Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) the Indian Golden Curry Spice as a Skin Care Agent: Validation of the Traditional Uses

Topical application of a sandal wood oil and turmeric based cream prevents radiodermatitis in head and neck cancer patients undergoing external beam radiotherapy: a pilot study

“…VTC contains turmeric and the oil of sandal wood, two of the most commonly used medicinal plants in dermal care in the various traditional and folk systems of medicine in India. 19,48,51,58,59 As per the knowledge of the investigators, this is perhaps the first report to show the effectiveness of turmeric-and sandal wood oil-based cream in preventing radiation dermatitis.…”

“…19 True to this accreditation, turmeric has been shown to be useful in the treatment of various skin diseases, inflammation, abscess, eczema, leucoderma, bruises, wounds, urticaria, psoriasis and acne. 19 Scientific studies carried out during the past three decades have shown that turmeric and its chief phytochemical curcumin possess wound-healing, [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] anti-ageing, 31,32 anti-psoriatic [33][34][35] properties and are also effective against UV-induced skin damage [36][37][38][39][40] and chemical carcinogenesis [41][42][43][44][45][46] and provide remarkable symptomatic relief for cancer patients when applied topically. 47 Clinical studies have shown that daily intake of 6 g of curcumin during the course of radiotherapy reduces the severity of radiation dermatitis in patients with breast cancer.…”

“…[60][61][62][63] Innumerable experiments with cell-free assays have shown that turmeric/curcumin possesses free radical scavenging effects on both reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species. 19,[64][65][66] Additionally, studies with cultured dermal cells and laboratory animals have also shown that curcumin increases the antioxidants 31 and decreases the radiation-induced lipid peroxidation 67 and DNA damage. 67,68 Acute radiodermatitis is a primarily inflammatory reaction and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are rapidly activated after tissue irradiation, have a major role in radiation dermatitis.…”

“…73 In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, turmeric has a long history of being useful in healing open wounds and burns, and scientific experiments have validated the ethnomedicinal uses. 19 Pre-clinical studies by Sidhu et al 23 have shown that, when compared with placebo-treated cohorts, the application of turmeric caused a significant increase in the levels of re-epithelialization of the epidermis; migration of myofibroblasts, fibroblasts and macrophages to the wound bed; promotion of neovascularization and greater deposition of collagen in rats; and the effect was mediated by increased levels of TGF-b1. Subsequent experiments have also shown that turmeric, with its principal compound curcumin, promotes re-epithelialization, 28 and together all these observations validate the ethnomedicinal use of turmeric in skin care.…”

Sandalwood Oil and Turmeric-Based Cream Prevents Ionizing Radiation-Induced Dermatitis in Breast Cancer Patients: Clinical Study

“…In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, both turmeric and sandalwood have a long history of being useful for various skin ailments, and experiments have validated their ethnomedicinal uses [ 11 ]. VTC composed of turmeric and sandalwood is arguably one of the oldest cosmecutical creams, and has been marketed in India for over 40 years [ 8 ].…”