Your skin is your body's largest organ, and you can find plenty of products in drugstores, department stores and natural food stores designed to protect, smooth, heal and otherwise improve the health and appearance of your skin. Check out the ingredients labels, and you'll find a variety of options, from chemically created compounds to fruits and vegetables to herbs. Some herbs can have strong effects, even in topical applications, so it is a good idea to check with your doctor about the safety of herbal skin treatments.
For Sensitive Skin
If your skin is prone to rashes, itchiness, redness and other skin discomfort, herbal creams may help. Chamomile is the best tested herb for soothing skin, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, but traditional use and limited early research suggest creams with chickweed, marigold or licorice may also help calm sensitive or irritated skin. Witch hazel cream and cream made with the herb Saint John's wort may help temporarily stop skin itching too.
For Acne
Cream made with oil from the tea tree plant can be as effective for treating acne as benzoyl peroxide, though it takes a few weeks longer for tea tree oil to show results, according to the University of Michigan Health System's Healthwise Knowledgebase. Tea tree oil has mild bacterial properties that attack the infections that cause acne inflammation. The University of Michigan Health System recommends looking for a cream that contains a concentration of about 5 percent tea tree oil for treating acne.
For Aging Skin
Several herbs contain antioxidants that have the power to fight free radicals that cause wrinkles, dark spots and other signs of aging. Green tea may be one of the most effective because of its high polyphenol content, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Other antioxidant-rich herbs that can be used in skin care creams include ginkgo, bilberry, milk thistle, ginger and hawthorn, even though the traditional benefits of these herbs haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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