Herbs for Rashes

Herbs for Rashes
 From Herbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People:



Rashes are usually an allergic reaction.  Occasionally, they can be caused by stress.  We will cover stress under the section on High Blood Pressure and Anxiety.  We will also deal with Allergies under their own section.  This chapter on rashes will focus mainly on topical applications to calm the skin, reduce itching and inflammation.  However, many chronic rashes - eczema, frequent hives, dry itching, etc. have their root cause in an unexpected place: the liver!  Herbs that support liver function are often the most effective long-term treatment for skin disorders.

Herbalists generally have two options when it comes to herbs for liver support.  The first category is to stimulate the liver, and that is usually where we start when symptoms are severe.  The second category is herbs that calm or "cool" the liver, while supporting liver function.  I will get much more into Liver herbs in the later chapter on liver health and herbal energetics.  Here, I will just cover a few that act quickly and are easily kept on hand or found in the wild.

Stimulating liver herbs include Barberry, Oregon Grape and Gentian.   We have discussed Barberry and Oregon Grape before, but in addition to being good antiseptic herbs, berberine is also extremely bitter.  Bitter herbs stimulate the liver and pancreas.  They stimulate saliva, bile and stomach acids.  Berberine stimulates the liver into acting more strongly.  Many allergic reactions can be caused by a weak digestive system - the stomach acids do not break down proteins quickly enough and the immune system confuses food with an invading organism.  An allergic reaction is, essentially, a mistaken immune response.  By stimulating digestion, we reduce the flare ups and by stimulating the liver, toxins are cleansed from the blood more effectively.  Bitter herbs also help with insulin sensitivity, which reduces inflammation in the body.

Gentian (Gentiana) is an herb commonly used in digestive and cocktail bitters.  I recommend that anyone who has allergies of any sort, has any digestive issues or is pre-diabetic, take a sip of bitters before each meal.  Gentian is the main flavor in several cocktail bitters, including Angostura, which is an excellent starting place for one to become accustomed to taking bitters - the bitters are balanced with spices and citrus, and they are actually quite tasty.  A half teaspoonful 5-10 minutes before eating usually makes a world of difference!  Bitters also make food taste better and help prevent indigestion, bloating.  For many reasons, bitters have become the cornerstone of my daily herbal regimen.

Sometimes though, herbs that strongly stimulate the liver are not appropriate for some people.  If the liver is very weak, damaged or overloaded, stimulative herbs may make matters worse.  In such cases, three herbs are especially useful: Milk Thistle, Dandelion and Burdock.

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) is probably the most liver supportive of all herbs.  It not only supports liver function but helps repair liver damage.  According to Plants for A Future:  Silymarin, an extract from the seed, acts on the membranes of the liver cells preventing the entry of virus toxins and other toxic compounds and thus preventing damage to the cells. It also dramatically improves liver regeneration in hepatitis, cirrhosis, mushroom poisoning and other diseases of the liver. German research suggests that silybin (a flavonoid component of the seed) is clinically useful in the treatment of severe poisoning by Amanita mushrooms. Seed extracts are produced commercially in Europe. Regeneration of the liver is particularly important in the treatment of cancer since this disease is always characterized by a severely compromised and often partially destroyed liver. A homeopathic remedy is obtained from equal parts of the root and the seed with its hulls still attached. It is used in the treatment of liver and abdominal disorders.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and Burdock (Arctium) roots are best combined, but either can be used.  These herbs were brought to North America as food and medicine by our ancestors.  It is a shame that we now consider them weeds!  Dandelion is, especially, an excellent wild food.  The greens, picked in the spring before the plant flowers or gets too much sun... or even after flowering, if the plant grows in the shade in good soil, are excellent cooked with a bit of fat and served with vinegar.  The flowers can be used to make wine or syrups.  The unopened buds can be pickled like capers. The stems contain a latex that can remove warts.  The roots may be used as an herbal tea or roasted as a coffee substitute like the very similar plant, Chicory.  Burdock is more commonly eaten in Asia, as a root vegetable.  The leaves are very edible too - I usually use them to wrap meat or fish, to cook on the coals of a campfire.  Mountain trout, stuffed with wild onions and lemony wood sorrel, a little salt and pepper, steams wonderfully in a few layers of Burdock leaves - discard the outer, burned leaves and eat the inner leaves along with the fish.  Including some bacon with the fish makes it a real treat!  Both of these plants though, are mildly bitter, slightly sweet and "cooling" to the liver while supporting liver function.  These herbs can be combined with Licorice for additional lung and kidney support, whereas Gentian cannot - Licorice and Gentian seem to cancel each other out.  They may also be combined with Bugle, which has been traditionally used to reduce liver inflammation and is calming to the entire system through its mildly narcotic effect (narcotic meaning that it slows heart rate and respiration. Bugle is a "mellow" herb, but not necessarily intoxicating for most people.  I would liken it to drinking a beer or two).

Horsetail is an herb we have discussed before.  It is very useful for even festering or scabby rashes, used as a decoction/wash.

False Solomon's Seal (Smilacina racemosa), Labrador Tea and Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) leaves may be used as a tea/wash to sooth rashes.

By far, the best remedy I know of for poison ivy and other, related rashes is another herb we have discussed before, Jewel Weed or Touch Me Not.  Legend has it that Jewel Weed grows wherever poison ivy is found so that it can be used as an immediate remedy.  I cannot attest to this, as I usually encounter poison oak and there is none of the herb to be found where that grows.  Jewel Weed may be applied by simply crushing the fresh plant, as a poultice, or pressing out the aloe-like juice and using that, alone.  Native Americans are said to have used Pepper Grass (Lepidium virginicum) similarly, using the bruised plant as a poultice or a tea of the plant as a wash.  Lady's Thumb or Heart's Ease (polygonum persicaria), Gumweed and the leaves of Burdock may be used the same way.

Horse Nettle (Solanum carolinense) is a poisonous plant that grows commonly in my home state.  Several members of this family have been used traditionally for pain, as anti-spasmodic and sedatives.  Misused, they cause hallucinations and death.  Native Americans are said to have used a poultice of the leaves for poison ivy.  Caution is certainly advised!

White Sage (Artemesia ludoviciana) leaf tea has been used externally as a wash for rashes, skin eruptions and sores.

Sweet Fern (Comptonia peregrina) and Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus) leaf tea has also been used as a wash for poison ivy.

Several trees have been used as a wash for rashes and poison ivy, due to their astringent and tonic effects, that reduce swelling and inflation of the skin.  These include: Smooth Alder (Alnus serrulata), Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), White Oak (Quercus alba), Sassafras, Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Red Oak (Quercus rubra), White Willow (Salix  alba) and American Beech (Fagus grandifolia).

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus Quinquefolia) is said to be especially useful for rashes caused by Poison Sumac.  The leaf tea is used as a wash, and may be more effective when mixed with vinegar.

Fr. Künzle advised using the following herbs for rashes:

The cranesbill (Geranium robertianum), or Herb Robert.

This plant is mostly used externally, is not exactly poisonous, but only acceptable to the stomach when mixed with wine; it is a plant that draws out inflammation. It is a fact, that nasty eye infections, sore throats, swelling of the teeth, swelling of the limbs, etc., quickly disappear in people and cattle when green and crushed cranesbills are applied. If the disease cannot always be cured by this application, this herb often alleviates the greatest pain. When dried, it must be soaked in water. Many other types of geranium, including our well-known indoor geranium, have the same effect.

The cranesbill is actually famous for healing all types of dry or wet eczema, eruptions, rashes and sores. In this case, the herb is boiled and used as a warm bath. In severe cases it is necessary to continue the treatment for a whole month and apart from that, drink a spoonful mixed with wine six to eight times a day.

The cranesbill is also useful for treating swellings and inflammations in cattle. Thanks and praise to the Creator!

All parts of all kinds of the Plantain are used: roots, leaves, flowers and seeds. It cleans the blood, lungs and stomach like no other herb, so it is good for all people who have anemia, bad blood, weak lungs, a weak voice, pale appearance, with rashes, eruptions, eczema, sores, who cough forever, who have a hoarse voice, stay lean like goats, even if you put them in butter. It helps weak children who fall behind in their development despite of good food.

When children are ill with almost all children‘s diseases, especially rashes, eruptions, sores, measles, the children urinate too little. Every mother should pay attention to this first of all, because children will never say anything about it, not even a word. If too little urine comes out, it gets stuck in the body, forms lymph glands or acids or fever; yes, this can lead to severe eye and ear problems, or even to St. Vitus's dance and epilepsy. In the latter case, the excretory organs should be examined by a doctor.

It is very easy to cure too little urine in children. Give the child half a cup of Common couch roots  (Triticum repens), once or twice a day and observe the following signs:

a) Rashes, eruptions, acids, abscesses, spots are due to inadequate quantities of dissolved water. External lubrication with ointments and bathing alone do not help. It means a child needs stronger diuretics. Common couch roots (triticum repens), alpine lady's-mantle (Alchymilla alpina), silver Mantle, Horsetail (Equisetum), Spiny Restharrow (ononis spinosa), should be given as teas separately or mixed, many times a day until the rashes disappear.



The above article is an excerpt from my new book Herbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People




You can read about and purchase Herbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People here: southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2021/10/herbal-medicine-for-preppers.html

Also available on Amazon: Herbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People: Carroll, Judson: 9798491252923: Amazon.com: Books





Disclaimer


The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use any herb I, or anyone else, mentions you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, sensitivity or underlying condition that no one else shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices and not to blame me for anything, ever.

I would like to point out that a true allergic reaction is caused by an IgE surge. The allergen stimulates allergen-specific IgE antibodies which attach to specpific receptors on cells which then release histamines and other inflammatory mediators. This is a very quick reaction with an early phase that occurs within 15 minutes after exposure and a later reaction that occurs 4-6 hours after the first symptoms disappear. This second phase can last for days or even weeks. These are so quick and so intense that it is usually quite noticeable and evident that it is an allergic reaction.

Besides being sensitized to something and having an allergic reaction, other causes of rashes would be contact with a toxin that irritates the skin, infectious agents (viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal), heat, autoimmune conditions, stress can bring on rashes in some individuals which is a neuroendocrine reaction. It is also thought by some practitioners including myself that a leaky gut can lead to inflammation anywhere, including the skin.

There are so many different ways to view rashes and this is my take on it: Any type of inflammatory reaction including a rash, no matter what the factors and process, is related to the level of reaction by our immune system. For those who have over-reactive immune systems such as is seen in allergies, using treatments such as herbs, supplements, or lifestyle changes to modulate the immune system can be helpful. Similar treatments can be used to support the biotransformation system (AKA detox system) also, as the biotransformation process of the body helps to remove both environmental toxins as well as well as many excess products our body makes. Most cells and organs in the body have been shown to be involved in the biotransformation process, but the liver is the major power-house of this process, and one of the reasons liver herbs are helpful in all inflammatory reactions including allergies. Sometimes you can figure out which part of the biotransformation process is lacking from a person's symptoms,lab values or other data they share. This helps to  better support them. However, ultimately you really want to know what caused them to have a dysregulated immune system, biotransformation system, digestive system, liver, kidneys etc. Although genetics do certainly play a part for all of us, usually it is the epigenetics, or the environmental factors that are actually the big players. If we can figure out if someone is working in a toxic environment causing their dysregulation, or has high mercury levels, or is living in a moldy building, has an infection they don't know about,  is under extreme stress, or any number of other possibilities then we can get to the root of their problem and stop the rash as well as many other issues that stemmed from the causative agent.

I am in the process of finishing an article on the use of therapeutic helminths (parasitic worms) for autoimmune disease and allergies. There is a growing amount of research in this area, and  has been useful for those who are continually inflamed and simply can't get well again, or continuously relapse. Specific types of helminths are being used for everything from allergies, to multiple sclerosis. Not an herb, but fascinating that some of the helminths that we coevolved with, and recently separated from, are appearing to be a missing link for those with immune systems on fire.

Sharol Tilgner wrote:I would like to point out that a true allergic reaction is caused by an IgE surge. The allergen stimulates allergen-specific IgE antibodies which attach to specpific receptors on cells which then release histamines and other inflammatory mediators. This is a very quick reaction with an early phase that occurs within 15 minutes after exposure and a later reaction that occurs 4-6 hours after the first symptoms disappear. This second phase can last for days or even weeks. These are so quick and so intense that it is usually quite noticeable and evident that it is an allergic reaction.

Besides being sensitized to something and having an allergic reaction, other causes of rashes would be contact with a toxin that irritates the skin, infectious agents (viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal), heat, autoimmune conditions, stress can bring on rashes in some individuals which is a neuroendocrine reaction.

There are so many different ways to view rashes and this is my take on it: Any type of inflammatory reaction including a rash, no matter what the factors and process, is related to the level of reaction by our immune system. For those who have over-reactive immune systems such as is seen in allergies, using treatments such as herbs, supplements, or lifestyle changes to modulate the immune system can be helpful. Similar treatments can be used to support the biotransformation system (AKA detox system) also, as the biotransformation process of the body helps to remove both environmental toxins as well as well as many excess products our body makes. Most cells and organs in the body have been shown to be involved in the biotransformation process, but the liver is the major power-house of this process, and one of the reasons liver herbs are helpful in all inflammatory reactions including allergies. Sometimes you can figure out which part of the biotransformation process is lacking from a person's symptoms,lab values or other data they share. This helps to  better support them. However, ultimately you really want to know what caused them to have a dysregulated immune system, biotransformation system, digestive system, liver, kidneys etc. Although genetics do certainly play a part for all of us, usually it is the epigenetics, or the environmental factors that are actually the big players. If we can figure out if someone is working in a toxic environment causing their dysregulation, or has high mercury levels, or is living in a moldy building, has an infection they don't know about,  is under extreme stress, or any number of other possibilities then we can get to the root of their problem and stop the rash as well as many other issues that stemmed from the causative agent.

I am in the process of finishing an article on the use of therapeutic helminths (parasitic worms) for autoimmune disease and allergies. There is a growing amount of research in this area, and  has been useful for those who are continually inflamed and simply can't get well again, or continuously relapse. Specific types of helminths are being used for everything from allergies, to multiple sclerosis. Not an herb, but fascinating that some of the helminths that we coevolved with, and recently separated from, are appearing to be a missing link for those with immune systems on fire.

All very interesting - thanks for sharing and I hope to be able to read that article!

Hi Judson,

I just posted that article you were interested in on my website at https://youarethehealer.org/parasitic-worms-to-treat-autoimmune-disease/ The short rundown is that parasitic worms, or helminths, as most researchers call them, are used to modulate the immune system and the digestive flora. There is a lot of research around this strange topic and a lot of benefits are gained for those with robust immune systems causing them inflammatory issues. We coevolved with these worms and it was only recently that many of us increased our hygiene and no longer have them on board. It is also recently that we have had an explosion of autoimmunity, and allergies. Studies have found countries where there are more worms have less autoimmunity.  

I cover some of the more commonly studied worms. Here are a few of the key points:

Helminths in general have been found to help with a variety of inflammatory conditions, allergies and various autoimmune disease.

They have been shown to have specific mechanisms by which they modulate immunity of the host.

It has been theorized that some of our immune inherited genes may make us more prone to needing helminth association. Therefore, certain individuals would be more helped by helminths. It is not as if everyone needs them. Northern Europeans appear to have a more robust immune system and often in this case do well with worms.

Using worms that stay in the lumen of the digestive tract make this type of therapy look safer and more appealing in my opinion.

When using hookworms for treatment there is a specific subspecies, NA457 that is used.

Many people with autoimmune diseases are using drugs that they find  cause them a lot of side effects that are hard to live with. I think we should further investigate the use of parasitic worms to treat autoimmune diseases and spare individuals these terrible side effects.

Helminths may have a future treating a number of afflictions from histamine over-expression and SIBO to multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. They may change the entire face of autoimmune treatment and other inflammatory disease in the near future.

Safety concerns about using helminths are being addressed by use of specific Genus, species and even subspecies as well as controlling dose.  Using those parasites that do not reproduce in the host has been key to choosing the specific types of worms used.

If you check out the article and are interested in it, you will also find Dr. Nenninger's book on the use of hookworms fascinating. There is a link to it if you want to read it also. He has had a lot of personal experience using them on him and his family who all have servere autoimmunity. He has also had quite a bit of experience using them with his patients.

I realize there is a huge ick factor to get by with this therapy, and drug companies are trying to copy various proteins the worms make and they plan to provide them as drugs to people with autoimmune diseases. However, the worms appear to be more like conductors of our immune system and gut flora. Although, the drug proteins might help, I wonder if they would ever be able to reach the state of finesse that some of these worms offer in their minute to minute modulation of our flora and immune system. Natures methods even in the case of parasitic therapay may offer much more than a drug ever could.

Very cool, thanks.  I have read some on this topic - excited to read your article!

Yellow Dock tincture is first rate itch relief when dealing with poison oak. I had a terrible rash. I almost went to the hospital. Arm was badly swollen and blisters around it entirely. I also had it various places elsewhere, about 30% of my body.I was using apple cider vinegar for itch relief and it worked moderately well but when I put Yellow dock on the itch the itchiness dissolved immediately. It was miraculous!
I hope someone might benefit from this info.

Jean GreenBean wrote:Yellow Dock tincture is first rate itch relief when dealing with poison oak. I had a terrible rash. I almost went to the hospital. Arm was badly swollen and blisters around it entirely. I also had it various places elsewhere, about 30% of my body.I was using apple cider vinegar for itch relief and it worked moderately well but when I put Yellow dock on the itch the itchiness dissolved immediately. It was miraculous!
I hope someone might benefit from this info.

Yellow dock is an excellent herb!