Through allergy, internal disorder, poor circulation, minor accidents or any of a multitude of causes, manifestations of skin disorders are diagnosed according to the systemic affect.

For example, a light, itchy skin rash with a mild sore throat or fever would be considered "wind-heat" affecting the surface of the body. "Cooling" herbs such as honeysuckle (Flos Lonicerae Japonicae) and forsythia (Fructus Forsythiae Suspensae) are key herbs in cooling the skin and removing the rash. Even common mint (Herba Menthae Haplocalycis) is used in helping cool heat conditions resulting in a rash. Other herbs are added to direct the function of the prescription. The adolescent condition of acne vulgaris is sometimes treated with a ground herb formula of scutellariae (Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis) and anemarrhenae (Rhizoma Anemarrhenae Asphodeloidis) mixed with a little egg white. Of course, dietary measures are recommended, and acupuncture has proven to be helpful as well.

Intractable, or chronic, skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis have proven difficult to treat by any medical modality.  These conditions are usually long-term and require extended herbal treatment as well as dietary changes and stress control measures, such as meditation, tai chi, or qi gong.  Herbs such as schizonepeta (Herba seu Flos Schizonepetae Tenuifoliae), siler (Radix Ledebouriellae Divaricatae), and burdock (Fructus Arctii Lappae) are frequently used in acute eczema.

Chinese medicine treats these conditions both internally and externally.  Topical applications of a brewed "tea" of crude herbs is common, as is the recommendation to take a tea internally.  An interesting and gratifying approach I've used in my practice to treat contact dermatitis is burning moxa (a cigar-shaped roll of the dried herb mugwort (Artemesia Vulgaris) over the affected area for several minutes a couple of times each day.

One of the topical herbs we use to treat the vesicles associated with Herpes Zoster, or "shingles", is crushed indigo leaf (Indigo Pulverata Levis). Mixed with water, this herb is "painted on" the vesicles several times daily to help cool the lesions and speed the healing process. Of course, other herbs are given internally to address the underlying cause of the disease, and acupuncture is extremely helpful in dealing with the pain.

Other herbs traditionally used in Chinese medicine to treat everything from acne to diabetic non-healing ulcerations are herbs such as astragalus (Radix Astragali Membranacae---yes, the same herb you can use to boost your immune system), crushed halloysite (Halloysitum Rubrum), a plant called dragon's blood (Sanguis Draconis, or Dracaena Cambodia), echinops root (Radix Rhapontici seu Echinops), and even cuttlefish bone (Os Sepia seu Sepiellae).

There are many more combinations of herbs used to treat skin disorders.  These are just a few of them.  Please consult a qualified Oriental Medicine practitioner for further questions about Chinese Medicine and how it can help what's gotten "under your skin."

Skin Herbs
Skin Maintenance
Swelling, Sores & Ulcers