Chinese herbal remedies have been successfully utilized for thousands of years to treat a variety of illnesses and diseases. Chinese medicine may also help treat skin conditions such as eczema. Knowing you have other options instead of strong or expensive medications may help you make a wiser decision when it comes to your skin care. A few basic Chinese remedies for eczema may also help you with your specific condition.
Scalp
For eczema of the scalp, Dr. Shen of Chinese Herbs and Medicine suggests a combination of chuan xiong and huang qin in equal amounts of 5 grams. Chuan xiong, known by its scientific name of ligustrum, is a common Chinese immune system-boosting remedy also used for treating childhood eczema of the scalp. Huang qin known as scutellaria, is one of the oldest known herbs utilized in traditional Chinese medicine, according to Naturopathy Digest. Dosage depends on age and severity of the condition, but an average between 15 and 60 g a day for scutellaria and 5 to 15 g a day for ligustrum is recommended.
Decoction for Acute Eczema
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combines the powerful and healing properties of a variety of herbs for healing, health and wellness. For acute cases of eczema, a combination of ingredients, including, but not limited to, scutellaria root, honeysuckle flower, coix seed and philodendron bark are mixed into a remedy used for generations to clear up bouts of eczema. The herbs are mixed with water and ingested in tea form. For exact measurements and ingredients, consult your Chinese herbalist or medical practitioner.
Itching
A traditional Chinese medicine practitioner may use over a dozen ingredients to create an herbal remedy. For a lotion to treat eczema, a practitioner would use ingredients that include ligusticum root, Chinese angelica root, white peony root, black sesame seeds and licorice root, among others. After applying such an herbal lotion using a compress or by rubbing it directly into your skin, wash your body with black soya bean ointment, suggests TCM Treatment.
Pentaherbs Formulation
A combination of five essential herbs was reported to produce effective benefits after use with children diagnosed with various forms of eczema, according to a 2008 Medical News Today article. The herbal blend consisted of Japanese honeysuckle, peony tree root bark, peppermint, Amur cork tree bark and Atractylodes Rhizome, a root stem. The combination of herbs reduced inflammation and severity of symptoms for children involved in the study.
