SKINIPEDIA - Skin Encyclopedia: Skin Inflammation & Herbs
SKIN INFLAMMATION: Chilling Out
with Anti-Inflammatory
Herbs
SKIN INFLAMMATION is one of the leading client
complaints heard by professional skin
therapists today. Everything from gritty city
air to facial waxing, from irritating cosmetic
ingredients (lanolin, artificial colors, artificial
fragrances) to the many-headed modern monster
we call stress can trigger the range of symptoms
collectively known as inflammation.
Environmental sensitization, which is the skin’s
response to a myriad of manmade irritants
(cigarette smoke, carpet outgassing, cleaning
products, solvents and fumes from innumerable
toxic substances frequently present in the
workplace and home), is an increasingly common
condition, causing allergy-like reactions in the
skin. Because of the omnipresence of these toxic
triggers, environmentally sensitized skin may be
very difficult to treat conclusively.
Many of the most effective antidotes to red,
itchy skin have their humble origins in the
garden—oats immediately come to mind, with a
clinical colloidal oatmeal mask being the current
interpretation of a soothing skin treatment that is
literally centuries old. Three other familiar plants
with ancient healing histories—chamomile,
comfrey and licorice—persist today as a few of the
most effective and safe ingredients for topically
addressing skin inflammation that results from a
variety of causes.
Chamomile
Many of us associate chamomile, a member of
the daisy family, with a grandmotherly cup of
tea to “calm the nerves” or to ease a gastrointestinal
complaint. The Egyptians called
chamomile “the plant’s physician,” believing
that its presence in a garden kept surrounding
plants healthy. In German, chamomile is often
called alles zutraut, meaning that it can do anything—
and indeed, over the centuries,
chamomile teas and baths and warm abdominal
compresses have been recommended as an
analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-neuralgic, a
digestive, and disinfectant, to name just a few
of its uses. Today, the range of conditions that
are treated with chamomile include PMS, anemia,
arthritis and asthma, colic, insect bites,
conjunctivitis, eczema, flatulence, insomnia,
menopause and razor burn! Documentation
of most of these treatments is anecdotal, but it
is undeniable that chamomile brings with it a
heavy-hitting history.
Two forms of chamomile are widely used
today, German (Matricaria recutita) and
Roman (Anthemis nobile). Chamomile oil is a
deep-blue or bluish-green liquid that turns
green and, finally, brown when exposed to light
and air. The oil contains alpha-bisabolol, bisabolol
oxides, matricin and azulene. The latter
is responsible for its deep-blue color, while the
bisabolol and its derivatives contribute to the
anti-inflammatory and anti-itch properties.
Other active compounds that contribute to
chamomile’s effectiveness include the
flavonoids, a class of water-soluble plant pigments.
While they are not considered vital
nutrients, several of the flavonoids are believed
to help strengthen capillaries and other connective
tissue, while others have demonstrated
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action on
the skin. Flavonoids such as apigenin, luteolin
and quercetin may be responsible for
chamomile’s long history of use as an antiinflammatory.
One double-blind study found
that topical applications of chamomile were 60
percent as effective as a 0.25 percent hydrocortisone
cream without the negative side effects
of hydrocortisone. The soothing, wound-healing
properties of chamomile also explain its
popularity as a salve for bed-sores among
elderly hospital patients. In many traditional
cultures, as well as in contemporary alternative
usage (e.g., health food stores), chamomile is
used to treat gum disease and canker sores.
Modern use of chamomile began in the 1920s when a German firm produced topical chamomile cream for a wide variety of skin disorders including skin inflammation caused by radiation therapy and contact dermatitis such as poison ivy. The flowers of the chamomile plant yield the pale yellow essential oil, which is the active ingredient in many topical skin products, as well as tablets, teas and other internal applications.
One of the most effective methods of using
chamomile to soothe sensitive, delicate skin is
in serum form, combined with other antiinflammatory
botanicals such as red raspberry,
calendula and cornflower. In combination,
these extracts, each with its own rich, traditional
history, quickly help to reduce skin irritation,
including acne and razor burn. St. John’s wort
is also an effective partner with chamomile
when used to calm mild to moderate (noninfected)
acne lesions, and aloe and chamomile
used in tandem are an ancient duo, which
simultaneously calm and hydrate the skin.
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