs (licorice, green tea, lavender, chamomile and also aloe vera which is a great anti-inflammatory and skin healing plant).

Licorice Herb

One of the main ingredients in licorice is Glycyrrhizinic acid which has long been used in Chinese medicine to treat many diseases including skin. Glycyrrhizinic acid has been found to have potent anti-inflammatory actions which significantly decrease redness, swelling and itching.

Feverfew Cream

Feverfew has traditionally been used to treat fevers, headaches, stomachaches, toothache, and more recently, arthritis and migraines. However, studies have shown that feverfew helps to calm red and irritated skin because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Recently, feverfew has been used by the company Aveeno in their sensitive complexions range.

Green Tea Cream

The use of green tea has long been studied for a variety of diseases. The results of a recent small study found that cream containing 2% polyphenone (green tea extract) improved the symptoms of rosacea as much as 70%. Green tea extract contains many anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-ageing properties which help to reduce skin redness, reduce papules and pustules as well as soothing the skin.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is actually a grain and comes from an oat plant. Not only is it good to eat, but has been found to be an effective natural remedy to treat dry skin and stop itching. Many natural products for rosacea and other skin problems include oatmeal for this reason. Oatmeal can be applied directly on the face in the form of a mask, or in the bath tub with colloidal oatmeal made from oats that have been ground into a fine powder.

Lavender

Lavender is one of those herbs that has been used for hundreds of years to treat anything from insomnia and depression to muscular spasms and pain. Lavender has natural anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibiotic and calming properties that make it a great choice for many problems. Even though there is no conclusive evidence regarding the use of lavender for skin problems, there does seem to be support for the use of lavender to help in healing the skin. Lavender should not be used directly on the skin as this can cause irritation. It should be mixed with a cream or carrier oil.

Chamomile

Studies have shown that chamomile contains anti-inflammatory properties which when mixed into a cream can soothe and heal the skin.

Tea Tree Oil

Again, like lavender and chamomile, tea tree oil possesses anti-inflammatory properties and is great for treating boils, spots and inflamed skin. However, tea tree oil should be used with caution because it has resulted in allergic contact eczema and dermatitis. Never take it internally and only use it mixed into a cream or carrier oil.

Camphor Oil

Often the papules and pustules associated with rosacea are found to contain demodex mites, tiny parasitic mites in the affected area. Recently camphor oil has been studied to see whether it is effective in treating these mites. It was found that there was a marked reduction in the infestation after the application of a diluted camphor oil. However, camphor oil should be used with care because it is a known irritant.

The therapeutic value of herbs has gained increased acceptance and many people could benefit from the use of these herbal remedies. Studies have shown that some of these herbs have a proven beneficial for rosacea. However, in some cases, they can aggravate rosacea. If you are thinking about using herbal preparations as a rosacea natural treatment, then it is important to seek the advice of a herbal medicine practitioner or talk to your dermatologist.