Contact dermatitis is a skin rash that occurs after coming into contact with an irritant or allergen, such as chemicals, cosmetics and soap, or plants like poison oak, poison ivy, poison sumac and stinging nettles. The skin becomes red and inflamed, and may itch and burn. Conventional treatment can involve antihistamines and corticosteroids to relieve the itch and inflammation. Many herbs have potent anti-inflammatory actions and work well as an alternative treatment for contact dermatitis. It is important to consult a health care professional for advice before starting herbal treatment.
Tuhuai
Tuhuai is a traditional Chinese medicinal formula for treating inflammatory skin diseases, including contact dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema. Tuhuai contains pagoda tree flowers, or Sophora japonica, Chinaroot, or smilax glabra, Chinese peony, or Paeonia lactiflora, skullcap root, or Scutellaria baicalensis, honeysuckle flower, or Lonicera japonica, and Chinese licorice, or glycyrrhiza uralensis. A study published in the August 2008 issue of “Experimental Dermatology” tested a topical extract of Tuhuai on animals with induced irritant and allergic contact dermatitis. The study found that Tuhuai significantly reduced inflammation in both forms of contact dermatitis. Researchers could not identify the active ingredients responsible for the anti-inflammatory action, so further research is needed to test for chemical constituents and efficacy of the formula in humans.
Gumweed
Gumweed, or Grindelia spp., is a genus contains several species of plants traditionally used as a topical to treat wounds, burns, poison ivy and sumac, eczema and other inflammatory skin disorders. Gumweed contains a resin, tannins, saponins and volatile oils, and has anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial actions. In a case study reported in the August 2005 issue of the “Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine,” naturopathic physicians Don Canavan and Eric Yarnell treated a woman who contracted contact dermatitis from poison oak. The treatment, which included marigold, basil, jewelweed and a homeopathic remedy, was unsuccessful, so the doctors applied a tincture of gumweed fresh flower buds directly to the rash. The tincture immediately reduced the itching and oozing. The doctors added the tincture to a marigold cream, and within 48 hours, the redness, inflammation, oozing and itching were almost completely gone. A clinical trial is needed to confirm this case study and validate the traditional use of gumweed for inflammatory skin rashes like contact dermatitis.
Galium
Two Galium species, Galium verum and G. aparine, are perennial herbs used medicinally throughout the world. Also known as lady’s bedstraw and cleavers, they share similar chemical constituents. They are used externally to treat slow healing wounds and inflammatory skin rashes, like eczema, psoriasis and contact dermatitis. In their 2009 book, “Medicinal Plants of the World,” Ben-Erik van Wyk and Michael Wink state that the active ingredients are tannins, which have astringent properties, and iridoid glycosides, which are anti-inflammatory. Herbalist David Hoffmann, recommends cleavers as an anti-inflammatory remedy for contact dermatitis and eczema in his 2000 book, “Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine.” He states that cleavers may also be combined with other herbs, such as burdock and figwort, for persistent cases.
References
- “Experimental Dermatology”; Chinese Herbal Medicine (Tuhuai extract) Exhibits topical anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activity in murine disease models; Man MQ, Shi Y, Man M, Lee SH, Demerjian M, Chang S, Feingold KR, Elias PM; August 2008
- “Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine”; Successful treatment of poison oak dermatitis treated with Grindelia spp. (Gumweed); Canavan D, Yarnell E; August 2005
