Very recently, a group of researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University presented their report on a study conducted by them at the Society for General Microbiology Conference.

This study carried out experiments on the fundamental anti-microbial properties of tinctures (alcohol based extracts) of Thyme, Marigold and Myrrh – three popular herbs advocated by herbal propagators for acne.

You will be surprised to know that Benzoyl peroxide – the primary chemical compound in most anti-acne creams – had also been simultaneously tested alongside these herbs as a comparative study, and it turned out that thyme is actually more effective in killing acne-causing bacteria than Benzoyl peroxide!

Propionbacterium acnes, the bacteria that cause acne, were grown in-situ in the laboratory for four days, then collected in different samples and were exposed to the three aforementioned herbs and Benzoyl peroxide.

Alcohol was used as a control substance to enhance comparison among the ingredients being tested.

After 5 minutes, the researchers checked the samples of all the four to test for the effect of each of these on the notorious bacteria

To your amazement and everyone else’s, marigold, myrrh and thyme tinctures exhibited a greater antibacterial behaviour than the control alcohol solution, while the thyme tincture had the greatest eliminating effect on the bacteria!

In fact, a certain concentration of the tincture killed more bacteria than Benzoyl peroxide did, even when the latter was incorporated at the greatest concentration that is recommended to acne victims.

You must, however, stand cautioned. Mere exhibition of anti-microbial property doesn’t make thyme an immediate choice to counter acne.

You might not get to hear this too often, but even herbs, unless they have undergone full-fledged tests on the human skin, are not completely safe to use.

Tolerance of the human skin towards herbs has always been a bone of contention, despite popular belief that herbs are completely in tune with the human skin sensitivities.

While the acne community looks forward to yet another herbal scientific break-through, you must first investigate into the unique causes that have led to acne in you, since no two of us can have identical sets of imbalances, leading to their manifestation as acne!

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The post Is Thyme More Potent Than Benzoyl Peroxide? first appeared on Mike Walden's Acne Blog.

The post Is Thyme More Potent Than Benzoyl Peroxide? appeared first on Mike Walden's Acne Blog.