A review of four common medicinal plants used to treat eczema

Many medicinal plants are commonly used to treat skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, vitiligo, cellulitis, herpes and cancer. Herbal medicine is as old as civilization. Application of traditional herbal medicine is widespread in different regions of the world. It is more common in villages and desert areas where medical services are less accessible. Herbal treatments are generally perceived as effective and have few side effects. Research on herbal drugs in terms of controlled clinical trials in humans is still limited. Herbal clinical research optimistically opens new therapeutic avenues. Eczema is considered as a group of medical conditions that cause the skin to become inflamed or irritated. The treatment of eczema is complicated. Moreover, screening is essential to reduce any potentially harmful side effects on human skin and health. This review summarizes the published literature on four common medicinal plants, namely, aloe (Aloe vera), oat (Avena sativa), turmeric (Curcuma longa) and chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) used for the treatment of eczema. The mechanism of action, therapeutic indications and side effects of these plants are described.   Key words: Medicinal plants, treatment, skin diseases, eczema.