Burdock Root for Acne

Acne is a skin condition that affects men and women, young and old equally. For most of us, adolescence is the time when acne begins to appear on the skin. Have you ever thought what causes this skin condition in the first place? The main reason is excess sebum production by the sebaceous glands.

Another reason is the hormonal changes that take place in the body when a woman is menstruating, pregnant, or is entering menopause. Acne can be hereditary too, as it is known to run in families. Other reasons include stress, allergies to certain foods, accumulation of bacteria on the skin, and usage of wrong kind of cosmetics.

People rely on various kinds of natural cures as well as medical treatments to get rid of acne. Burdock root for acne treatment has been used since ages and is considered very effective. Let us learn a little bit about this herb as well as its benefits.

Burdock is a plant found in the continents of Europe and Asia, though now it is grown in the United States as well. This plant acquires a height of about four feet. It has heart-shaped leaves and purple flowers that blossom between June and October. The burdock root, which has many medicinal properties, is dark green, brown, or black in color.

The main ingredients of the root are arcigen, calcium, chlorogenic acid, flavonoids, inulin, iron, lactone, polyacetylenes, mucilage, potassium, tannin, resin, and taraxosterol. Because of the presence of these ingredients, Burdock root, when consumed regularly, is known to remove toxins from the blood.

When the wastes and toxins are removed from the body, there is little chance of problems such as acne, pimples, etc., that affect the skin. Thus, its regular intake helps in acne control and prevention.

Secondly, regular application of burdock root on the skin is known to treat many skin ailments, such as eczema, acne, and even psoriasis. Various ointments containing burdock root as the main ingredient are often used to treat these conditions.

There are two ways to use burdock root, i.e., internally and externally. In order to prepare tea from this root, you will need water and four teaspoons of dried root.

Here is the method to prepare burdock root tea, which should be consumed three-four times a day for curing acne.

1. Take a pan and pour four cups of water in it. Bring the water to boil
2. Add four teaspoons of dried burdock root to the water. Put the stove on low and let it simmer for about ten minutes.

3. After ten minutes, remove the tea from the heat and consume one cup of it while it is still hot. You can keep aside the rest of the tea and boil it before drinking throughout the day.

Besides drinking the tea, applying the root on the acne affected skin helps as well. An effective recipe to make an anti-acne mask with burdock root is to boil one teaspoon of dried root in one cup of water, letting the mixture cool and then adding one tablespoon oatmeal, two teaspoon lemon juice, and one tablespoon tomato pulp to it.

All these ingredients are well-known for their acne removal properties and hence, and their regular application will cure or reduce acne eventually.

Burdock root can prove to be very beneficial for acne treatment. Of course, it has to be complimented by other things such as a healthy diet, exercise, lots of fluid intake, and keeping the skin clean for it to be really effective.

One last caution though, before beginning to apply this home remedy, make sure that you are not allergic to it, as it is known to have caused dehydration in many people. Also, if you are taking any medical treatment to treat acne, inform your doctor beforehand that you are using burdock root.