Natural remedies are based on chemistry, not mythology. It’s one of the greatest fallacies about natural treatments that they’re based on some sort of mystic process which isn’t based on pure organic processes. They work because they’re effective treatments, not because some spruiker says they do. Face cosmetic Acne treatment, for example, is based on herbal or plant based agents.
The history of natural remedies
What are now called natural remedies are in fact the old technologies used to fight various ailments. Modern medical science is only 100 or so years old, and it was very largely developed from this old technology. Most painkillers, until quite recently, were based on opiates, and analgesics like aspirin were originally synthesized from willow bark (salicylic acid) and vinegar (acetic acid).
In ancient times, medicine, like cookery, was a science based on observation and interpretation. Like cookery, the observations were often correct, but the interpretations sometimes left something to be desired. A sick person would eat a food and get better, for example.
To say this was an exact science would be an overstatement, but it’s a matter of record that in some cases modern science is only now catching up with some of the observations. In Australia, the search for an all purpose medicine to replace antibiotics has led to a meeting with Aboriginal medicine. The scientists observed that Australia’s famous bullants, (very large, very aggressive ants which will even try to intimidate humans) which are exposed to soil bacteria and fungi on a 24 hour basis, are immune to the very nasty diseases these organisms can cause.
They discovered two things:
The bullants have a special gland which provides an all- purpose immunizing effect. The glands cover the ants in this agent, so they don’t get diseases.
Aboriginal medicine for treating some infections involved wrapping people in bark or blankets and rolling them around on a bullant nest. The agent cured the infected people. (This is a bit like rolling around on a wasp nest, but as you will have gathered, people did it because it worked, not for the entertainment value.)
Consider for a moment the type of observation required: How to figure out that the ants were somehow able to deal with things as different as the many possible types of human infection. That’s the very high level of observation upon which the ancient medicines were developed.
Modern science has also discovered the biological bases of some of the natural remedies. Aloe Vera is one of the best known herbal treatments, and it’s based on a steroid which opens capillaries and allows proper circulation in the skin. Try that on acne, and you’ll find that professionally conducted acne reviews of therapeutic methods and principles all agree that circulation improvement is critical to treatment.
If you’re considering natural remedies for cosmetic conditions, to be acne free or not, here’s another thought- The natural remedies are all non- toxic. If you have allergic symptoms to pharmaceuticals, they may be just what you need. Do your research on the basis of active agents in natural remedies, and you can’t go wrong.
Acne Remedies