Benefits of Turmeric for Dermatology

Turmeric, belonging to the Ginger family is a well-known herb, that has been scientifically proven to have amazing skin benefits. It is geographically distributed in southwestern Asian tropical regions. Ayurveda emphasizes the therapeutic indications of turmeric in different contexts of skin disease. India & South east asia have been using Turmeric in dermatological ailments in their traditional medical systems.  Scientifically turmeric is known as Curcuma longa, this spice herb contains antioxidant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory & anti-cancerous, properties. Turmeric contains active flavonoids, curcumin & volatile oils like Zingiberone, Turmerone, & Atlantone. Curcumin is the active ingredient that is responsible for the efficacy in the treatment of dermatological disorders. It has remarkable effects on psoriasis, acne, atopic dermatitis, alopecia & pruritis. Curcumin & whole turmeric are non-genotoxic & non-mutagenic.

Research reveals that curcumin shows good bioavailability as well as accessibility in novel therapeutic formulations. Thus, it has a profound effect in treating dermatological ailments. Curcumin is identified as safe by FDA. Turmeric has a wide variety of applications in folk medicine. Application of turmeric paste is found effective in skin infections, diabetic wounds, swellings & insect bites. It provides glow & improves the complexion of the skin. It is a rejuvenator & imparts a natural glow.

For skin

• It has amazing wound healing properties, because of its antioxidant & anti-inflammatory properties. It accelerates the wound healing process.

For acne, scars& pigmentation - Skin mask

• Clears the acne scars & heals the acne breakouts. It has great potential effect in the topical application in the skin in cases of pigmentations, scars, & even in some warts. In such conditions, the raw turmeric is applied as a paste with milk or coconut milk.

• For Scabies, as this is a microscopic mite infection, turmeric can be used along with Neem leaves as an excellent remedy.

 Effective in psoriasis

• The topical, as well as an internal application of turmeric, is very effective in arresting the psoriatic flares, & allied symptoms.  The psoriasis foundation also recommends adding the wonder herb as a food supplement with the help of an expert consultation.

• Reduces unwanted hair growth. Topical applications for a long time prevent any unwanted hair growth. Turmeric oil has shown to have a great effect on underarm applications for slowing down hair growth.

For oral & dental health

• Due to its anti-microbial properties & antiseptic properties, it is highly recommended in oral cancers & periodontal diseases. It is a valuable ingredient in mouth wash It is used as a fissure & pit sealant.

• It is an efficient remedy in precancerous oral lesions

• In gingivitis & periodontitis turmeric paste with salt is highly effective.

• It is greatly recommended as a natural mouth wash. Turmeric extract, peppermint oil & distilled water is an excellent mouth wash.

The actions of turmeric explained

• Curcumin as well as Fat & water-soluble components of turmeric exhibit antioxidant activity

• Curcumin increases the cortisone production of adrenal glands and thus restricts histamine production. Thus, it is highly beneficial in conditions of acute & chronic inflammations

• Curcumin is hepatic tonic & hepatoprotective in action. It improves the biliary excretion of cholesterol, bile salts & bilirubin.

• Circulatory booster- It prevents platelet aggregation & promotes blood flow.

• Anti-mutagenic property- This is one of the important properties of turmeric. After chemotherapies & allied medications, there are great chances of new cancerous growth. Turmeric is very effective in preventing new cancers. It arrests metastasis & cancers like melanoma. It is very beneficial in cancers occurring due to smoking & tobacco chewing. It aids in the detoxification of cancer-causing agents in the liver.

Antimicrobial action

• The essential oil & the extracts are greatly recommended in bacteria, viral & parasitic fungi infections.

Cardioprotective

• Turmeric is cardioprotective in action. It checks the triglycerides & cholesterol levels very efficiently.

In gastric problems

• Turmeric has profound effects on gastric ulcers. It boosts the internal circulation & makes healing faster. Turmeric has great effects in controlling inflammations because of the presence of curcumin. It is highly beneficial in hay fever, the curcumin helps to reduce sneezing, itching & running nose

• It is highly effective in depression. Intake of turmeric has shown great improvement in elevating the mood.

• It controls the lipid levels in the body. So, it can be effectively used in hyperlipidemia conditions & in non-alcoholic liver disorders.

• In conditions of osteoarthritic conditions of the knee, intake of turmeric-based formulations has shown remarkable benefits. It is also found to improve the mobility of the joints in the long run.

• For itching conditions, turmeric internally can be a great remedy.

Turmeric as a pet medicine.

• In veterinary medicine, turmeric is used in treating scabies of dogs & cattle. It is very effective in skin infections of pet animals. From the studies, it shows that turmeric, as well as curcumin, are safe for administration in human & safe in pregnant animals. It is given in conditions of arthritis & also as a liver tonic (Blanchard, 2013). It is highly recommended in cancerous conditions in cats. It promotes immunity in chickens (Khan, 2013). It is used in the condition of a horse’s hoof abscess. The turmeric is used as a paste externally. In cattle, intake of turmeric has shown in lowering lead content in the milk (Nurdin, 2013)

Caution
There are some things to be considered when using raw turmeric. The dosage, method of application & other medications have to be taken into consideration. Since the bioavailability is very limited it is least absorbed in the body. Also, too much turmeric can negatively impact the body. It should be administered only after close observation. External application on the face should be made only after applying one small region of arms or legs to make sure there are no adverse reactions.

Conclusion
Turmeric is a safe, effective & non-toxic alternative for many conventional medicines due to its amazing systemic actions in the body. It has a promising role in oncological treatments. However more & more researches are required to validate the bioavailability, optimum dosage & bioefficacy of turmeric-based medicines.