Curcuma longa
Turmeric is the yellow spice you probably know from Indian cuisine. It's also a traditional herbal medicine used in Ayurveda, other traditional Indian medicine systems and traditional Chinese medicine, for its wealth of health-supporting abilities, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic. It has been used for disorders of the skin, upper respiratory tract, joints and the digestive system.
The main biologically active component, Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory, that can reduce inflammation and support wound healing. Studies show that thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activity turmeric root extract shows some promise for acne-prone skin, a small study from 2013 (1) showed that it might be able to regulate sebum production.
The antioxidant activity has a positive effect on the health of skin tissues, increasing the production of collagen, supporting the ageing process and evening skin tone, and providing a glow and lustre to the skin.
I use a Soil Association Organic certified Turmeric Tincture. Hand-crafted by a Medical Herbalist here in the UK.
1. Zaman, S. U., and Naveed Akhtar. "Effect of turmeric (Curcuma longa Zingiberaceae) extract cream on human skin sebum secretion." Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 12.5 (2013): 665-669.
2. Vaughn, Alexandra R., Amy Branum, and Raja K. Sivamani. "Effects of turmeric (Curcuma longa) on skin health: A systematic review of the clinical evidence." Phytotherapy Research 30.8 (2016): 1243-1264.
3. Akram, M., et al. "Curcuma longa and curcumin: a review article." Rom J Biol Plant Biol 55.2 (2010): 65-70.
