A Review on Medicinal Herbs Used for Acne

Acne vulgaris is a common human skin disease, characterized by areas of skin with seborrhea, comedones, papules, pustules and nodules. It affects mostly skin with the densest population of sebaceous follicles and these areas include the face, upper part of chest and back. Severe acne is inflammatory, but acne can also manifest in non inflammatory forms. Herbal treatment for acne is much safer in comparison to chemical formulations. The main two microbes that infect the acne are Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis.

In addition to using acne herbal treatments, consuming foods that are enriched with beta carotenes and refraining from oily foods are imperative for better response. Tree tea oil, olive leaf extract, aloe vera extract, neem extract etc are few examples of herbs with effective anti acne activity. The alternative systems of medicines like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathic systems have different kinds of treatment for this condition.