5 Surprising Indian Home Remedies For Skin Allergy

Skin allergies are generally regarded as nothing more than an annoyance, but they can be incredibly discomforting causing painful symptoms. Allergic skin reactions occur when the immune system reacts to allergens causing itching, inflammation, swelling, bumps or blisters, and peeling or cracking skin. Depending on the severity of the reaction, skin allergies can be exceedingly painful, requiring quick treatment.

While conventional treatments with antihistamines and corticosteroids can help, most people prefer to avoid such medications because of the risk of side effects. In most cases, natural treatments will suffice to provide quick relief and India has a rich tradition of such natural remedies.

While most of us today are familiar with skin allergy remedies using aloe vera gel, turmeric paste, neem leaves, or baking soda, there are other less-known home remedies for skin allergies that you may find surprising. Most of these treatments have long been used in Ayurved, but have been largely forgotten today.

But before jumping to the home remedies for skin allergy, let's take a look at the causes.

What are the Causes of Skin Allergies?

• Some foods (peanuts, nuts, seafood, eggs, cow's milk)
• Some food additives added in cereal, bread, and processed foods
• Metals like nickel
• Plants like ficus, stinging nettle or poison ivy
• Fragrances often used in deodorant, detergents, soap, and beauty products
• Synthetic fibers and dyes
• Pet hair, saliva or urine (especially cats and dogs)
• Insect bites of bees or wasps
• Topical contact with elastic, rubber, latex, or vinyl
• Antiseptic creams with Chlorhexidine

5 Surprising Indian Home Remedies For Skin Allergy:

1. Beetroot

 

Beetroots are often regarded as a superfood because of their high nutritional density, containing vitamin C, folate, potassium, fiber, and powerful antioxidants. Beetroots are great for your skin because of circulatory benefits that improve blood flow as well as the uptake of nutrients in skin cells. While dietary intake of beets will give you all of these benefits, you can also use it in topical treatments as a home remedy for skin allergy relief.

To use beetroot as a treatment for skin allergy, simply rub a few slices of beetroot over the affected area or apply some beet juice over the area gently, using a cotton swab. You can also prepare face masks and packs with beetroot, either putting a beet through the blender and using 2 teaspoons of the paste in combination with a teaspoon of raw milk and a few drops of almond oil.

2. Coconut Oil

 

Coconut oil is so strongly associated with hair care that most of us don’t realize that it has many other benefits to offer. One of the most notable of these benefits is in the context of skin care and as a natural treatment for skin allergies. Coconut oil is actually useful and recommended for a variety of skin conditions, including burns, wounds, infections, and allergies. Studies have shown that coconut oil exhibits anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects that can reduce allergy inflammation, redness, swelling, and itching. Because of its content of medium-chain fatty acids, coconut oil also serves as gentle and soothing skin moisturizer that also provides protection from sun damage.

To use coconut oil as a home remedy for skin allergy, simply apply the oil gently over the entire area of affected skin. Try to leave the oil on your skin for at least half an hour and do this at least twice or thrice a day. Just make sure to use virgin coconut oil for the best results.

3. Mango Leaves

 

Mango trees aren’t just great for the delicious mangoes or the comforting shade that they provide. They are also a valuable source of medicinal ingredients that have long used in Ayurvedic medicine, with every part of the tree, from the bark to the leaf being useful. In the case of skin allergies, it is the mango leaf that is most valuable. The leaves work as an effective traditional Indian home remedy for skin allergy because of the presence of tannins and anthocyanins that have soothing anti-inflammatory effects, while also promoting healing and regeneration of skin cells.

Mango trees aren’t hard to find in most parts of India and you can simply steep the leaves in boiling water or crush them to extract a juice. You can also use mango leaf powder, creating a thick paste by mixing it with coconut oil. To treat the skin allergy, just rinse with the water or apply the paste over the affected area of skin. This can be done a few times a day as needed.

4. Kalonji

Kalonji or black seed oil is still widely used in Ayurved and you will even find it as an ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine for skin allergy relief. The herbal ingredient is renowned for its potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic (pain-relieving), and antipruritic (itch reducing) properties, which can help significantly in the management of allergic skin reactions. These healing properties are primarily linked to the presence of thymoquinone, which is a phytochemical.

To treat an allergic skin reaction with kalonji, simply apply kalonji oil over the affected area of skin and leave it on for about half an hour or one hour. Do this several times a day until the symptoms have resolved.

5. Cannabis

 

Although mainly associated with the use of illegal substances like bhang and ganja, the cannabis plant is also a source of many medicinal properties, making it one of the most surprising home remedies for skin allergy relief. Herbal extracts from the plant are known to exhibit antimicrobial effects, but studies suggest that immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties are most promising when it comes to the management of dermatological conditions like pruritus, atopic and allergic contact dermatitis, systemic sclerosis, and even skin cancer.

Cannabis is a prohibited substance, so it’s best to avoid using the leaves as a skin allergy remedy. However, hemp seed oil, which is extracted from cannabis seeds can be used as natural treatment for skin allergy relief as it contains the same therapeutic cannabinoids without THC.

While this list only includes 5 of the most surprising and less known home remedies for skin allergies, there are many other Ayurvedic herbs that can provide relief. Some of these include ingredients like neem, manjistha, guggul, and harda, among others. You will find these ingredients in any effective Ayurvedic medicine for skin allergy, whether an oral or topical treatment.

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References:

1. Carrillo, Celia et al. “Antioxidant Capacity of Beetroot: Traditional vs Novel Approaches.” Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands) vol. 72,3 (2017): 266-273. doi:10.1007/s11130-017-0617-2
2. Intahphuak, S et al. “Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic activities of virgin coconut oil.” Pharmaceutical biology vol. 48,2 (2010): 151-7. doi:10.3109/13880200903062614
3. Ojewole, J A O. “Antiinflammatory, analgesic and hypoglycemic effects of Mangifera indica Linn. (Anacardiaceae) stem-bark aqueous extract.” Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology vol. 27,8 (2005): 547-54. doi:10.1358/mf.2005.27.8.928308
4. Amin, Bahareh, and Hossein Hosseinzadeh. “Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) and Its Active Constituent, Thymoquinone: An Overview on the Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Effects.” Planta medica vol. 82,1-2 (2016): 8-16. doi:10.1055/s-0035-1557838
5. Marks, Dustin H., and Adam Friedman. “The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabinoids in Dermatology.” Skin therapy letter vol. 23,6 (2018): 1-5. PMID: 30517778