Herbal Treatment Research

Herbal therapy is becoming increasingly popular among patients and physicians. Many herbal preparations are marketed to the public for various ailments including those of the skin. Herbal therapies have been used successfully in treating dermatologic disorders for thousands of years in Europe and Asia. 

Many plants and natural substances fall into this category, making it extremely difficult to parse out what actually works for Eczema. Sunflower seed oil applied topically appears to have some very favorable properties in terms of itch, inflammation, and improvement of the skin barrier function. Coconut oil has antibacterial effects, which may also be of great benefit in eczema. A recent paper suggest that borage oil and evening primrose oil now have enough evidence to be convincingly shown as not helpful treatments for eczema, and these should probably be excluded from further discussion.

Traditional Chinese herbal mixtures have been used to treat Atopic eczema for many years. Their efficacy has attracted public attention and recently some clinical trials have been undertaken.

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To treat eczema with natural remedies, there are several methods that can be used. These include:

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Cold Compresses: A decoction of several Chinese herbs such as ku shen, bai xian pi, cang zhu, gan cao, and huang bai is prepared and used as a cold compress. It is then applied directly onto the affected areas. This natural remedy is effective for mild to moderate cases, and can help relieve symptoms of itching and swelling.

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Herbal Drink: Drinks made from Chinese herbs are also commonly used to manage or eliminate eczema. The combination of herbs will usually vary, depending on the severity of the skin disease or the suspected root cause. Some of these herbs include fang feng, tian men dong, gan cao, shi gao, yi yi ren, ku shen, sheng di huang, zhi mu, and mu dan pi, among others. Herbs such as chuan xiong and huang qin may also be used to treat scalp eczema while long dan cao may be added to treat ear/facial eczema.