Herbs that balance hormone levels are the most commonly prescribed
herbs for acne. They include chaste berry, red clover, black
cohosh, wild yam, evening primrose, and dong quai, all of which
are prescribed for women. These herbs contain phytoestrogen, a
plant-based female hormone-like compound. Therefore, although
they are useful for women, they are inappropriate for males due
to chemical differences in the male and female body.
Herbalists believe phytoestrol increases the effect of the female
sex hormone, estrogen, on the body while counterbalancing the effect of androgen. Although studies into the effectiveness of hormonebalancing
herbs on acne are limited, many experts think herbs containing
phytoestrogen can help women with hormonal acne. Stanley
W. Beyrle, a naturopathic doctor at the Kansas Clinic of Traditional
Medicine in Wichita, explains:
Black cohosh works as a regulator or a normalizer of the female
reproductive system [the part of a woman’s body that produces
female sex hormones] by helping to restore hormone balance.
When it comes to gynecological complaints [conditions such as
hormonal acne that involve female sex hormones and sex organs],
there isn’t a better herb than black cohosh.
