Burdock Root for Acne

Acne is a skin condition that affects both men and women, young and old. Adolescence is the time when acne begins to appear on the skin, in most of us. Have you ever thought, what causes this skin condition in the first place? If you have not, then here are the causes of acne. 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, and 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 Root

Burdock plant is 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, has heart-shaped leaves and purple flowers which blossom between June and October. The burdock root, which has many medicinal properties, is dark green, brown and black in color.

Benefits

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. affecting 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 skin ointments containing burdock root as the main ingredient are often used to treat these skin diseases.

How to Use Burdock Root

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.

Step 1
Take a pan and pour four cups of water in it. Bring the water to boil.

Step 2
Add four teaspoons of dried burdock to the water. Put the stove on low and let it simmer for about ten minutes.

Step 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 burdock 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 tbsp. oatmeal, two tsp. lemon juice and one tbsp. tomato pulp to it. All these ingredients are well-known for their acne removal properties and hence, 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 - 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.