Can comfrey really treat eczema?

Lithospermum officinale is a plant whose roots are rich in purple substances. It is mainly distributed in sunny hillside grasslands, shrubs, etc. It can be learned from "Ben Jing" that it is bitter and cold in nature, and it has obvious acne-removing and anti-inflammatory effects. It can also treat vaginitis, chronic hepatitis and eczema. But is comfrey really effective in treating eczema?

1. Introduction to eczema

Children's eczema mostly occurs on the cheeks, forehead, between the eyebrows, around the auricles and other parts of the head and face, as well as around the anus and scrotum. Sometimes it also appears on the trunk and limbs. In severe cases, it may spread to the whole body. Initially, the symptoms may be redness of the skin, followed by small red papules or red spots. The baby will turn his head due to the itching or try to scratch with his hands. If the skin is damaged, bacterial infection may make the condition worse.

2. Causes of eczema

There are many causes of pediatric eczema. From the internal cause, the stratum corneum of our infants and young children's skin is only 1/3 thick than that of adults, which is very thin. In addition, the capillary network is very rich, and the endothelial cells contain more water and chloride, which makes them more sensitive to various stimuli. Therefore, infants and young children are prone to eczema. Another internal factor is that eczema has a genetic tendency. If the baby's parents have allergic constitution and eczema, the baby's eczema rate is much higher than other children.

3. Preparation method of lithospermum officinale oil

Clinical verification by some patients with infant eczema has shown that the external application of comfrey oil has a miraculous therapeutic effect. However, there are rarely such finished products available for purchase in pharmacies, so parents can usually make them themselves.

1. Buy some comfrey at a Chinese medicine store. Usually 10g is enough. It is very cheap, costing about 1 yuan.

2. Choose 30g of sesame oil, peanut oil or sunflower oil for home cooking, heat it in a pot, put it in a dry bowl with comfrey, soak the comfrey fully, let it cool, and transfer it to a bottle with a lid for later use.

3. Use a cotton swab dipped in comfrey oil to apply to the affected area 2-3 times a day. It is very effective for baby eczema. In addition, lithospermum oil is also very effective in treating mild burns. This is due to the heat-clearing and detoxifying effect of the traditional Chinese medicine lithospermum, which is enough to prevent infection without the use of antibiotics.

However, experts say that it is not recommended for children to treat or manage eczema with their own medication. Generally speaking, mild cases of eczema will gradually improve with proper care. Without understanding the cause of eczema, applying medication or even some skin care products on your own can easily irritate your baby's delicate skin and further aggravate the eczema. Moreover, unexplained or severe eczema must be treated in the hospital in time to avoid secondary infection, which can easily lead to recurrent attacks of eczema and may even turn into chronic eczema.