The Skin—
Wounds and First Aid
The skin does a lot: as the largest organ of the body, it is composed of the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis. The skin performs a variety of functions: it protects us from pathogens, dirt, debris, and damage; it controls evaporation of fluids, allowing us to sweat (something dogs cannot do), which is tied to our adrenal system; it keeps water in, which is a useful thing to remember when you’re addressing burn wounds and trauma victims, and it allows us to sense the outside world through touch and the perception of temperature. Because it is connected to blood vessels and muscle cells, the skin helps regulate internal body temperature;
The skin gives us signals through the day indicating our environment, who or what might be close by, and even—if we know how to interpret—information about what’s going on in our internal organs, including our digestive and circulatory systems. Many healers palpate the skin as a key diagnostic tool. Touching the body to detect heat, sweat, swelling, moistness or drying is a method long used by Tibetan, Chinese, and Ayurvedic practitioners.
The skin is both easy to evaluate and difficult to master. Each person looks different, which is why a holistic approach to both diagnosis and treatment is essential. Taking a person’s entire experience into account (physical, dietary, mental, emotional, spiritual, and future perspective) is key to learning what herbs and foods may best help complete this person’s picture of health. That, after all, is what herbalists and other healing arts practitioners do—we don’t prescribe, nor do we tell a person what he or she needs. We facilitate as a person learns to feel their best. Killing microorganisms is secondary. Attaining perfect health is also secondary—a philosophy that may surprise some people, especially those who look at herbal healing as an adjunct of allopathic medicine and another method through which he or she can attain the “magic bullet.” There is no magic bullet here, and the primary emphasis of any herbalist’s work with a client should be to help that client discover his or her optimum experience.
Eczema, Psoriasis, Rashes, and Topical Yeast Infection
Eczema and psoriasis are difficult to evaluate and remedy simply because they affect a wide range of people (aged, elderly, babies, men, women, smokers, vegetarians) and because they appear in various places on the body, look different on each person, and can be triggered by a wide range of factors.
Each may be only superficial (the result of direct external contact with an irritant or toxin) or they may result from an inner imbalance in the liver or digestive system. The skin eruptions (inflammation, rashes, and itching) are symptoms (expressions) of a much deeper imbalance in the gastrointestinal, hepatic, nervous, or reproductive systems. The cause of eczema frequently lies in the digestive tract; clients suffering from eczema or related rashes should be examined for liver health and should explore food allergies in addition to exploring antifungal herbs.
I recognize the fear and concern of those dealing with these bizarre and abnormal irritations, especially when the eruptions occur frequently and “for no apparent reason.” Some are severe and can appear in alarming places, such as the eyelids. Sometimes children scratch themselves raw, and even adults are so bothered by the itching they must put socks on their hands at night to keep from making the infection worse. There are a number of plants from which you can make effective remedies for both external and internal relief, and we’ll go into these in detail shortly. Eczema and psoriasis begin inside the body but express themselves through the skin (and other organs).
What’s the difference between eczema and psoriasis? In general, eczema is characterized by oozing, red, blister-like pustules that itch and often crust over. These red, yellow, or orange eczema blisters are usually found in the warm, moist areas of the body: in the creases of the elbows and knees, the folds of the neck, or in the navel, though they can also be flat and found on more dry places, such as cheeks and the backs of hands and fingers, where the blisters appear swollen, dry, and are extremely tender. Eczema is thought to have two causes: an allergy to an external irritant (such as industrial solvents, dyes, soaps, shampoos, or even heat), and diet. Many people clear eczema by removing dairy, wheat, or sugar from their diet.
Psoriasis is characterized by gray-colored, dry scales usually found on the dry, bony parts of the body—the elbows, kneecaps, or ribs. Something triggers the skin cells to proliferate more quickly than they can be shed, and these cells build up in one spot, creating an uncomfortable mass of skin and scales. Most remedies involve changing the diet, moisturizing the area, and gently scrubbing to remove the scales. Herbalists should also consider nervine tonics as stress appears to be a factor.
Yeast is normal both internally and externally; Candida albicans, a type of fungal yeast, lives in the gut, throughout the digestive system, in the vagina, and on the surface of the skin. Yeast becomes a problem when it overproliferates often due to antibiotic or other drug use, or due to the intake of excessively sugary and starchy foods. Externally, “good” microbes are washed away (or killed by solvents, harsh chemicals, dyes, and contaminants), or excretory systems including the liver are unable to remove excess yeast through normal means.
General protocols for eczema, psoriasis, and yeast infection include:
There are a number of herbal methods for addressing eczema, psoriasis, and yeast. The goal in treating eczema should be to soothe the client (both the skin and the emotions), and to bring the body’s microbial environment into balance. Apply emollient herbs to the skin to soothe the itch, redness, and heat. These herbs include:
All of these herbs are safe to use on the youngest infant; either make a tea from the herbs, dip a soft cloth in the tea, wring it slightly, and apply it to the affected area, or chop the herbs, infuse them in oil, and melt with beeswax to make a salve that can be smeared on the area. Also consider applying fresh unsweetened yogurt to the affected skin, as this will introduce Lactobacillium directly to the area where a yeast infection may be present.
Antibacterial and antifungal herbs reduce the infection; these include the mildest, such as calendula, raspberry seed, black cumin seed (Nigella), and kukui nut (Aleurites moluccanus) oil, to the strongest, which in my experience is pau d’arco:
Tier 3 corollary herbs include those that tone and nourish the liver so that this metabolizing and excretory organ can perform at peak capacity. Hepatic (liver nourishing) herbs have a long history of safety and efficacy, both in America and Europe. Apple cider vinegar is the menstruum of choice when making tinctures with hepatic herbs. They function best when consumed as foods (in stews, soups, and chopped into salads):
Eczema, Psoriasis, Rashes, and Topical Yeast Infection Formulas
A Formula for Eczema (as a tincture or tea to drink)
Another Formula for Eczema (as a tincture or tea to drink)
Another Formula for Eczema (as a rinse, salve, liniment, or oil)
Another Formula for Eczema (as a rinse, salve, liniment, or oil)
Another Formula for Psoriasis (as a tincture or tea to drink)
Another Formula for Psoriasis (as an oil or salve)
First Aid: Healing Burns
Burns can range in severity from a mild sunburn to a fourth degree burn, in which the burn compromises or destroys not only the epidermal or underlying tissues but also extends deeper to affect muscle tissues and/or bones. Every degree of burn in between is dangerous and should be assessed by qualified health care practitioners, especially since burns can change over time, when what is initially thought to be a mild superficial burn turns into a deeper (and riskier) injury. Along with burns come the corollary issues of infection, and possibly shock, cardiovascular problems, and with very serious burns, the possibility of death. Always treat burns with great respect and seek immediate attention, especially if there is any display by the burn victim of shock, confusion, hyperventilation, excessive blood loss, etc.
This book will address mild burns that can be attended to at home, using common sense and the skills necessary to properly clean and bandage a wound. The herbalist’s job in addressing burn injuries is to:
Our herbal heritage offers a wide range of healing herbs for burn-damaged tissues. A number of herbs create a mucilaginous “gel” when steeped in water, and this oozy gel can be applied directly to mild burn wounds. Specifically, marshmallow (Malva sylvestris) and plantain (Plantago major) are useful. Chop the mallow root or the plantain leaf coarsely, and simmer it lightly in a shallow pan of water. The longer it simmers, the more gelatinous the water will become; after 20 or 30 minutes, the pan will contain a slimy liquid. Carefully skim out the herbal matter and use this slimy liquid as the healing medium on the burn, either placing the skin in direct contact with the (cooled) pan of water, or soaking a soft cloth in the pan, gently wringing it, and placing this directly on the burn. (Flannel is best, cotton is good, wool is too coarse—be careful of any hairs.)
Also consider lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) blossoms and leaves, as lavender is a soothing and calming herb with essential oils that have been shown to reduce the formation of scar tissue. But be careful about using it on fresh burns as it may be too intense, and never use essential oils directly on freshly burned tissue.
Be aware of other potential issues such as headache, vomiting, accelerated heartbeat, loss of electrolytes, and shock. Shock should be addressed by a qualified health care practitioner (at the emergency room), but these other issues may be carefully supervised at home. Headache responds well to analgesic herbs such as willow (Salix spp.), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium or Chrysanthemum parthenium). Other soothing remedies can include a cup of warm chamomile tea (Matricaria recutita) to soothe the nerves and calm the stomach if the person is likely to “freak out” or vomit. Topically, as the burn heals and the skin reforms (depending on the severity of the burn, this could take several days), other soothing herbs can be applied topically, including calendula, chickweed, comfrey, red clover, lavender, lemon balm, elder leaf, elderflower, and even yarrow (once the wound is dry and all blisters have disappeared). The best applications for these herbs are in soothing oils (including olive, safflower, sunflower, wheat germ, hemp, or sweet almond oils), or in honey.
It’s easy to prepare a medicinal honey for topical application. Honey has been used for centuries in many countries as an immediate first-aid remedy for burns, since it is a humectant (it retains moisture), and it creates a natural barrier on the skin, protecting the work of regenerating skin tissue underneath. Honey can be contaminated by yeasts or salmonella bacteria, but in clean environments the external application of fresh clean honey is generally safe. To infuse the honey, crush or chop the herbs (use those listed above), place them in a clean, dry saucepan, and submerge them in honey. Allow to sit, covered, overnight, or for several hours. Gently bring to a simmer—only enough to reliquefy the honey—and strain out the herbs. Bottle the honey into a sterilized jar (canning jars work well for this), and apply the honey to the burn. Such infused honey is delicious and can also be eaten, and because of its immune-stimulating properties may be a wonderful addition to the diet of the burn victim during recuperation.
Burn Formulas
A Formula for Mild Burns (as a tincture or tea to drink)
A Formula for Mild Burns
(as a salve, oil, compress, or infused honey)
Another Formula for Mild Burns
(as a salve, oil, compress or infused honey)
First Aid: Healing Wounds
Wounds require a slightly different healing tactic than burns. Wounds include scrapes, cuts, bruises, lacerations, punctures, splinters, gouges, and “strawberries,” all of which can call for various actions from the materia medica. Punctures are especially risky since they can push anaerobic bacteria deep into the tissues, leading to tetanus infection. Deep puncture wounds require medical evaluation and cleaning using an iodine antiseptic or hydrogen peroxide and a wash of antibacterial herbs such as goldenseal, oregano, or thyme.
Most wounds can be addressed using the following actions:
Vulneraries
Most wounds involve bleeding and the compression or tearing of tissues, which aggravates the muscles underneath, tears nerve endings, and exposes tender tissue to air. Vulneraries “sew” skin tissues back together (comfrey and yarrow) or kill germs (goldenseal or thyme). Every culture has its favorite wound herbs: British-Israeli Gypsy herbalist and veterinarian Juliette de Bairacli Levy loved using rosemary 69; yarrow is a favorite in Western herbal medicine because it is healing to torn tissues and styptic, stopping blood flow quickly. Etymologically, if you are vulnerable, you can be hurt, so a wound healing herb is called a vulnerary.
Astringent
These herbs dry up a wet, oozing, bloody, or pus-filled wound so that it can heal. Many astringents contain tannins that bind tissues together, assisting with clot formations and creating quick coverings over a wound so that contaminants cannot enter. Consider cranesbill, shepherd’s purse, cinquefoil, witch hazel, goldenrod, and yarrow. It’s easy to make a water-based rinse or wash with oak leaves or witch hazel leaves, once all foreign debris has been cleaned from a wound.
Anti-inflammatory
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury; blood rushes to the area causing swelling and heat. Where inflammation is extreme, causing pain, or interfering with other healing efforts, anti-inflammatories are useful. Generally, cooling and calming anti-inflammatories are called for. Anti-inflammatories for burns and wounds include calendula, plantain, red clover, and violet leaf. These can be applied as a compress, a liniment, or infused in oil and used as a tier 2 specific, a tier 3 corollary, or a tier 4 Vehicle. Strong anti-inflammatories include:
Emollient
Soothing herbs used externally to soften the skin, bring elasticity back to the skin, and cool or soothe heat and pain. Consider the anti-inflammatories mentioned above as well as aloe vera, mallow, slippery elm, lavender, red clover, elderflower, rose, and comfrey, which can only be applied once deeper serrations have been healed, since it works so quickly.
Antibacterial
These can often be too strong for use on burns but are indicated on general wounds. Strong germ-killing herbs include goldenseal, thyme, oregano, sage, yarrow, mint, and calendula, all of which can be used in compress or liniment form (avoid making poultices for open wounds as pieces of the herb can irritate healing tissues).
Nervine Tonic
As with any first aid or trauma treatment, assisting the patient with emotional stress is a large part of the holistic philosophy. It’s not enough to simply disinfect the wound; it’s important to ease the person back into a state of comfort and even joy after they’ve been through a stressful period of fear, panic, guilt, confusion, or pain, and while they’re going through what can be a humiliating, stressful, or possibly even embarrassing period of recovery. Emotional stress can be alleviated with herbs in tier 1:
Analgesic
In trauma situations and injuries, analgesic herbs are palliative remedies that allow healing to begin while the patient’s attention can be drawn elsewhere. Since pain is the body’s response to trauma, constant nagging pain is an endless reminder to the patient that something is terribly wrong, and this (sometimes unconscious) realization can lead to insomnia, fear, and anxiety, creating a psychosomatic barrier that delays physical healing. Relieving pain lets the person relax so the body can heal itself.
Wound Formulas
A Formula for Wounds (as a tincture or tea to drink)
A Formula for Wounds (as a salve, compress, or poultice)
Be sure to provide plenty of fresh, clean drinking water, since the body tends to “freeze” many of its functions immediately after a trauma, and it will slowly resume these functions once it has perceived the danger is past. For example, digestive function may slow down or temporarily stop, and immediately after such an injury, heart rate and peripheral vascular resistance increase, meaning the heart pumps harder and faster while the blood vessels contract more, leading to a decrease in cardiac output. This prepares the body for an emergency. Slowly, though, approximately twenty-four hours after major burn or other severe laceration injury, cardiac output returns to normal. Drinking water “kick-starts” the body’s fluid systems, and consuming vital electrolytes is crucial to maintaining the proper saline balance for bodily fluid systems.
Finally, assisting the person with bandaging, hygiene, and gentle mobility are all important in helping return to a normal, calm, and productive state of being.
Dry Skin
Dry skin is a common complaint among the elderly, as well as among those who have poor digestive systems, have been taking prescription medications for a long time, or who work in trades where chemical contaminants are the norm. Nobody wants dry skin; it sags, hangs, looks pallid, and is not an effective barrier for keeping the body healthy. Normal healthy skin is supposed to protect the body, retain moisture, and repel germs. Dry skin can harbor germs under scaling cells that continually need to slough off, and its lack of elasticity makes it ill-suited to the job of protection.
Holistic questions include the following: Is she drinking enough water? Is he stressed and exhausted? Is her diet poor, or does she have digestive problems leading to poor nutrient absorption? Is she on high-calcium medication? Or are parasites suspected? It’s important to look beneath the surface (literally in this case) to determine the real cause. Most healthy aging people experience supple skin and radiant color, and sagging pallid skin is not the norm.
There are many herbs to call on in support of healthy, well-nourished skin, including nervine tonics (which will be the bulk of the formula in tier 1), emollients, hepatics, cardiac tonics (for better circulation), and digestive aids (especially bitters).
Nervine tonics include those mentioned before, such as lemon balm, motherwort, chamomile, skullcap, red clover, nettle, rhodiola, gotu kola, and passionflower. Motherwort and chamomile are especially useful if high blood pressure is a problem due to anxiety.
Hepatic herbs include dandelion, burdock (especially useful if skin eruptions or acne are a problem), milk thistle, turmeric, and motherwort (these last two are useful if anxiety is an issue).
Cardiac herbs may be useful if blood circulation is not up to par. If the heart cannot pump enough blood at the proper pace, and the blood vessels cannot carry it with the proper strength, then the skin (among other organs) is not getting an adequate supply of oxygen, which can lead to over-dryness. Cardiac toning herbs include hawthorn (good for high blood pressure), prickly ash (useful for increasing circulation to the periphery—such as for cold hands and feet), motherwort (useful for stress, anxiety and tension as well as toning the heart), and linden (a general tonic for hypertension). Other stimulating herbs for the bloodstream, heart, and periphery include ginger, rosemary, and gentian (Gentiana lutea), while cayenne and ginkgo strengthen blood flow (to the periphery and head). These indirect support herbs belong in tier 3 or 4 for the skin.
Finally, emollient herbs are soothing, anti-inflammatory moisturizers that help build skin tissue, soothe periphery nerve endings, alleviate itch, and give elasticity and tone. Plant-derived oils such as jojoba, grapeseed, hemp, olive, sweet almond, wheat germ, castor bean, avocado, kukui nut, raspberry seed, and black cumin seed are also emollient. In addition to emollient herbs already discussed, consider rinses or lotions of:
Dry Skin Formulas
A Formula for Dry Skin (as a tincture or tea to drink)
A Formula for Dry Skin (as a salve, lotion, or oil)
Acne and Skin Eruptions
We all remember our emotionally painful days of adolescence when we were forced to go to school with pimples or zits on our faces. It can be easy to drop a fortune at the nearest pharmacy for over-the-counter or even prescription acne medications. Beyond adolescence, adults can experience acne and skin eruptions for a variety of reasons, including medications, exposure to toxins, liver disease, and stress. Over-the-counter and prescription acne medications seldom work, may disfigure the face even more, contain harsh chemicals that are inhaled and absorbed through the broken lesions, include unnecessary and harmful steroids, and fail to teach our children about the connection between our bodies and Mother Nature.
At puberty, hormones called androgens begin surging forth, those masculinizing hormones that indicate in both sexes that change is underway. Androgens stimulate the sebaceous glands, among others, increasing the volume and thickness of the skin’s oil secretions, as well as storing more lipids (fats) in the follicles. Together with emotional ups and downs (which affect the nervous system and the adrenal glands), the teenager’s hormonal system seems to launch an assault on the child’s skin, resulting in mild acne (a few pimples, blackheads, or whiteheads) or severe acne (spreading pustules, inflamed cysts, and possibly infected sores) across the sebaceous gland areas of the skin: the face, shoulders, upper back, and chest.
For both adolescents and adults, herbal healing addresses the hormonal, nervous, and digestive systems. Anti-inflammatories and topical astringents are useful, and especially lymphatic tonics since they help “drain” fluids from the body and have a strong effect on our core immunity. The treatment for males and females may differ, given the difference in sex hormones, although each sex has the same hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, androgen) but in varying amounts. Tier 2 Specifics for acne include:
Emollient herbs soothe the area where scabs have crusted over and the skin needs a moisturizer. Consider calendula, red clover, and chickweed in a light oil such as sunflower or safflower.
Acne and Skin Eruption Formulas
A Formula for Acne for males (as a tincture)
A Formula for Acne for females (as a tincture)
A Formula for Acne (externally as a wash or rinse)
When using the external wash, rinse with cool water and avoid the eyes.
Because the results are fast and effective, herbal remedies for the skin are well-known and diverse. Our access to strong and safe antimicrobials, antifungals, and antiparasitic herbs, as well as soothing emollients, gives us many options for supporting and assisting the client suffering both acute and chronic issues of the skin.