The Herbal Library

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Browse every herb in the database by name, category, or the body system it's traditionally associated with.

All categories Aromatic Culinary Medicinal

Filtered by body system:SkinClear

Most minor skin problems can be cared for at home, but see a doctor for deep, infected or slow-healing wounds, serious burns, or rashes that come with a fever. Several of these herbs can cause skin allergies, especially plants in the daisy family such as calendula and mugwort. These herbs are listed because of traditional use or research, not because they're proven treatments.

Results

33 herbs

No. 001Medicinal

Ackee Leaf

Blighia sapida

Leaves of the ackee tree, whose fruit is Jamaica's national dish. The leaves are used in folk medicine for pain, fever and stomach problems. Unripe ackee fruit is poisonous.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

No. 002Medicinal

Alfalfa

Medicago sativa

A widely used food and animal-feed crop, promoted as a supplement for many uses, including lowering cholesterol. Extracts have been studied on skin cells in the lab, but not on skin in people.

Scars, Wrinkles and Skin Aging

No. 003Medicinal

Aloe

Aloe vera

A succulent whose leaf gel is used on burns and skin conditions. Gel on the skin may speed burn healing; aloe taken by mouth carries real risks.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching · Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 004Medicinal

Andrographis

Andrographis paniculata

A bitter herb used across Asia for infections and fevers, and traditionally for skin inflammation and wounds. It has mainly been studied for colds and flu.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching · Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 005Medicinal

Batana

Elaeis oleifera

An oil from the nuts of the American oil palm, used for generations by the Miskito people of Honduras to care for hair and skin. There's no good evidence that it regrows hair.

Hair Loss

No. 006Medicinal

Bearded Scutellaria

Scutellaria barbata

Ban zhi lian, a Chinese herb first used for snake bites and now listed for sores, sore throat, swelling and jaundice. In China it's used alongside cancer treatment; most research is in the lab.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

No. 007Medicinal

Burdock

Arctium lappa

A plant whose root has been eaten as food in Asia for centuries. It is traditionally used as a "blood purifier" and for skin problems, but there is little evidence in people.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

No. 008Medicinal

Calendula

Calendula officinalis

The pot marigold, used in creams and ointments to soothe the skin. It is recognized in Europe for minor skin inflammation such as sunburn and to help minor wounds heal.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching · Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 009Medicinal

Chickweed

Stellaria media

A wild weed found worldwide, eaten as a leafy green and traditionally used for skin problems such as burns, cuts and scratches. It hasn't been studied in people.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching · Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 010Medicinal

Cleavers

Galium aparine

A sticky, fast-growing plant traditionally used to increase urination and relieve bloating, and for swollen glands, fever and wounds. In the lab, an extract helped skin cells heal a scratch.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 011Medicinal

Common Garden Moss

Brachythecium rutabulum

Rough-stalked feather-moss, a common lawn and garden moss probably used in 17th- and 18th-century Europe for dressing wounds and stopping bleeding.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 012Medicinal

Cornelian Cherry

Cornus officinalis

Shan zhu yu, the sour fruit of an Asian dogwood, used in Chinese medicine for about 2,000 years as a liver and kidney tonic and for dizziness, ringing in the ears, frequent urination and heavy sweating. Research so far is in the lab and in animals.

Hair Loss

No. 013Medicinal

English Plantain

Plantago lanceolata

A plant (also called ribwort plantain) whose leaves are recognized in Europe as a traditional medicine for coughs, sore throats and minor skin inflammation.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

No. 014Medicinal

Fo-Ti

Reynoutria multiflora

He shou wu, a popular Chinese root traditionally taken to darken graying hair, as an anti-ageing tonic, and for dizziness and constipation. Hundreds of cases of liver injury have been linked to it, a few of them fatal.

Hair Loss

No. 015Medicinal

Goldenseal

Hydrastis canadensis

A North American plant with a bright yellow root, used by Native Americans on wounds and for skin and eye conditions. There isn't enough research to know whether it helps any health condition.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching · Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 016Medicinal

Honeysuckle

Lonicera japonica

Japanese honeysuckle, or jin yin hua, is a widely used herb in traditional Chinese medicine, taken for fevers, sore throats, skin sores and infections. Most research so far is in the lab and in animals.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

No. 017Medicinal

Horsetail

Equisetum arvense

A plant recognized in Europe as a traditional medicine for minor urinary complaints and, as a wash or dressing, for superficial wounds. One small trial found a horsetail ointment helped episiotomy wounds heal.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 018Medicinal

Jack in the Bush

Chromolaena odorata

One of Jamaica's most popular bush teas for colds and flu, also used in Africa and Asia for fever, wounds and diabetes. Research so far is in the lab and in animals.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 019Medicinal

Jamaican Rat Ears

Peperomia pellucida

A small weed of damp, shady places, also called shining bush, used in Caribbean folk medicine as a cooling remedy and for skin sores. Research so far is limited and often weak.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

No. 020Medicinal

John Charles

Hyptis verticillata

A Caribbean bush in the mint family, used since Maya and Aztec times for breathing, digestive, women's health and skin problems. It hasn't been tested in clinical trials.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

No. 021Medicinal

Marigold

Tagetes erecta

The orange-flowered Mexican marigold, or cempasúchil, used in folk medicine from Mexico to India for fevers, colds, stomach upsets and skin sores. It's a different plant from calendula (pot marigold).

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 022Medicinal

Mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris

A common plant called the "mother of herbs" in the Middle Ages, when it was used on wounds. It is also used in Chinese moxibustion. Mugwort is a major cause of pollen allergy and can cause skin allergies.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching · Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 023Medicinal

Neem

Azadirachta indica

A South Asian tree used in Ayurvedic medicine on the skin and for oral hygiene. Neem works against lice, and a small trial found a neem lotion worked as well as standard treatment for scabies.

Head Lice and Scabies · Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

No. 024Medicinal

Nettle

Urtica dioica

A stinging plant eaten as a spring vegetable and traditionally used for joint pain and urinary complaints.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching · Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 025Medicinal

Pepper Elder

Piper amalago

A plant in the pepper family whose leaves are made into a Jamaican bush tea for colds and flu. Research so far is mostly in rats.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 026Medicinal

Rosehips

Rosa canina

The fruit of wild roses such as the dog rose, rich in vitamin C. Rosehip seed oil and powder have been studied for scars and wrinkles in small trials.

Scars, Wrinkles and Skin Aging

No. 027Medicinal

Sarsaparilla

Smilax ornata

A plant whose root is boiled into Jamaican roots tonics and used for colds and flu. Research on sarsaparilla plants is mostly preliminary lab and animal work.

Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

No. 028Medicinal

Shame O' Lady

Mimosa pudica

The sensitive plant, whose leaves fold up when touched. TRAMIL, the Caribbean traditional-medicine network, recommends it as a tea for period cramps.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 029Medicinal

Snakeroot

Ageratina pichinchensis

A plant native to Mexico, known there as axihuitl, long used in traditional Mexican medicine for skin problems and wounds. Small trials in Mexico have tested extracts for fungal skin and nail infections and leg ulcers.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers · Fungal Skin and Nail Infections (Athlete's Foot, Nail Fungus)

No. 030Medicinal

Sphagnum Moss

Sphagnum spp.

Peat moss, a very absorbent bog moss used in Europe for centuries as a wound dressing and as nappies and bedding for babies.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 031Medicinal

Stemona Root

Stemona species

Bai bu, the root of Stemona plants used across South and East Asia for cough and asthma, and to kill lice and other pests.

Head Lice and Scabies

No. 032Medicinal

Vervain

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis

Called vervain in Jamaica and vervine in Antigua and Trinidad, a weedy plant whose leaves make a "cooling" tea used for the stomach, colds and coughs, and to clean wounds.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

No. 033Medicinal

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

An herb recognised in Europe as a traditional remedy for loss of appetite, mild digestive problems, period cramps and small wounds.

Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers