Study Evaluates Efficacy of Alternative Therapies in Skin Care
Key Takeaways
Complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) agents show some efficacy in dermatologic applications, but most clinical studies suffer from poor design and insufficient power.
Dermatologists should exercise caution when evaluating CAM literature and guide patients toward evidence-based treatments.
Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) commonly used in dermatology lack high-quality evidence needed to support their efficacy, according to a comprehensive literature review from researchers at Baylor College of Medicine.
The review, published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, included findings from PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases that looked at CAM applications in cosmetic dermatology and dermatologic surgery. Some of the popular agents of interest included green tea catechins, resveratrol, escharotics such as bloodroot, and scar treatments like onion extract and topical vitamin E.
Among cancer-preventive CAMs, green tea catechins demonstrated photoprotective effects in vitro and animal models, but clinical trials remain sparse and methodologically flawed. Similarly, resveratrol, proanthocyanidins, and silymarin showed potential antioxidant effects in preclinical models but lacked supporting human data.
Escharotic agents, often marketed as alternatives for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), were associated with significant risks including tissue necrosis and recurrence.
“There are no credible controlled studies supporting the use of escharotic agents as an alternative or complementary treatment for NMSC, melanoma, or other skin neoplasms,” the authors cautioned.
For post-surgical wound healing, Arnica montana, honey, and aloe vera showed inconsistent results across trials. Vitamin C demonstrated some benefit in improving scar strength, but others failed to show any benefit.
In an analysis of scar healing treatments, silicone sheeting showed benefit in select high-risk populations, but results for onion extract were inconclusive. Topical vitamin E showed minimal benefit and had a risk for contact dermatitis.
“CAM agents have promising potential in dermatologic use; however, more RCT-level studies are needed,” the authors concluded. “As of now, dermatologists should be cognizant of bias in published studies demonstrating the effectiveness of certain CAM agents, as well as the possible adverse effects.”
Source: Ufomadu P, et al. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2025;18(6):29–40.