topical herbs for dry skin

[Guest guest]

I am looking for article, links and informaton on Chinese herbs used

topically for dry skin.

 

Thank you

Hillary

[Guest guest]

>I am looking for article, links and informaton on Chinese herbs used

>topically for dry skin.

 

This is not TCM, but castor oil massaged into dry skin can help a lot. It's

a very heavy oil with some very unusual properties. If the dry skin is

extensive, a few drops of castor oil in the bath water often can help.

 

The unusual properties are that it reduces inflammation, reduces swelling,

helps the body to fight infection, and improves lymph flow when used as a

pack. To make a castor oil pack, fold a piece of flannel 2 or 3

thicknesses, pour some castor oil onto the flannel, place over the problem

area, put a towel over the flannel (castor oil is VERY messy and hard to

wash out of clothes and bedding), place a heating pad or hot water bottle

over it, and leave in place for at least an hour. You may want to put a

piece of plastic wrap over the towel as the castor oil can be very messy.

Some recommend heating the castor oil first, but I've found that the heating

pad takes care of that.

 

I used it over the liver area back when I was very sick and the liver was

swollen and painful back when I still had an active case of chronic mono. I

also used it to get rid of bursitis in the hip. It doesn't work in all

cases of bursitis, but for me it worked better than drugs and without the

side effects. Using the treatment two days in a row relieves the bursitis

for several months.

 

I've also rubbed it into dry skin areas, and it worked better than any

lotion I've tried. Massaging it in may be enough, but some people may need

to use a pack over the dry skin area.

 

Castor oil packs are contraindicated while a woman has her period. Also in

cases of cancer.

 

I've done some experimenting with castor oil packs over acupoint areas that

are painful. (This may be why it worked in the case of the bursitis I had

in the hips. Some of the acupoints in the general area were quite sore.)

 

I'd also be concerned with why the skin is dry. Is the course of the dry

skin over a meridian? For example, a patch of dry skin on the front of the

thigh along the course of the Stomach meridian. There may be an imbalance

in the meridian. Or, is there an Interior imbalance like a Lung or Liver or

Stomach imbalance? The Lungs control the skin. " The Lungs receive fluids

from the Spleen and spread them to the skin all over the body. This gives

the skin and hair nourishment and moisture. If the Lung function of

dispersing fluids is normal, the skin will have lustre, the hair will be

glossy, the opening and closing of the pores and sweating will be normal.

If this function is impaired, the skin and hair will be deprived of

nourishment and moisture, and the skine may be rough and dry, and the hair

have a withered and dry quality. " (Giovanni Maciocia, The Foundations of

, pp. 85-86.)

 

BUT, the Lungs are not the only possible Root of dry skin and other skin

problems. Skin problems also can be " related to the condition of Blood and,

through this, to the Liver. Hence, not all skin diseases are related to the

Lungs. Many skin conditions are due to Heat or stasis of Blood and are

related to the condition of the Liver. Furthermore, Heat in the Blood can

also derive from Stomach-Heat so that some skin diseases are related to the

Stomach.

 

" Dry skin usually indicates deficiency of Liver-Blood, whilst itchy skin is

due to Wind. " (Foundations, p. 149)

 

Note for those new to TCM: Color tones in the skin also can be diagnostic.

For example, a yellowish cast can indiate Spleen problems. Maciocia

mentions two different yellow skin tones. If the yellow is bright and

clear, this can indicate " Yang jaundice " which is due to Damp Heat. If the

yellow is dull, this can indicate " Yin jaundice " due to Damp Cold. (p. 149)

 

Bluish or blackish tones can indicate Kidney imbalance and/or Cold. Any

time you see a purplish tone in the tongue body, the lips, or the skin,

suspect Blood Stasis. A greenish cast can indicate Liver imbalance. (But

greenish veins in the neck can go along with Blood Stasis. " There are

greenish blue sinews (i.e. veins) which look angry and distended, full and

exubderant in the region of the neck. " Yan De-Xin, Aging and Blood Stasis,

p. 54.) Red in the complexion points to Heat. A solid redness to Excess

Heat; a mottled redness (what Maciocia called a " malar flush " to Deficiency

Heat (aka Yin Deficiency). A pale complexion can be due to Lung imbalance

and/or Qi Deficiency (bright white) and/or Blood Deficiency (dull white).

 

Victoria

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine, acugirlnyc@a... wrote:

> I am looking for article, links and informaton on Chinese herbs used

> topically for dry skin.

 

 

Try increasing your water intake. Again, this isn't TCM, but it's

worth taking a look at - http://www.watercure.com And it's pretty

inexpensive, if not free.

 

sue

[Guest guest]

>Try increasing your water intake. Again, this isn't TCM, but it's

>worth taking a look at - http://www.watercure.com And it's pretty

>inexpensive, if not free.

 

Thanks, Sue.

 

One of my nieces has severe headaches linked to dehydration. When she's

careful to drink at least 8 glasses a day, she avoids headaches. When she

forgets, she gets headaches.

 

One of the things I want to explore in more detail and understand better

from a TCM standpoint are the exact TCM mechanisms (etiology) that lead to

Fluid Deficiency and Blood Deficiency.

 

Two of the reasons why people often don't drink enough water or liquids are

1). Dampness and 2). Yang Deficiency. Unfortunately it is possible for a

person to suffer from both Dampness and Dryness at the same time. The

tissues may be water-logged, but the Blood volume is way down in many of

these cases.

 

One of the symptoms of Dampness is an aversion to drinking water or other

liquids. The person - or at least part of the person - is water-logged;

hence, the aversion to adding anymore. Unfortunately if the person also has

dehydration or Dryness problems, the not drinking water is increasing those

problems.

 

The reason for the aversion to drinking water in cases of Yang Deficiency

(Deficiency Cold) is not only are there also probable Dampness accumulation

problems but even room temperature water will cool the person down even

more, and a Yang Deficient person already is too Cold.

 

On Dr. Stoll's BB there is a section on skilled relaxation and the effects

of stress on the hypothalamus. Among other things the part of the brain

called the hypothalamus deals with the sense of thirst and hunger and

maintaining homeostasis. In TCM the Liver system is recognized as having a

major influence on emotions as well as being very vulnerable to the effects

of many poorly-handled emotions. On acupuncture.com there is an excellent

article by Al Stone about the tie-in between emotions and the Liver. When

considering why some people are prone to dehydration problems and in turn

Blood Deficiency and even Blood Stasis, it's a good idea to also consider

possible Liver imbalance and rule in or rule out. There may be a little bit

more involved than just the fact that the Liver stores Blood. I've seen

both dehydration problems and Liver imbalance at the same time in too many

people not to wonder about a possible connection.

 

Psychological stress is not the only thing that can affect the hypothalamus

and the sense of thirst. The hypothalamus is very rich in very small

capillaries. Misshapen, inflexible red blood cells (called nondiscocytes)

have problems making it through the smallest capillaries, thus creating

circulation problems and problems in areas rich in small capillaries. Large

percentages of nondiscocytes are found in a number of medical conditions

including diabetes and CFIDS. One substance which promotes the formation of

properly shaped and flexible red blood cells is vitamin B12. Certain

substances like calcium will tend to stiffen red blood cells. (See the work

of L.O. Simpson, MD, in New Zealand for more info on nondiscocytes.)

 

BTW, I have a book on order about Chinese Hematology.

 

Victoria

 

 

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