Herbs for Healthy Skin 

TCM for Skin Damp Heat,

Pimples with Pus, and Pimples Without Pus

Looking in the mirror this morning, I noticed a pimple forming ridiculously on the tip of my nose; and I suddenly remembered being fifteen, and trying to cope with bad skin.  It’s too bad that back then I didn’t know anything about using Chinese herbs.  In the parlance of Traditional Chinese Medicine, my teenage condition would have been called Interior Damp Heat in the Stomach, Lung, or Large Intestine.  

To make sense of this strangeness, understand that the Stomach and Large Intestine Acupuncture meridians traverse the face, and the Lung Channel covers the upper-back and chest.

When we say Heat, think inflammation and when we say Damp think pus .  

Since Heat rises, this condition usually appears on the face and upper body. Heat can arise from any number of combined sources.  Spicy food, hot weather, hyperactive hormones, emotional friction, cooling system malfunction  (YIN Deficiency), or an over active life all generate Internal Heat.

Though Damp Heat isn't considered by many to be a serious disease, but a bad complexion can lead to low self-esteem, as well as high anxiety, which can indeed be serious, causing depression, anxiety, insomnia, and even mental illness, all serious life altering afflictions.

Though the choices on this page are generally considered safe,  pregnant women are advised to consult with their health care providers before using any supplement. Traditional Chinese Medicine, when used properly, can be powerful and reliable, but it can also be complex. Self-diagnosis and self-treatment aren't recommended for chronic, recurring, or serious illness. To insure the best outcome and minimize the chance of side effects, it's best to Find a Local Practitioner or Start an E-mail Consultation now.

Western medicine and Eastern medicine see this condition differently. Western doctors call this "acne" and consider it to be a topical condition, therefore treatment consists largely of topical lotions, creams, salves, and soaps.  No connection is made to dietary or other underlying causes.

TCM physicians consider Damp Heat to be an internal condition rather than a topical one. Treating it involves harmonizing internal disharmonies by Cooling Heat, and Drying Dampness. To accomplish this, Chinese herbs are taken internally, either by pill, powder, or decoction (brew). The herbs are always used in formulas that can create powerful synergies by combining two or more herbs having similar but not equal properties. Combining herbs also can be used to negate the harsh side effects of single herbs.