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Topical Herbal Products: Salves, Oils, Creams and Poultices

What herbal salves, oils, creams and poultices are, what research found for topical aloe, arnica, comfrey and others, and the skin-allergy and broken-skin cautions to know first.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read herb safety and interactions before you use anything on this page.

Read these cautions first. Plant products on the skin can still cause burns, rashes and allergic reactions. Fresh raw garlic on the skin can cause severe irritation and chemical burns. [1] Contact allergy is a possible adverse effect of natural products. [2] If a product causes a rash, swelling, blistering or trouble breathing, stop using it and get medical help; for suspected poisoning call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US) or 911 in an emergency. See Poisoning: What to Do First.

Quick answer
Topical herbal products are plant preparations meant for the skin. Some have modest research behind one specific use, such as aloe gel on burns. Many others have little or none. Evidence for one plant, one product and one skin problem does not transfer to a different product or a different problem. This page covers the forms; the plants themselves have their own pages, for example aloe vera and arnica.

What the words mean

  • Salve or ointment: a plant material carried in a fatty base that stays on the skin.
  • Cream or gel: a water-containing product that spreads and absorbs more easily.
  • Infused oil: an oil that has been in contact with plant material. This is different from an essential oil, which is covered in Essential Oils and is not the same thing.
  • Poultice: plant material held against the skin in a cloth or pad.

These are descriptions of product types, not instructions. We do not give recipes for making them at home, and for plants that can be toxic no recipe is safe to publish.

What research shows, by plant and use

Traditional use is separate from research. Many plants have been put on skin for generations, and that history is not proof they work or are safe.
Plant and formWhat the source foundStrength of evidence
Aloe vera (Aloe vera) gel, burnsNCCIH: clinical research suggests topical aloe gel may speed burn healing and reduce burn-related pain. [5]Promising but limited
Aloe gel, other skin usesNCCIH: a small amount of research for several conditions; side effects were occasional burning, itching, rash and eczema. [5]Insufficient evidence
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) ointment, knee osteoarthritisNCCIH: unclear whether topical curcumin ointment has an effect on pain. [6] Topical curcumin can cause hives or itching. [6]Insufficient evidence
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) on skin, knee osteoarthritisNCCIH: topical ginger has not been shown to be helpful for knee osteoarthritis symptoms. [7]No good evidence of benefit
Arnica (Arnica montana), bruising after skin proceduresA 2016 systematic review found mixed results and insufficient data. It covered 11 oral and 2 topical arnica trials, so the topical evidence is thin. [8]Insufficient evidence
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) creams, ointmentsLactMed: evidence of effectiveness for use after childbirth is minimal. [9]Insufficient evidence
Poultices of any plantProper evidence not found. We searched PubMed on 2026-10-23 for "herbal poultice randomized controlled trial" and found no results.Traditional use only

Quality

Skin products can contain several plants, fragrance and preservatives, and these can be the cause of a reaction. NHS advises checking ingredients on products that irritate your skin. [12] See Herb Quality, Labels and Product Selection.

Frequently asked questions

Is a natural salve safer than a regular cream?

Not necessarily. Contact allergy is a possible adverse effect of natural products, and reactions to propolis, daisy-family extracts and tea tree oil were the most common in one Italian study. [2]

Does aloe gel help burns?

NCCIH says clinical research suggests topical aloe gel may speed burn healing and reduce burn-related pain. [5] Serious burns need medical care.

Can I put raw garlic or other kitchen plants on my skin?

NCCIH warns that fresh raw garlic can cause severe skin irritation and chemical burns. [1]

Is comfrey cream safe while breastfeeding?

LactMed says most sources consider topical comfrey contraindicated during breastfeeding, and warns against infant contact with treated skin. [9] Ask a pharmacist or clinician.

Are topical herbal products regulated like medicines?

It depends on the claim. FDA treats a product intended for a therapeutic use as a drug. [3]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

Which legal category is it?
In the US the same bottle can fall into different categories depending on what it claims. FDA says a product intended for a therapeutic use, such as treating or preventing disease, is a drug, not a cosmetic. [3] FDA also says dietary supplements must be swallowed, so topical products are not supplements. [4] FDA says the law does not require cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, to have FDA approval before they go on the market. [3] Rules in other countries differ and are not covered here.
Safety
Allergy and irritation. In an Italian survey of 2,661 patients, 1,274 (48%) reported using topical botanical products and 139 reported skin reactions. [2] The commonest botanical allergens in the tested patients were propolis, Compositae (daisy family) extracts and tea tree oil. [2] Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae) [10], and NCCIH says people allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies are more likely to react to it. [11] NHS notes that allergic contact dermatitis can be triggered by substances in products such as cosmetics. [12]

Patch testing. The Italian study used patch tests done by clinicians to find which substance caused a reaction. [2] We did not read a source that gives a home patch-test method, so we do not give one. If you have had reactions to plants or cosmetics, ask a pharmacist or a dermatologist.

Broken skin. The sources we read do not give a general rule for open wounds. They do give a specific warning for comfrey: LactMed says most sources consider topical comfrey contraindicated during breastfeeding. [9] Comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can cause severe liver damage. [9] A 2022 laboratory study on a human skin model found low skin penetration of three of these alkaloids, but some of its authors worked for a company that makes a comfrey cream. [13] See Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children. NCCIH says little is known about topical garlic in pregnancy or breastfeeding. [1] NHS says herbal medicines are not recommended for children because not enough is known about their safety. [14] Chamomile on the skin is described by NCCIH as possibly safe for adults and children at certain doses over the short term, and might irritate the eyes if used near them. [11]

Medicines. Interaction reports for skin products are less well documented than for tablets and capsules in the sources we read. If you take blood thinners or have liver disease, ask a pharmacist before using any herbal product; see How Interactions Work.

References
  1. Garlic, NCCIH, US. Read 2026-10-23.
  2. Corazza M, et al. Topical botanically derived products: use, skin reactions, and usefulness of patch tests. A multicentre Italian study. Contact Dermatitis. 2014. Read 2026-10-23.
  3. FDA Authority Over Cosmetics: How Cosmetics Are Not FDA-Approved, but Are FDA-Regulated, US FDA. Read 2026-10-23.
  4. Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements, US Food and Drug Administration. Read 2026-10-23.
  5. Aloe Vera, NCCIH, US. Read 2026-10-23.
  6. Turmeric, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), US, updated April 2025. Read 2026-10-23.
  7. Ginger, NCCIH, US. Read 2026-10-23.
  8. Ho D, Jagdeo J, Waldorf HA. Is there a role for arnica and bromelain in prevention of post-procedure ecchymosis or edema? A systematic review of the literature. Dermatologic Surgery. 2016. Read 2026-10-23.
  9. Comfrey. In: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, US (NCBI Bookshelf NBK501773). Read 2026-10-23.
  10. GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, species match service. Names checked 2026-10-23: Curcuma longa, Allium sativum, Symphytum officinale, Sambucus nigra, Arnica montana, Aloe vera, Matricaria chamomilla, Zingiber officinale (all returned as accepted names).
  11. Chamomile, NCCIH, US. Read 2026-10-23.
  12. Contact dermatitis, NHS (UK), last reviewed May 2023. Read 2026-10-23.
  13. Plaza A, et al. Support for regulatory assessment of percutaneous absorption of retronecine-type pyrrolizidine alkaloids through human skin. Planta Medica. 2022. Read 2026-10-23.
  14. Herbal medicines and complementary therapies, NHS (UK). Read 2026-10-23.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.