Skin

Skin care in European herbals is a matter of external use: a compress, a rinse, an ointment from an oil infusion. Plantain, pot marigold, common mallow and comfrey have played this role for centuries, and the tradition speaks of soothing and 'drawing together', not of treating a wound.

The catalogue holds fifteen species under this topic and mixes two layers: a Central European one (plantain, stinging nettle, yarrow, mallow, pot marigold) and an imported one (Cape aloe, neem, fish mint). Their safety notes differ substantially, which is why each herb carries them on its own card and not here.

The evidence splits by preparation, not by species. A standardised ointment and a home infusion of the same plant are not comparable in active content or purity, so a study done with one says nothing about the other. The level of evidence is therefore given per herb.

The second thing the tradition does not address: broken skin is an entry point for infection. A home compress is not sterile, and the larger or deeper the damage, the less it is a question of herbs.

Spreading redness, warm and tight skin, pus or fever mean infection — that is not solved with a compress but with an examination, often antibiotics.

Have a wound that has not healed for weeks assessed separately, as well as injuries in diabetes or poor circulation, animal bites and any new or changing pigmented spot. Do not replace the treatment of atopic eczema or psoriasis with herbs — you may add them after agreeing it with a dermatologist.